Will it be today? tomorrow? Sometime (likely) this week, Barry Bonds will break the all-time record for most home runs, passing Hank Aaron.
Even with all the controversy about steriods (he broke into the majors as a speedy leadoff hitter — and at some point underwent major transformation in body type), it’s an amazing accomplishment. But it’s still hard for me to get too excited.
He’s passing Hank. But he’s not Hank. (OK, I’m not quite this much of Hank fan!)
Bonds’s record won’t be around as long as Babe Ruth’s or Hank’s. You can already hear A-Rod heading toward a new mark.
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As I keep working on Galatians, I’m impressed again with the gains in New Testament study from what’s called the “new perspective” on Paul, which I wrote about here.
Who has the all-time baptism record?
A ridiculous and random thought.
Jimmy Allen. But the record has an asterik because he’s ALWAYS been on steroids.
I can also hear the Yanks creeping (blasting!) their way into a playoff position. Nice. Very nice. Keep ‘em coming, A-Rod!
Oh, sure, Joe. NOW you Yankees fans like A-Rod!
It is reasonable to believe Barry Bonds was on the juice but it is just as reasonable to believe many pitchers were having help (How do we account for a record number of pitchers who throw fastballs in the mid-to-upper 90’s? And what about both Roger Clemmens and Randy Johnson having their best years in their mid-to-late thirties?) So even if Bond was on the juice, it is likely to believe he was evenly matched against juiced pitching.
Should the others count since he was on juice? That is the question. I don’t think so…
What would be the equivalent of a preacher on steriods?
Re: Bonds
I’ve gone back and forth, but as of this moment, I have no problem with Bonds breaking this record. This recent cloud of controversy has obscured a brilliant career by a player who has always been one of baseball’s great ambassadors. There is NO QUESTION that Barry Bonds is perhaps the best all-around athlete to have ever played the game of baseball — he can run, jump, field, and hit. That’s a complete player. This might be another conversation if all he did was hit a bunch of homers, but it isn’t — he’s done it all.
Re: the baptism record
In the CofC, that record has to belong to Marshall Keeble, an African-American who preached throughout much of the 20th century (the good times and bad times for blacks, mind you) and reportedly baptized tens of thousands during his lifetime. (in 1930, he wrote to the Gospel Advocate stating he had baptized 15,000 to that point. Estimates range between 20,000 and 40,000 before his death in 1968)
His wife Laura — “Sister Keeble” — died on March 5, 2007, at the ripe young age of 108.
Re: Paul’s “Fresh Perspective”
Love it. Like Wade said in the comments of your original post on this topic, sometimes I feel like I’m “following N.T. Wright as he follows Paul as he follows Christ.”
Keep listening to the Yankees creeping back in to a playoff chase; they start playing good teams soon. Add that to how late it is in the season (A-Rod is worse the later it gets, older players start wearing out due to age, heat, etc., the Yankees have never finished season needing to go up) and that chase will soon end.
I am glad for Bonds. It is my opinion that most people have tried and convicted him already because he is not a friendly, accesible athlete. The fact that he was not liked that much when he left Pittsburgh gave people he rubbed the wrong way ammo to jump all over him for alleged steroid use. It also seems that smaller parks and a mound six inches shorter add more home runs than anything.
By coincidence, we’ve been doing a series on Paul: in Fresh Perspective (the subject of the post Mike linked to) in Theologia, a class that meets on Wednesday night.
For anyone who is interested, brief summaries of our classes thus far can be found at http://theologiahighland.blogspot.com/
We’re going to wrap things up tomorrow night with by asking some “so what?” questions in connection with Wright’s “fresh perspective.” How does it impact the way we think about ourselves, our purposes, and our future? How does it change things on the street level, where discipleship is played out on a day-to-day basis?
Knowles Shaw, The Singing (and Playing) Evangelist was up to about 11,000 baptisms when he was killed in a train wreck. He was in his early 40s.
My hero growing up in baseball was Babe Ruth. I read several biographies on the Babe 714 stuck in my mind. If Babe had been on a physical enhancer, the would have hit 1400 home runs.
I think Jimmy Allen new Babe Ruth. I think he even used one of his gloves.
Being from the West Coast, I’d have been just as happy NOT to have had BB and his “record” brought up at all.
I’d really like to know what it is that makes him such an insufferable prig! He can be downright rude. It’s really a shame that one of his personality is “breaking” the records of Ruth and Aarons. Truly a shame; a concept [shame] totally out of Bonds’ reach, imo.
Mike,
I was in “The City” tonight when he broke it. People were going crazy and they were lighting fireworks all over San Francisco. As huge of a baseball fan as you are, I think you would’ve enjoyed it simply for what it is (even if you can’t get too excited).
I hear Barry Bonds is going to pay 15 million for the baseball. That’s what one San Franciscan told me while I was in Carl’s Jr. tonight.
Peace Man!
“I think you would’ve enjoyed it simply for what it is”
How do you define “it”?
On another baseball note, the team we lost to 4-3 in the championship game in Waco plays today in the championship game at the Southwest Regionals in Grand Junction, Co. The winner advances to the junior league World Series. http://www.littleleague.org/series/2007divisions/jlbb/qualify/ussouthwest.htm
Mike,
I think it might be high time you ‘fess up. You have been preaching at times while on Altoids. Am I right or am I wrong?
Mike,
The Lubbock LL team plays MY town’s LL team in the first semi-final game today at Waco. In fact, they’re playing even as we “speak.” The winner will play the championship game Friday night on ESPN.
I know you’re hoping it’s Texas West, but I’m hoping it’s Arkansas!
Lisa - We’re mostly following junior league (ages 13-14), but I’m glad to have an update on the little league (ages 11-12) teams, too. Good luck!
As a former player, Bonds deserves it. How many guys took roids from 1980 - 2005? hundreds? thousands? Only one put wood on leather, and hit em over the fence - Barry. I have seen guys take roids and it make them worse.
I also think this is the perfect place for the media to couch this in controversy - since Barry has been such a jerk to them in the past.
And don’t be fooled by pics of Barry now, vs. Barry then. Same thing in Reggie Jackson, Mark McGwire, Hank Aaron, even Babe Ruth got much larger.
Here’s the bottom line, it takes skill and diligent practice to hit a 93 mph fastball (inner half) out of the park. Roids don’t help it much - if any. I know from experience (not me, but my many teammates).
Jimmy Allen on steroids… That explains all of those very stressful true and false questions attached to his exams :-).