AK Drinks the Kool-Aid.

apparently, in order for success to be respected, admired, and lauded, an individual needs to be...

friendly.

(holy shit, abc is using a "segway" for its cameramen at the british open. and they're pimping it. this world is devolving into a hell that trumps the darkest nightmare of george orwell).

by the accounts that matter, barry bonds is an asshole. so-the-fuck-what. i am an asshole. most people i know are assholes. most of the people that i don't know are assholes. i think it's a cultural thing.

henry "hank" aaron hit 755 home runs during his major league career. to date, no one (in the major leagues - if the media is going to devote so much time to the integrity of aaron's home run total, it is completely racist of them to ignore josh gibson at this critical time) has hit more. barry bonds is still playing and has hit 753 home runs during his major league career.

(i just figured out exactly what a "belly-putter" was. it looks like stimulating the g-spot on your umbilicus improves your golf game. jim furyk is using fluff as his caddy. is there such a thing as sloppy seconds in golf?).

barry bonds will absolutely squvish hank's record.

(carnoustie is absolutely beautiful. did sergio just swipe his golf ball on his sac?)

as baseball exists into perpetuity, less attention will be paid to concrete and fixed numbers, and more will be paid to statistics that quantify the peak of an era. the pinnacle of accomplishment in a field of expertise. certainly, baseball players are more skilled, are stronger, and are (more than they have ever been) professionals. just like scientists nowadays are infinitely more advanced than those of centuries past. as always, we stand on the shoulders of giants.

the last year that hank aaron hit 40 home runs was in 1973 (at the age of 39 and, remarkably, in 392 ABs). his last 3 years of home run totals? 20-12-10 (this amounts to 42 home runs...which placed him, for his career, at 713 after the 1973 season. what a coincidence that he would return, despite having passed his prime, to break the home run record. but then again, who wouldn't do that given the circumstances? please note, however, when barry was 39, he hit 45 in 373 ABs).

(http://www.baseball-reference.com/ provides amazing figures of the circumstances under which bonds and aaron hit each of their home runs. i'm sure there is some fascinating stuff in there).

barry bonds has hit 19 homes runs this year. he is 42 and the season is a little more than half over. one could argue (perhaps if hank aaron wasn't such a nice guy) that hammerin' hank was padding his statistics once he eclipsed the babe's record. what, exactly was he contributing to a 68 and 66-win team at this time? since he was padding his stats, can we conclude that during this time hank was being an egoist and an asshole?

(sergio just hit some bystander with a golf ball and went over to check on him during play. i was this close (___) to purchasing ps3 this morning. i live in fear.)

this piece isn't intended as an argument for the validity of bonds breaking the record (i haven't even brought up performance enhancing drugs. it is impossible to quanitfy just how many home runs he would have hit without taking them) and it is certainly not made in support of aaron. it may even be a little disjointed because i am currently drunk. all things are never equal. you can only measure an individual by the circumstances under which he (or she) succeeds or fails.

and that is the substance to which this situation boils down. statistics are an integral part in measuring a baseball players performance. however, without advanced mathematical equations, we cannot compare statistice between different periods of time (i.e. several years), let alone while considering other factors. and we can never get it exactly right. we will never be able to truly compare barry and hank.

(ty wiggninton has really let himself go. bj upton has a nasty gun.)

in gross home run numbers, barry bonds is about to pass hank aaron. he is the second player (in major league baseball) to eclipse 750 home runs. he has a beautiful baseball swing. it is for the ages. baseball players such as bonds are rare. he is one of the greatest hitters ever. this is a time to celebrate his greatness. i don't care if he is reviled as a person. he can play with anyone that has ever played. when he hits 756, i'll be watching and i'll never forget.

and for that, i will applaud.