What a Weekend: Sorting through the Milestones
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No new records, but three major landmarks.
Alex Rodriguez finally hit career home run #500, Barry Bonds answered with #755, and Tom Glavine earned his 300th career win.
Perhaps more importantly, there were no arrests, indictments, or even accusations to speak of in the sports world. And while Bonds' 755th was not without its asterisks and questions marks, it brought us all one step closer to both history and relief.
All in all, a very good weekend for sports fans.
Rodriguez's 500th started it all off Saturday afternoon. At 32, A-Rod became the youngest player in Major League History to reach the milestone.
A lot of people are ready to anoint Rodriguez as the man to surpass Bonds and save baseball, but I'm not so sure. And no, I'm not talking about the supposed "stuff" that Jose Canseco has on Rodriguez in his newest book.
Players fade at different times in their careers, and given the stress that Rodriguez has endured in the last four seasons alone, I wouldn't be surprised to see him decline sooner rather than later. If you give him an average of 40 homers a year, it would take him five years (age 37) to reach 200 and six-plus to tie and surpass Bonds.
A good possibility, but no slam dunk.
Bonds was not to be outdone, and proved that with his 755th. Watching Bud Selig watch was probably the best part; he looked dazed and unhappy, to put it mildly.
The public perception of Barry Bonds has been well-documented, even by me. But all of our reservations aside, Bonds' looming milestone has become an inevitability. It's time for sports fans to deal with it. And saying that Bonds can have the record for a few years before A-Rod takes over doesn't count.
Bonds is a first-rate jerk, but he's also a terrific baseball player. He's the best of the steroid era, a movement that we home run-loving sports fans helped to fuel. So boo, hiss, and shake your head all you'd like, but you helped create the monster that is Barry Bonds.
Me, I'd prefer to sit back and witness history -- marred though it may be -- for what it is.
Glavine solidified his place in the Hall of Fame with his 300th. With this major milestone under his belt and 41 years in the rearview mirror, I wouldn't be shocked to see Glavine call it quits after this season. In case you're wondering though, he does have a one-year player option remaining on his contract.
Perhaps the only disappointment about the achievement is that it was accomplished in a Mets uniform. Glavine has been good in New York, but he was great in Atlanta.
This article is also published at All on the Field sports blog.
