When he laid the Hammer down, where were you?
July 23, 2007 at 10:13 am by David Lee Simmons in NewsWell, it could come down to this: The Braves start up a four-game series at San Francisco tonight, which sets up the slight chance that Barry Bonds could surpass Hank Aaron as the home run king while facing Aaron’s old team. Bonds sits at 753, two shy of tying the mark.
There’s an interesting article by Sandy Tolan on Salon.com, calling for Commissioner Bud Selig to be there for No. 756 to make up for then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn’s ridiculous snub of Aaron’s breaking Babe Ruth’s record (714) back in 1974. (Kuhn decided to honor a previous commitment instead. Nice.) Tolan’s argument that Bonds’ record should be appreciated (and placed in proper historical perspective) in spite of the taint of steroid use is a compelling one, though I’m not sure if it holds.
But here’s what I’d like to know: Where were you in 1974, when Aaron ripped one off Al Downing for No. 715? I remember sitting in my parents’ living room as a kid, oblivious to all the death threats Aaron endured, and so oblivious to the issue of race that clouded his magical run. I was pretty oblivious in general until I heard the crack of the bat, and as Aaron trotted dutifully around the bases — looking more relieved than jubilant — that fan trying to join in on the victory lap. Then it finally hit me: Aaron had become one for the ages. It was probably then that I made the Braves my second-favorite team behind another team with Boston ties: the Red Sox.
Where were you when the Hammer hit No. 715?
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July 23rd, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Trying to see past the adults standing in front of me at the portal where we ran to see the shot. We were waiting in line at the concession stand.
Give me a break, I was 8 years old. I wonder sometimes what those grown men were thinking to leave their seats knowing Aaron was coming up.
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I was in a crib in Hyattsville, Maryland. Probably looking at the ceiling.
Try to ruin that memory, Bonds!