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john/z28jd Selig doesnt have to do anything because people who want to believe one record is right will believe it already no matter what he or anyone else says. I don't credit Nolan Ryan with the single season strikeout record but baseball does. All you have to do is look in the baseball encyclopedia and you will see it is wrong. I really don't care what they say just like I don't believe the Hall of Fame voting is right and the players that are in it are the best.
I talked to a friend the other day about Bonds being the all-time home run king and I said to him,if youre crediting the steroids for Bonds hitting a unknown certain amount of homers then you also have to credit them for the insane walk totals he received and add those homers onto his total at a rate of at least one every 18 AB's he lost. Then you have to realize with no steroids allegations he would've definitely played last year,maybe the Giants maybe as a DH. If he was closing in on the all-time home run record when you add in those totals then he would obviously play this year and how would you know when he would stop playing if he was close? Those same steroids that youre claiming helped him home run total,also hurt his AB's total and his years played total,two big ways a person hits homeruns. Basically until you can find a way to figure out how many home runs he lost as opposed to how many he gained you have no clue how many he would've hit clean. You know baseball colluded to limit him to 762 despite the fact he would've made every team better last year and this year,and maybe further,thats the only thing youre certain about.
If you really want to point fingers during his 73 home run season,point to his armor pad on his elbow that allowed him to crowd the plate and the ridiculously small strike zone the umpires gave him all year,if he didnt swing it wasnt a strike and that year he only swung at good pitches. I don't think people really understand what he did that year,he had no fear of being backed off the plate and he had probably the best pitch selection I've ever seen,coupled with a strike zone the size of a notebook. You give anyone that much respect and that much discipline for an entire season and they will do damage. Steroids didnt give him that body armor,small strike zone and amazing patience.
As far as Aaron,give me proof that he never did a thing wrong when he had ways to get better that werent legal at the time as well,steroids and uppers arent a new thing. This guy set a career high in homers at the age of 37,hit 40 homeruns at the age of 39 and went downhill pretty quick after setting the record,one of the most revered records in sports. You dont think he possibly couldve looked for help as he got older and neared the record and once he reached it he was satisfied and able to play by the books and come back to earth.Name another guy who hit a career high in homers that late in his career and still hit 40 homers afterwards...Barry Bonds come to mind? Anyone else...nope,and supposedly Bonds only did it with help. To say youre 100% certain on anyone is only a happy thought because you cant be proven wrong without any tests that say otherwise.
In closing,if for some reason you read this far,read the first paragraph again and believe whatever you want to believe,a book that has facts that are obviously wrong,can't tell you what's right,just ask Matt Kilroy.