Barry Bonds/Babe Ruth
The man who owns the Barry Bonds 756th home run ball is stamping an asterisk on the ball and donating it to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame is going to accept the ball.
I don’t know that I’ve heard before of a museum accepting exhibits that have been intentionally defaced.
The defaced ball is meant to suggest that Barry Bonds set the home run record with the aid of steroids. I don’t know if this is true or not.
I do know that every record in baseball set before 1947 was set when no blacks were allowed to play. Should an asterisk be painted on exhibits connected to the careers of Ty Cobb, Cy Young and Babe Ruth?
An argument might be that Mr. Bonds chose to use any steroids he may have taken, while pre-Jackie Robinson players were in a world not of their making.
But didn’t any of those old-time players have an obligation to speak up for fair-play?
I’m not certain the double standard is fully racial—Mark McGwire is not very popular these days.
Still, some kind of double standard appears to be at work.
“I do know that every record in baseball set before 1947 was set when no blacks were allowed to play. Should an asterisk be painted on exhibits connected to the careers of Ty Cobb, Cy Young and Babe Ruth?”
Ok, so let’s also Put an astrisk on the diplomas of any student that gets a point advantage for college entry. Put an asterisk on employee records if they have their job through affirmative action, on their tax records if they receive addition monetary help through NAACP, UNCF, Associated Black Charities, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Black Student Fund, National Black Farmers Association, Black Press Charities Project, or Institute for Black Charities WHEW!!!!
Asterisks on any profesional ball-player convicted of a federal crime or tested positive for un-precribed drugs (’A’ or ‘B’ test).
An asterisk for any woman who has a non-violence related conception child while on welfare.
We can go on and on about marking each other for ill-gotten gains or awards and I am sure you have some in mind to get back at me with. If you want to level the playing field, don’t tear down the heros of the past, look to the heros of today and celebrate them.
BTW; How long do you and thompson leave stuff on your site with no comments?