An open letter to Mr. Henry Aaron

Dear Mr. Aaron,

I’d like to call you “Hank” but that’s just disrespectful. If anybody deserves to be called “mister” it’s you. You’ve done so many great things for baseball and I’d like to thank you for every one of them. Unfortunately this letter is about Barry. Yes, that Barry.

I realize that you, his late father Bobby, and his god father Willie Mays were contemporaries. All three of you were stars of baseball’s golden age. This leads me to understand why you’ve taken such a diplomatic stance on Barry’s pursuit of your homerun record.

Just like every other aspect of your public life you decided to be the bigger man. Throughout the segregation of you early career, the rampant racism you endured while playing in Atlanta, and even the death threats to you and your family during your own pursuit of Babe Ruth you played the bigger man. You took it all in stride and made every single one of you detractors look like the fools they were because in the end you did what had to be done. You succeeded. That’s why I count you as one of my heroes.

I only know of you through your legacy, highlights, and the comments of your peers. Your former teammate, Joe Torre once said that he, “Never saw you make a mistake.” I’ve never heard that said about any other athlete. It is because of your legacy I say this to you: Being the bigger man is overrated sometimes! Barry Bonds has not been convicted of any crimes nor has he failed a single drug test but something isn’t right.

He went from barely being a 40-40 man to hitting 70 plus homeruns a year in his mid to late 30’s. So before I commit libel I’ll say this to you: Mr. Aaron just say you don’t want to see Barry break you record because he’s a piece of crap. You don’t have to use your age as a cover-up for traveling. I for one wouldn’t blame you for it. Besides you’ve earned to right to scream on somebody.