September 8, 1998. Busch Stadium. St. Louis, Mo. There is one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sammy Sosa is in right field, Steve Trachsel is on the mound, and Mark David McGwire is at the plate.
Trachsel's initial offering is an 88-mile per hour fastball, and McGwire takes a vicious hack. He connects and launches a low, line drive bullet into the left-field corner.
"Down the left-field line. Is it enough? GONE! There it is! 62!"
I was standing in my friend's living room as Fox's Joe Buck made the call. I stood mesmerized thinking about this moment.
I watched as McGwire missed first base because he was jumping up and down. I observed him shaking the hand of each Cubs' infielder as he rounded the bases. I saw all of his Cardinal teammates forming a semicircle around the plate with McGwire's 10-year old son at the center. And I memorized the image of him lifting his son high and later exchanging a bear hug with Sosa.
McGwire's home run is baseball's defining image for many fans. How do I know? Because the description I gave came from memory.
And why shouldn't this moment rank as one of the all time greats in baseball history? After all, the number '61' is one of the most important in baseball history.
We are now approaching another of baseball's most important numbers – 755. That is the number of home runs hit by the all-time home run champion, Hank Aaron.
Four years ago this number seemed as unreachable as Maris' single-season home run record of 61 once looked. Along came Barry Lamar Bonds.
At the start of the 2001 season, Bonds had 494 career home runs, or 261 homers shy of Hank Aaron. He finished the 2001 season with 73 home runs, breaking McGwire's record of 70, which was set only three years prior. By the way, Barry turned 37 midway through that season.
Compared McGwire, Bonds received very little media attention.
Bonds hit home run number 700 a week ago today. At the time this story was written, he was at 701 career homers. In addition, the St. Francisco Giants just picked up Bonds' contract for the 2006 season, meaning after this year, the slugger will have two complete seasons to try and break Aaron's record. At the moment, there seems to be nothing – excluding injury of course – that will prevent Bonds from becoming the all-time home run king.
So, that brings us to the following question – what will be a bigger sports moment, Bonds eventually hitting number 756 or McGwire having hit number 62?
There are two things to look at with this argument. First, we must look at the nature of the two players chasing history. Second, we must look at the record itself.
Let's begin with the latter. During the summer and early fall of 1998, McGwire and his running mate, Sosa, were embraced both by the American public and perhaps more importantly, by the media. Daily media outlets from Sportscenter to NBC Nightly News always included updates of McGwire's chase for history. He answered every question from every reporter, and gave the responses that everyone wanted to here.
We then look at Bonds. Since he entered the big leagues in 1986, he has had a very contentious relationship with the press. Because of this, he has a cold and unapproachable image in the eyes of the average fan.
While in the last four years Bonds has made an active effort to open up and give the fans more of a glimpse into his personality, he is light years away from achieving the popularity that McGwire enjoyed.
Another reason that Bonds is not a media darling is the steroid controversy regarding his involvement with Balco, the San Francisco-based drug company. But while the allegations are rampant, Bonds has passed every drug test given and has repeatedly denied using illegal substances.
What is ironic is that McGwire has admitted to using Andro, a performance enhancing substance that is banned by almost every other major sport, as well as the Olympics. Still, Bonds has been persecuted while McGwire maintains his hero status.
Because of these differences in how the two athletes are viewed, if McGwire and Bonds were chasing the same record, it is clear that McGwire would receive more attention.
We must now turn our attention to the records that are in question. 61 vs. 755. Which is the bigger record? The all time home run record represents outstanding play over the course of an entire career. The single season record is not nearly as accurate at measuring a player's greatness.
Take Brady Anderson. In 1995 Anderson hit 50 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles. His next highest total in any of his 15 big league seasons was 24. Clearly Brady Anderson is not a great home run hitter. But lots of big league players are capable of putting together one great season.
It is impossible to argue against Aaron being a great home run hitter because over the course of his career he proved himself time-and-time again.
Clearly McGwire is the bigger media draw and therefore is capable of delivering a bigger moment, but breaking the all-time home run record is a more revered and respected number.
In the end, the bigger moment will be the one that involves the more impressive achievement.
That distinction will belong to Bonds when he eventually hits 756. Assuming Bonds breaks the record during the 2006 season, he would have hit 262 home runs in the course of five-plus years. He would have accomplished this after the age of 36. He has already shown himself to be the most productive player the game has ever seen over the age of 35.
While McGwire's achievement was certainly great, it was diminished by the fact that Sosa also hit number 62 later that same season.
That doesn't mean that McGwire's moment isn't memorable. But I know that 20 years from now I'll be telling my kids that the greatest baseball moment of my lifetime was watching Barry Bonds set the all time home run record — unless of course the Red Sox win the World Series.
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