Does anyone care about A-Rod's 600th home run?

I don't remember anything about it. I just did some research and there were like 15,000 people at a game the Reds played in Florida when Griffey had 599. I realize that's Florida, and they never draw, but that's my point.

Bonds, meanwhile, played before like 25 straight sellouts when he was coming up to 755.

 

I'll add that the economy also has affected this sort of thing. I remember in 2001 when Bonds was chasing the single-season record, there were at least 30 national writers from all over the country following the Giants. When he was chasing the all-time record in 2007, there were maybe only 15.

People just don't have the money to send writers all over the country waiting for historic homers. So you aren't going to see as much coverage since people aren't there.

 

Fair enough. I'm also in the Reds' backyard, so that made a difference.

 

You're falling victim to the same old-school thinking that no way will Johnson, Maddux and Glavine get to 300. The goal supersedes the age as long as the player still has the ability, and in fact the goal becomes the draw (see Texas Rangers and Sosa 600).

You're right, health is always the wild card (and it scuttled Junior, Mantle, Kiner, Foxx and countless others.) But to say A-Rod doesn't have a shot is crazy talk.

(Ultimately, I think Pujols will fly A-Rod in the end, but enough of that.)

 

A-Rod hit home run No. 500 during a 1:05 p.m. Saturday game in the Bronx against Kyle Davies, making his first start for the Royals after a trade from the Braves earlier in the week.

A-Rod could hit home run No. 600 during a 1:05 p.m. Saturday game in the Bronx against Kyle Davies and the Royals.

 

The only one who cares is the person who catches the ball, and since that's not going to be me, put me in the "no" column.

 

Mickey Mantle would have hit 700 HR's had he not suffered from debilitating head aches.

 

How about the five years Ted William lost to military service?

He would have been over 700 too.

 

There were 10 times number covering the chase when McGwire and Sosa were doing it. I covered a couple of McGwire's games when he was in the mid-50s that season and there was a reporter from every major paper in the country.

 

Canseco might have gotten to 600 if the league didn't blackball him.

 

He'd also have reached 3,000 hits. Hard to fathom that one of the four or five greatest hitters ever did not get 3,000 hits.

Meanwhile, if Babe Ruth had gotten to play in the parks of today, he'd have hit 1,000 or more.

 

The Babe also had debilitating headaches.