by Bob Swanson

Created on: June 19, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's home run record was one of the worst things I have ever witnessed in my entire life. As a Atlanta Braves fan and more importantly a baseball fan, I hated watching that ball go over the fence. Barry Bonds only achieved this extraordinary feat with the help of performance enhancing drugs. Hank Aaron achieved the record on class and with every ounce of effort he could muster. When comparing the two achievements Barry cheated to gain it, Hank gave everything he had. Hank put his entire life into this not just because it was something he wanted to achieve, but because he risked his life every time he stepped onto the field.

For many years I did not understand how great of a record this truly was. I only thought of it as a number, nothing more. A few years ago I read a book about Mr. Aaron. This book not only changed my outlook on baseball and Hank Aaron, but my outlook on America. I strongly recommend to anyone, not just baseball fans, that they read the book "Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America". This book truly opened my eyes to the life that Hank had to endure while on his quest to break Babe Ruth's record. This book was a biography about Hank and his journey to break the home run record.

In this book I read about things such as the thousands of death threats Hank received on a daily basis, yes a daily basis. Hank received thousands of letters every single day, most of which were racist hate mail from Babe Ruth fans. People talk about how racist people hassled Barry in his pursuit of Aaron, Barry has nothing to complain about. Barry never had a cup or urine poured on his head while walking in the outfield like Hank did. Barry never had to be protected 24/7 because of all the death threats. Barry never had to worry about when he stepped out on the field whether he would step off the field under his own power. This horror continued until one afternoon on April 8th, 1974. That was the date that the hell ended for Hank as he drove his 715th home run over the left field wall in Atlanta for the home fans, breaking Babe Ruth's home run record that had stood for so long.

If anyone deserves this record, it is Hank Aaron. After gaining the knowledge of what Hank endured to reach this historic plateau, no one deserves it more than Hank. Hank never once complained about the hell he went through, not once. He took it in stride and accepted it. Barry not only did not face anything compared to Hank, but he cheated to make his journey that much easier. Barry in no way deserves this record. Barry may have more home runs, but in my mind, Hank will always be the home run king.

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