European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 8, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                July 2007 stars and stripes Page 45 Schmidt Aarons reign will never end three time no map weighs in on big question who will be the or King commentary by Mike Schmidt for the associated press this Barry Bonds thing has got me i cant make a Deci i get several inter View requests each week and questions everywhere i what do you think about Barry Bonds in sure All of the Guys in the 500 club Are going through the same most of the older hardliners believe he broke the is beating the sys and want nothing to do with apparently Hank Aaron is in that those Guys feel the same Way about Pete the current seems to be a Little More there willing to accept his achievements As a product of a commitment to unique hand Eye size and and whatever was accepted As Normal 10 years the controversial Issue is whether he added size and strength with illegal supplemental allowing him not Only to do extraordinary things As a hit but allowing him to extend his years to the Point of challenging the games most coveted Ive gone on record saying if i had played in the 1990s i would have found it hard not to fall to the same especially when there was no testing and a lax attitude by those in Back the game and its players were thriving on the Power knowing the repercussions As i know them now would have made that decision but being a Young player trying to make my be the Best i could make the most Money i could get to the in not sure i would have said More Power to those that and most think Barry was not one of so and some current and former major find it hard to give Bonds the respect that should follow this achieve it is directly related to the Issue but there Are other Rea there is the picture painted by the and supported through Reading Bonds that he has a surly in Barry Bonds attitude and has a differ ent set of rules that those around him must quite he appears to have a very arrogant and self Cen tired existence As he approaches the he revels in his celebrity with Little concern for his it seems there is Little that or endear him to All of us in his who am i to talk i was a Little self entered in my Day As a certain amount of in comes with the in the perception that today players have risen to a Harry the Atlanta braves Hank Aaron watches his 715th career Home run in a game against the los Angeles dodgers in Atlanta on april Jeff the san Francisco giants Barry Bonds is Only four homers shy of tying Hank Aarons career record of 755 Home level of stardom where they have lost touch with the real world seems television does these Guys see themselves As Rock As maybe they big papi is a household Hes on to More in one month than Hank Aaron was in his Ca these Are the times we Are but it creates resentment and jealousy from players of the past who played in relative i see esp is televising the arrival of the players at the Allstar game this wow we can see Manny getting out of his Limo maybe hell Wink at the of we get to see the Home run where 10 players get to blast Golf balls Over the Fence 340 feet away with Maple bats while their Peers sit around and act in excuse just the old Chip on the Shoul if Only they had the Money and interest for this stuff when i i had a Long paragraph written on the differences in today game compared to Aarons but ill not push that but i must ask do you think most fans believe the Home run King should come from that when it was much tougher not my mind Aarons that the hard thing to that records set pre1990 Are falling like i was seventh on the Al time Home run list just Over 15 years now in Aaron played his entire career when men were fighting for their livelihood on the there were no guaranteed contracts and pitchers knocked you on your butt if you Over swung at an out Side there were no Elbow pads to ease the fear of inside the game policed and Only the Strong today players Are a Happy Many once were team they understand there is a Gigantic pie and plenty to go before free Agency started after the 1976 players were tied to organizations and forced to be Loyal to towns and their even through the Many players played for Only one Orga which bred a More Natu ral competitive today game is of but not nearly As Tough As it was Back not so much when i but Aarons Era and when you earned your pay year to every year was a free agent year for you dont think hitting was tougher it Doest sound As if i respect today Guys after Reading Arod or Ryan Howard arrives when they do the baseball Cli mate will be More ready for a and much More Comfort Able with the modern when making the Bonds Aaron one thing everyone can agree and it is Central to the is that it be came much easier to hit a Home run after harder Maple Small Small strike fewer inside Elbow and bigger All combined to increase Home run totals and thus Lessen the appreciation of Barry Bonds As pointed out in my Clearing the after the building of Camden Yards in Baltimore and the Many new stadiums that ending with citizens Bank in the differ ii Hanks reign will never really Hes the old school King and by my have set the Standard in baseballs Golden does it i but those Are any current even would agree with i dont blame the they play in the environment they Are the environment that to Days game has adopted Over no one forced ownership to pay million a year for a player or build min stadiums that eventually would destroy the continuity of the record egocentric businessmen and television Revenue support this having said All of the the Only Issue is Bonds or Aaron who deserves the throne until Mike Schmidt Hall of Fame third baseman ence is close to 10 Home runs a year per Barry would need to reach Over that where Hank would be if he played the same number of games in the same environment in which Barry plays in its simplest Over 100 of the balls Hank hit to Outfield warning tracks during his career would be Home runs this is not bar Rys Barry understands that but what can he do ask baseball to make Hanks Mark 925 leave the steroid Issue out of maybe your eyes Tell you one but Barry has never failed a drug its been guilt by Hes had a amazingly productive Ca a career that most Likely will never be he has been a five tool player most of his Ca combining hitting for average and i lost count of his map i say appreciate it for what it the greatest career that spans two highly different i say he is the greatest left handed hit Ter of maybe the greatest player surely of our Genera and ill bet that he is not that bad of a Guy if you got to know remember the Guy coming after will have done it All in the modern in he might prove the number 900 is As for hammering he is the greatest right handed hitter of Al time and that saying of course in but facing 70 percent right handed ask Barry How hed like to face a lefty seven out of 10 Hanks reign will never really Hes the old school King and by my have set the Standard in baseballs Golden i know Hes up there in but in sure he could Board a Pri vate with Bud and Stop by to shake barrys hand on the big the experts on esp will be eve Barry Bonds the per son will be Barry Bonds the com and everyone will see to Dollar signs and barrys lovable hell have More friends than he Ever every will create no major league Licensee will Boycott Media and fans will treat it As a historical by the end of All Barry might even win you lets just Hope this one has a Happy baseball needs