We have now entered BAB or Baseball After Bonds

In case everyone has been living under a rock, Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run last night, breaking Hammerin' Hank's record. Other than the basic steroid controversy that surrounds Bonds and his record, I have many other questions about what baseball will be like after Bonds.

1. What will Pedro Gomez do?
Since Bonds neared the home run record, Pedro Gomez of ESPN has been covering every aspect of Bonds's career. During spring training, there was a daily report from the Giants facility talking about when and how Barry was working out. When the Giants were on the road, Gomez was there to let sports fans know that Barry went 0-3 with two walks and shunned the media again. Whenever there is a new development in the BALCO case, Gomez shows up on our screens to tell us that Bonds and his lawyers have no comment. Now, since Barry broke the record, Pedro may have to move on.

2. Home Run memory
My generation will always remember Aaron, Ruth, and McGuire as the home run kings. When we were little, we learned at a very young age that Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth were the two greatest home run hitters of all time. This was a stalwart fact in baseball memory for the last two generations. Also, since the 1998 home run race happened when I was at a young age, I will always remember that McGuire, not Bonds, was one of the greatest hitters of all time.
Since so many of the home run records have been broken within the last 5 years, it will take some effort for my generation and those older than me to adjust our memories. We will have to remember that Bonds, not Aaron, is the new home run king. We will have to remember that, unlike Aaron, he was surrounded by controversy. Also, because of the accusations of steroid use, every time we see a great new power hitter, we will question if his game is pure or if he has used performance enhancing substances. We now know that our past time is not a pure game, but is surrounded by people that partake in activities that give them an unfair advantage.

3. The memory of Hammerin' Hank
During his time on the field, Hank Aaron was more than just a great player. He also stood for what was right. As has been reported on TV and wrote about in several books, Aaron wanted to pick up where Jackie Robinson left off after his death. He contacted other great African American players, such as Ernie Banks, to help him. But, they saw the treatment that Hank was receiving as he neared Ruth's record, and they and wanted to stay out of the limelight. However, Hank stood fast and did not give in to the racial tensions that surrounded his pursuit of the home run record.
To me, Hank stands for two things: For a pure game that is now lost and for standing up for what is right. I hope that he is not forgotten now that his record has been past and that his accomplishments stand as a model for what pro athletes should become.