600 home runs! 600!!!! Why is this historic, unbelievable achievement no longer celebrated in a sport that has only seen a handful of players ever hit that many? This baffles me!!!! Now, I am not referring to the muted celebration that Alex Rodriguez received when he hit his 600th on Wednesday, becoming the youngest player in MLB history to reach the historic mark. I am also not referring to the lame Sammy Sosa who hit his while with the Rangers against his former team, and my favorite team, the Chicago Cubs. A-Rod has admitted to juicing, and Sammy Sosa all but did when he forgot how to speak English in his testimony to congress back in 2005. What angers me most is the inclusion of Ken Griffey Jr. in the talks that the number isn't as sacred anymore because four players have surpassed the hallowed mark over the last few years. I am also angered that Jim Thome, a guy who has never been linked to steroids, hasn't been celebrated for coming amazingly close to 600. If he plays another season he will probably reach the mark as he is only 23 homers away. In a piece done by ESPN on Wednesday discussing the recent list of players to hit 600, they showed the video from each of their historic homers. Barry Bonds, Sosa, and A-Rod all looked like bigger, more muscular, almost super hero versions of what they looked like when they first came into the league. Griffey also looked bigger... bigger gut, chubbier face... what men who age appropriately are supposed to look like! To say his achievement doesn't hold as much water because the others cheated is ridiculous! Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays... Griffey!!!! That's it. Don't tell me because three other guys in the HISTORY of the game had to cheat to reach 600 home runs it doesn't mean as much for Griffey, who did it naturally. To say the number doesn't mean what it used to is ridiculous. Each PERSON should be judged on how they were able to get there, the actual 'mark' should be left alone. It's a shame that the game has been tainted by guys who wanted to get ahead... or in some cases, just keep up with their competition. It also makes the records even more amazing. Men who are the best in the world at what they do had to cheat in order to reach these hallowed records that so few have reached cleanly in the 100 plus years the game has been played. I would think the guys who did it the right way NOW should be celebrated, not punished.
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