History Repeats Itself

Thirty three years ago, a six year old kid was sitting, bored, in his Skokie home. He got up. walked across the room, and flipped on the TV. He turned the channel dial and stopped on Channel 5 because there was a baseball game on. About 1 minute later, Hank Aaron launched home run 715 over the left field wall in Fulton County Stadium. The kid couldn't believe his timing and luck at seeing this moment in history.

Two nights ago, that same kid, now older, grayer, fatter, and more curmudgeonly, was lying in bed watching a DVR'd movie. He was too tired to finish it so he hit stop on his remote. Up popped channel 173, ESPN-HD. The camera panned some cheering fans at a baseball game. The scene then cut to a centerfield camera shot of Barry Bonds at the plate waiting on a 3-2 pitch. That pitch ended up being home run 756.

Remarking to himself that the similarities to 1974 were eerie, he also remarked that he was glad this whole drooling over a self absorbed asshole were over.

If there's one memory I will take from seeing both events as they happened it will be the running. Hank, upon hitting his record breaker, ran the bases. Fast. Barry Bonds, the smug, arrogant, prick that he is, stood there and watched. It wasn't about the game or the accomplishment. It was about Barry.

Barry Bonds has surpassed Hank Aaron in home run totals, that much is true. But he'll never succeed him.

Another Plus

The really, really, good thing about Hank moving to number 2 on the list will be the end of hearing Milo Hamilton's rehearsed, overrated home run call. What's hillarious is that Milo, as much of a self absorbed asshole as Barry Bonds, knows that he's moving to the category of the ignored.

"It was a fine call and it has stood the test of time over 33 years," Hamilton said Wednesday. "I don't think the call[s] [of Bonds' homer Tuesday] night will last 33 years."

Has Milo ever said a nice word about anyone other than Milo?

Good riddance to hearing this bit of noise. And, when can we say good riddance to Milo, in general?