Baseball's Commissioner Bud Selig will not attend the games as Barry Bonds nears Hank Aaron's record...Fair?

Question

As the Commissioner of Baseball isn't Bud Selig in charge of any and all operations pertaining to the legitimacy of the game?

By refusing to be in attendance when Barry Bonds hits the home run to break Hank Aaron's home run record, what does that say about Bud Selig as the Commissioner of Baseball who is supposed to be fair and impartial toward each and every ball player..?

Nothing has ever been proven to eliminate Barry Bonds from baseball in spite of Bonds being tested on a continual basis for drugs. Is Bud Selig taking the matter of Barry Bonds too personal and what does that imply about Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig toward the fans of the San Francisco Giants...?

Does baseball need a new Commissioner..or is the baseball union too strong that regardless of who the Commissioner of Baseball is, the results will be the same???

Answer 1

rightt

Answer 2

No, it's not fair. Selig is supposed to be an impartial figure. If there is hardline evidence of steroid use, other than people's feelings about Bonds, it should be brought out. The whole situation is a mess, and the commissioner taking sides is not helping matters any. Ford Frick did the same thing when Roger Maris broke the single season record. Bowie Kuhn, though he had his differences with Aaron, respected him enough as a ballplayer and a man to be there for 715. Baseball has needed a new commissioner since 1992, so that's not really the issue here. If Selig was there for McGwire's 62nd, even after the "andro" controversy, why can't he be there now to see history being made again?

Answer 3

Boy, this is tough to answer in short.

While I don't like the job that Selig has done as ad hoc Commissioner, I have to agree with him on this particular issue. For me, there is no debate. Bonds is a cheat and an insult to Henry Aaron who earned his spot.

On the other hand, Selig has a hand in this mess too and seems to be hypocritical. This is a complicated issue. Who do you strike from the records? When does any modification of that magnitude become effective?

It would be safe to say that Selig would look a lot better if he did attend the game where Bonds reaches the home run record, rather than acting like a criminal on the lam.

In one respect, he is acting like a responsible ambassador if he attends, and in my cynical opinion, he will be sharing the limelight with the product of his own ignorance and negligence.

Sort of like a father - wearing a forced smile - posing next to his young son for the newspaper photographer after the lad burned down the family home as a result of playing with matches.

Answer 4

I don't care about the commissioner not being there for the festivities. If he attends, what would he do. Jump up and down like a crazed fan until the applause wears away? If he decides to not attend, it should not be a knock against him. What if Mr. Selig had prior committments that could not be broken? He can definitely send a representative to be there in his place. If not, Bud can send belated congratulations.

Hank Aaron does not want to attend because it will not be his record anymore, and travel wears on him. Understandable.

No one can predict what date the record will be surpassed, so it would be a crap shoot for them to attend anyways.

Answer 5

If Selig doesn't attend, he can always claim he's following precedent. Kuhn was NOT in attendance the night Aaron hit #715, and he took a lot of heat for it.

It doesn't matter if Selig attends or not. He's not the story; a sidebar at best.

In other news, Giambi now says he's sorry for using "that stuff" but still cannot manage to mumble the S-word, so his apologies continue to be empty.

Answer 6

Bud is a moron. he should know that baseball is loosing publicity to sports like football and basketball. what baseball is really lacking is a hero. he should be milking this bonds thing to all that it is worth, and then some. like the NBA comercials that have, "when zero stands for hero." Selig should be at every Giants game until bonds hits number 756

Answer 7

This is a really interesting question, though I am not a baseball fan. A lot of people feel steroids cheat everyone and set a really horrible example for your kids. Some other people believe almost all athletes have taken steroids in the past. However, if Bonds has never tested positive, it doesn't make sense to single him out for such disrespect.
We have a scandal in hockey, if you remember from last year, involving Gretzky's wife and some hockey players, who were involved in a gambling network of some sort. They have kept it really quiet this season.

Answer 8

It's the ONLY fair choice. He wasn't there when Aaron broke Ruths record either now was he?

BTW, Scott, Bonds not only didn't start the steroid craze, he actually was kind slow to catch on. He was a Medium sized (at most) Lead Off guy for yrs. And, Canseco was the guy in the front of that line.

Answer 9

I dont' like Barry Bonds. I support what Selig is doing....yeah I can't believe I just said that. I think the record is tainted. It's one of the most cherished records in all of major sports, and he is going to break it in such a bad way.

Answer 10

I do think that Bud Selig is right in this. Barry Bonds is knownas the person who started the steroid era in sports. By celebrating this record Bonds will break would mean we are celebrating cheating. If i were Bonds i would retire 1 short of the record. Many people would respect him if he did it.

Answer 11

That just puts Selig down on Bonds level. Not good PR.