Can A-Rod break the HR record?

[MrTPlush]

A-Rod said he wanted to break the record in an interview prior to the 2015 season, however coming off a full season suspension and due to his age many found it quite laughable. Since then A-Rod has gone on to hit 26 homers and is just 82 short. Many are still skeptical because he would have to do things never done before at such an old age. However when you think about it A-Rod is not typical and could very well be the kind of guy to produce well into his 40s. Don't forget he also gets the opportunity to DH making him last longer.

 

Here is how I think he could do it:

2015- 4 more

2016- 25

2017- 25

2018- 17

2019- 12

 

So what does everyone think? If he doesn't break the HR record what will be the X-Factor and what will he end up with? Declined production? Leaving Yankee Stadium? Injuries? Not being offered a contract past 2017?

 

My prediction is he will be good enough to warrant a 2018 contract by someone, but he will decline greatly and be forced to retire with 730 homeruns.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Only 4 more this year? He's got 26, and they have like 40 more games. He could (potentially) hit 7-8 more dingers this year.

 

That being said, Even as a DH, I just think he's going to break down too much too warrant getting the playing time he'll need to get another 84 homers.

 

He probably lost 40-50 homers with the almost 2 year suspension. Minus that and injuries from the previous few years, he'd already be there. So there's that to think about.

[TURBO]

Better him than Bonds, that is all I can say...

 

I'm no A-Rod supporter, but I am a Bonds Hater, either way, a cheater will hold the title, so if it means getting Bonds out of the top spot, I say GOOOOO A-Rod!

[Patrick425]

Completely meaningless to me. Aaron will still be the HR king in my mind.

[TURBO]

Completely meaningless to me. Aaron will still be the HR king in my mind.

 

^ ^ ^ THIS ^ ^ ^

 

Always and forever...

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I say he has a chance. He may be still using, as he has never failed a drug test. He's beaten all the tests so far in his career.

[craigharmann]

I hope not.

[jerichoholicninja]

He's got 2 more years on his contract and unless he's still putting up a .750ish OPS I don't see any team signing him. He will basically be Bonds'ed out of baseball.

 

Frankly, I don't give a rats behind about steroids and would like to see him break the record. At some point MLB is going to have to realize it can't just ignore the records of players it doesn't like and having Bonds and Arod 1 and 2 on the all time homerun list should help end that.

[DuWayne Steurer]

He's got 2 more years on his contract and unless he's still putting up a .750ish OPS I don't see any team signing him. He will basically be Bonds'ed out of baseball.

 

Frankly, I don't give a rats behind about steroids and would like to see him break the record. At some point MLB is going to have to realize it can't just ignore the records of players it doesn't like and having Bonds and Arod 1 and 2 on the all time homerun list should help end that.

 

 

I'm *kind of* here as well. I mean, I don't want players cheating, but you can't just say "nope, Barry Bonds isn't the home run king"

 

Yes, he is, whether someone likes it or not. The record book says Barry Bonds. It's Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds is probably my least favorite ballplayer of all time, and like it or not, he's the homerun king. He hit those homeruns. They counted. They happened. Pretending they didn't happen or "don't count" does nothing for the game.

[502 to Right]

He won't play even one season beyond his current contract. The answer is no.

[brewcrewdue80]

Of course he can based on HR power alone. But you're looking at what he's done this season and it's with him probably on pace to over 600PAs

 

Health. That's what is going to keep him from the record or not. 600PAs 32Hrs. 300PAs 16. Hard to get there on a season of that. Not a fan of him and I hope he comes up short.

 

I don't think what he does with his bat will deter teams from signing him for any kind of Right price....Not Yankee of now prices... He'll hang on and be a bench bat/DH for some AL club. Matt Stairs/Jason Giambi type of career ending chasing the record I imagine. A team will look to sell tickets marketing the chase of the record and hope that if he gets to the tying HR and then passes HR. Those HRs happen 20-30 games apart so you sell tickets to be in the stands or even Catch the ball.

[Patrick425]

I'm *kind of* here as well. I mean, I don't want players cheating, but you can't just say "nope, Barry Bonds isn't the home run king"

 

Sure I can. Why not? That's what I believe and that is what I will believe until the day I die.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I'm *kind of* here as well. I mean, I don't want players cheating, but you can't just say "nope, Barry Bonds isn't the home run king"

 

Sure I can. Why not? That's what I believe and that is what I will believe until the day I die.

 

Why not? Because they happened

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp#elem=%5Bobject+Object%5D&tab_level=child&click_text=Sortable+Player+hitting&sectionType=sp&statType=hitting&page=1&ts=1440430676887&split=&season=2015&game_type='R'&playerType=ALL&timeframe=&season_type=ALL&active_sw=&sortColumn=hr&sortOrder='desc'&extended=0&league_code='MLB'

 

I didn't say you had to like it, but they most certainly do count. I can say "I believe the bases to be 100 feet apart, but they most certainly aren't, just because I want them to be, anymore than Barry Bonds 762 home runs didn't happen.

[1992casey]

I think you can apply the term "home run king" to whomever you choose, but if you want to refer to the "home run title," that has to belong to Bonds.

[MrTPlush]

I have always felt the homerun king and the record holder can be seperate. Like to me the homerun king could be the guy who hit them the farthest or maybe who hit them most frequently.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I think you can apply the term "home run king" to whomever you choose, but if you want to refer to the "home run title," that has to belong to Bonds.

 

 

I don't think anyone could really refer to like Jim Gantner or Billy Spiers as a home run king.

[tmwiese55]

Just looking at that stat link it reminded me of Ted Williams and Babe Ruths' OBPs. 482 and 474, that's nuts.

 

To me the steroids are in the background. It was inevitable the record would be broken when you moved fences in 50-100 feet.

[Patrick425]

I'm *kind of* here as well. I mean, I don't want players cheating, but you can't just say "nope, Barry Bonds isn't the home run king"

 

Sure I can. Why not? That's what I believe and that is what I will believe until the day I die.

 

Why not? Because they happened

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp#elem=%5Bobject+Object%5D&tab_level=child&click_text=Sortable+Player+hitting&sectionType=sp&statType=hitting&page=1&ts=1440430676887&split=&season=2015&game_type='R'&playerType=ALL&timeframe=&season_type=ALL&active_sw=&sortColumn=hr&sortOrder='desc'&extended=0&league_code='MLB'

 

I didn't say you had to like it, but they most certainly do count. I can say "I believe the bases to be 100 feet apart, but they most certainly aren't, just because I want them to be, anymore than Barry Bonds 762 home runs didn't happen.

 

You can posts all the links to official records you want but I (and many other baseball fans) will still say "nope, Barry Bonds is not the home run king". Just like you can post official court documents showing the verdict of innocence in regards to O.J Simpson and the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, that doesn't mean that I have to believe that O.J. was innocent. I'm also sure that North Korea has official score cards showing how their former supreme leader, Kim Jong il, shot a 38 under par 34 in golf, does that mean that I can't deny it? ...and No, I'm not comparing MLB to North Korea (or O.J. Simpson). My point is that just because the "powers that be" produce official sets of data or other information about an event, that does not mean that one can't make up their own minds about the validity of those records (unless maybe you live in North Korea! ).

 

Also, in regards to the "bases are 100 feet apart" analogy. Certainly, you can agree that some official "rules, records, data, etc" to be more refutable than others, right? Is there a legitimate reason to believe the bases are actually 100 feet apart and not 90?

[DuWayne Steurer]

 

You can posts all the links to official records you want but I (and many other baseball fans) will still say "nope, Barry Bonds is not the home run king". Just like you can post official court documents showing the verdict of innocence in regards to O.J Simpson and the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, that doesn't mean that I have to believe that O.J. was innocent. I'm also sure that North Korea has official score cards showing how their former supreme leader, Kim Jong il, shot a 38 under par 34 in golf, does that mean that I can't deny it? ...and No, I'm not comparing MLB to North Korea (or O.J. Simpson). My point is that just because the "powers that be" produce official sets of data or other information about an event, that does not mean that one can't make up their own minds about the validity of those records (unless maybe you live in North Korea! ).

 

Ok, there is a difference in these things. There is some ambiguity in whether or not OJ Simpson killed Nicole Brown (actually.......not really). There's ambiguity on almost everyone's score card in golf, except the pros. What is not ambiguous is how many home runs Barry Bonds hit in major league baseball games.

 

If you want to say "Home Run King" vs "All Time Home Run Leader".....well that's just semantics in my opinion, but so be it, I suppose.

[pacopete4]

Didn't Hank Aaron admit to using amphetamines during his playing career?

[jerichoholicninja]

Didn't Hank Aaron admit to using amphetamines during his playing career?

 

Yes. And I'm pretty sure there is some evidence of Babe Ruth using what were the PED's of his time.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Didn't Hank Aaron admit to using amphetamines during his playing career?

 

Yes. And I'm pretty sure there is some evidence of Babe Ruth using what were the PED's of his time.

 

 

"Hot dogs" are not PEDS. :D

[WV Brew]

Longevity is worth something but for the record, at bats per HR:

 

Ruth 11.8

Aaron 16.4

Bonds 12.9

Arod 15.0

 

Ruth played fewer games per season.

[danzig6767]

If ARod breaks the record, i'm going to yawn just like i did when Bonds broke it.

 

In fact, i wonder how much ARod even wants to break the record, especially if it were to happen on the road where that would likely be a very awkward situation with as many or more boos than cheering. Regardless of how big his ego may be, he has to know how tainted breaking that record would be viewed by so many baseball fans.

 

What a waste. Had Bonds and ARod not not chosen to jack themselves up with steroids, both likely would have been respected as among the greats to ever play the game, even if they may not have reached historic records. Instead, now both are viewed as the poster child's of roided up cheats along with McGwire.

[Patrick425]

Didn't Hank Aaron admit to using amphetamines during his playing career?

 

Yes. And I'm pretty sure there is some evidence of Babe Ruth using what were the PED's of his time.

 

First of all, I think the Ruth story is probably a stretch at best. Secondly, did Aaron or Ruth break any rules that were in place during the time they played baseball (were there rules against amphetamines or whatever Ruth supposedly took)? If so, were those rules that the players took part in forming and agreeing with? Today's players have a player's union that has a say in rule changes. They agreed with the formation of the PED policy that some players chose to break. I really don't think there is any comparison between what Ruth and Aaron did vs. what Bonds, McGwire, Clemens,etc did.