Bonds 715

Since Barry Bonds hit his 715th HR today, passing Babe Ruth, it led me to thinking about if he'll go after Hank Aaron's career record of 755 HR's. After all, in one or two years, he could easily reach that.

Bonds is in the last year of his contract. If he went to the AL next year, he could be a DH and not have to worry about playing in the field. I think a team like the Kansas City Royals, who won't be able to turn their misery around in one year, should seriously consider trying to sign Bonds. At the very least they should see if it's economically feasible to do so. A Bonds signing would bring an excitement to their team like they haven't had in years. Sure, they might not be winning, but the place would be packed full of people trying to see Barry reach what was thought to be unattainable. The team's media coverage and profile would be elevated as well. Considering all the revenue sharing money they get, I think this would be an excellent idea. Also, the media scrutiny is probably less intense in the heartland than it would be on the coasts as well.

Some might point to Wade Boggs getting his 3000th career hit with the Devil Rays as a reason this wouldn't work. I doubt that the Boggs milestone had such an impact on team popularity. But in this case, things are different. Boggs' milestone was purely personal. The HR record has a bigger significance for most people than that.

Tags: 715, Barry Bonds, baseball, home run, MLB, sports