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Posted By: Josh

Players today played in such a different atmosphere than in Ruth's day. What makes Bonds so impressive ( I can't stand him as a human being, but he's a fantastic hitter) is that he has to play night games, face a curve ball, and play on each coast, sometimes in the same week. Ruth, on the other hand, played in the deadball era, when hitting a home run was not that common. I think the record before Ruth's was 35 or something, held by Frank Baker? Add to that the fact that Bonds is walked so many times, he rarely sees a pitch he can hit.
There is nobody less deserving that Bonds to take over Ruth or Aaron's place on the all time HR list. If Bonds does break the top 2, I will be sad, but also appreciate his ability as a pure hitter.

Second, somebody on here mentioned how Cobb's record was greater than Roses', and how Rose will only be an answer to an obscure trivia question. Rose should be in the hall, based on his status as the all time hit king. He played most of his games on astroturf, and faces the similar conditions I mentioned in the previos paragraph. True, what he did while manager was dispicable, his actions as a hitter were tremendous. If we are going to vote people in based on their character, than Ruth, Mantle, and surely Cobb would not be in. Cobb did much worse than Rose, i.e. being a complete racist, sliding spikes up.

I dunno, this is just my opinion, please feel free to criticize! This is a great thread, and I enjoy reading the debates!

"I had a better year."
Babe Ruth, on why he got paid more than the President of the United States.