On Tuesday, Oct. 4, Aaron Judge blasted his season record-setting 62 home runs, passing Yankee outfielder Roger Maris.
Regardless of the celebration as Judge trotted the bases in Arlington, Texas, the accomplishment sparks debate over the legitimacy of the overall MLB home run record. This of course being held by San Francisco Giants legend, Barry Bonds, who put up a staggering 73 bombs in one season in 2001.
Allegations of PED (Performance Enhancing Drug) use tainted the impact Bonds had on the game, and Judge’s season has reopened that conversation.
Wednesday, the following night, the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the Yankees in the Bronx. With the Yankees on top 11-2, Judge intentionally walked late in the game and was denied an opportunity to add to his home run total. The crowd packed into Yankee Stadium did not like that one bit, as they booed and booed. They wanted to see their hero hit another shot over the wall.
They had all the right reasons to boo. Not because the desperate Pirates pitcher deserved to be the stink bait waiting for a hungry catfish, but because it’s fun to watch Judge mash the laces of the baseball. It’s the prime example of why we watch baseball: you sit through all the time passing between pitchers and hitters, clinging on to the possibility of that one adrenaline-filled play.
Anyone can make the argument that as soon as Judge hit number 62, he became the true home run king. If Judge gets past the amphetamine and pre-integration era leaders, all he has to contend with is the performance-enhancing drug leader. PEDs helped Bonds stay healthy and strong, which helped him hit more monster shots at Oracle Park (the home ballpark of the San Francisco Giants).
With the game rapidly changing, you can make the argument that Judge has a tougher footing because he sees pitchers throwing 95 mph or harder every time he steps up to the plate. Along with every team having a team of analysts, figuring out how to exactly pitch to Judge. Don’t forget about having to hit in an era that has some of the best fielders, positioned in the best spots due to the shift. However, Bonds saw velocity throughout his career as well. He hit a staggering and consistent level above a 300 batting average against Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson in 62 plate appearances, while also facing pitchers that wouldn’t make it out of Single-A today.
In 2001, Bonds was setting the single-season record with Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Luis González and Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa hot on his trail consistently in the home run column through the season while Judge was mashing baseballs with no one even close to him in this crazy 2022 season.
In a conversation with the San Francisco Chronicle, Judge admitted that the “legitimate” record belongs to Bonds. “That’s the record. I watched him do it. I stayed up late watching him do it. That’s the record. No one can take that from him,” Judge said.
For the time and era of baseball, Barry Bonds should forever be associated with the home run title.
Bonds has had 688 intentional walks in his career. The Tampa Bay Rays have existed for 25 seasons, only being issued 662 intentional walks in franchise history. Bonds was given first base more times than an entire team has received in the quarter century of their existence. Teams feared the damage Bonds could do, waving the white flag most of the time before the man even swung the bat. Judge is not to that level or stage in his career, but I believe he very well could get there.
You can take away home run points for the PEDs and reassign them to Judge for being clean, but that doesn’t change the remarkable exhibition of discipline, focus and patience that Bonds displayed. It’s not the total of home runs, but the ability to square up the cork and rubber ball, inspiring the next generation of ballplayers.
