A fan took out a full-page ad in the Sunday New York Daily News to write an open letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred arguing that Alex Rodriguez’s home run records should come with an asterisk.
The fan, who describes him/herself as an “avid Giants and Major League Baseball fan,” argues that Willie Mays needs to be remembered for his “pure” home runs. Rodriguez entered Sunday with 658 career home runs, just two behind Mays for third all time. The fan wants an asterisk or perhaps a bracket to go along with Rodriguez’s numbers in the history books, presumably because of the Yankees slugger’s ties to PED-usage.
The fan argues that other fans want the “playing field leveled” and that “accolades should go to those who deserve them.”
Though many are mocking this fan for actually purchasing an ad to share his/her opinion via an open letter, I think it’s a good idea. It’s important to have fans who are passionate and care about the history of the game; it keeps interest in the sport high and fans engaged. Things like this get the attention of the public and commissioner and help influence public opinion. Plus, I’m always supportive of those who purchase advertising space from media outlets.
Oh, and if we’re going to add an asterisk for records accomplished with the help of PEDs, then we should also note when records are set thanks to more/less games in a season. Let’s also not forget to note when players played in the era of amphetamines, too, because those are also performance-enhancing substances that many frequently omit from this sort of discussion.
Via Jimmy Traina
