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Aaron doesn't plan to celebrate if Bonds breaks record

April 10, 2007

AP - Apr 10, 4:06 pm EDT


ATLANTA (AP) -- Hank Aaron doesn't plan to be at the ballpark if and when Barry Bonds breaks his home run record.

"Uh-uh. No, no. I'm not going to be around," Aaron was quoted as saying in Tuesday's editions of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Bonds has 735 homers, 20 short of Aaron's career record. While Aaron has declined most interview requests in recent months, he spoke with Journal-Constitution columnist Terence Moore.

Aaron said he wouldn't attend if Bonds were within reach of the record when the San Francisco Giants play at Atlanta from Aug. 14-16.

"I'd probably fly to West Palm Beach to play golf," Aaron was quoted as saying in Moore's column. "Again, it has nothing to do with anybody, other than I had enough of it. I don't want to be around that sort of thing anymore. I just want to be at peace with myself. I don't want to answer questions. It's going to be a no-win situation for me anyway. If I go, people are going to say, `Well, he went because of this.' If I don't go, they'll say whatever. I'll just let them make their own mind up."

Aaron, who did not return a call from The Associated Press, said baseball commissioner Bud Selig has told him that Bonds has asked several times why Aaron hasn't contacted him as he approaches the record.

"I don't talk to anybody, really, and I've never talked to Barry, outside of that commercial we did together a few years ago, and a few other short times," Aaron was quoted as saying. "I'm 72 years old, and I'm not hopping on a plane and flying all the way to San Francisco for anybody."

Speaking before Monday night's game in San Diego, Bonds said he wasn't bothered by Aaron's stance.

"He has every right to do what he wants to do. I respect that," Bonds said. "There's no reason for me to be disappointed. If he has other plans, other things to do, I respect that. He's his own man. He can do what he wants to do. I respect that. No hard feelings.

"Now if Willie wasn't there, I'd be disappointed," he said, referring to his godfather, Willie Mays.

Updated on Tuesday, Apr 10, 2007 8:45 pm EDT

High 5 wrote:The thing about Bonds is even if he wasn't an obvious cheater, people still wouldn't like him because he's an ****.

edney2polynice_ wrote:Aarons just pissed he never had half the talent of Bonds or Mays.

edney2polynice_ wrote:Aarons just pissed he never had half the talent of Bonds or Mays.

Anyone who believes Hank Aaron never cheated has never played the game of baseball in his life. Period. You can argue levels of cheating until you're blue in the face, but the simple fact of the matter is that Hank is as guilty of using "greenies" as Barry, as Maris, as Mantle, as DiMaggio and as anyone else who has played in the past 40 years.

Cheating is cheating. Whether it's a little or a lot is just a matter of degree.

Puertorique wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

lpsevier wrote:No I think they're referring to how ridiculous your statement was.

I don't think Aaron is "pissed" about Barry Bonds or Mays.

What grounds do you have for that statement? Make that logical, please.