In Barry Bonds continues his pursuit of the career home run record, it appears that he has another record in mind as well: lowest career public relations batting average. Bonds is already one of the most loathed figures in sports, yet somehow he keeps finding ways to lower the public perception of himself. Case in point: A recent report saying that the Hall of Fame is afraid Bonds is not going to give them anything to commemorate home run 756. Now why do they think that? Well...
"'I'm not worried about the Hall,' the San Francisco slugger said during a recent homer drought. 'I take care of me.'"
What is even more interesting though, is what Barry has been doing with his memorabilia instead of donating it to the Hall. I think people could actually be sympathetic to Bonds on this issue, if he was keeping his bats and other keepsakes as family heirlooms, proudly displayed in the Bonds family abode, resting in a place of prominence for his friends to see, glorified and...
"Bonds is careful with personal items related to his home run pursuit. He makes certain that hats, jerseys and other things he wears are authenticated, and he keeps them in a warehouse.
He marks them, he said, 'so people don't steal my stuff.' By his count, he's already able to take care of his next three-plus generations."
So Barry the Businessman is stockpiling basbeball history in some rank warehouse, waiting to unleash it on auction houses the next time money gets tight around the Bonds family house. So why is Barry doing this? Is he this greedy? Nope, I don't believe that for a second, Bonds has more than enough money already to last his family three generations or whatnot.
In my opinion there is one reason and one reason alone that Barry is stockpiling the Fort Knox of Bonds schwag: He doesn't think he is going to get into the Hall of Fame, and he isn't happy about it. To be honest, why on earth should he give them his stuff? Five years after he retires he is going to be rejected by their uppity press cabal, told that no matter what he does or no matter what has actually been proven, he is not worthy to be honored with a plaque in their honored Hall. Do you think Mark McGwire would have given items to the Hall if he knew he was going to be turned down by them? Of course not. That is like giving your boss a Christmas present when he has already told you that you are being fired on New Years.
Say what you will about Bonds, but there is no denying that he is a smart person. And in his mind, his warehouse full of items could even be operating as some sort of dowry for his admittance into the Hall, only delivered upon his enshrinement. And if Bonds is rejected? Well, better get your eBay fingers ready guys, because it'll be time for a firesale.
