Major League Baseball’s current home run king, Barry Bonds, says he supports New York Yankees star Aaron Judge in breaking the record.
“Come on,” Bonds said in an interview with Sportico released Friday. “The way he swings is not as good as hitting one a day and overtaking me. I don’t care. Why not?”
As of Friday, the judge sat on 60 home runs, which put him behind Roger Maris’ American League record. Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001, the most in a single season. Bonds also accumulated enough long balls to hit a career-record 762 during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants.
Bonds felt the judge had the potential to surpass him on the record books.
“That guy [the judge] has a chance to break a lot of records. Of course,” Bonds told Sportico.
Many baseball fans and members of the media said Bonds’ record should include the asterisk mark because of the many allegations over the years about his steroid use. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa also surpassed Maris in 61 home runs in a single season — while playing in the National League — but have also been accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Sportico reports that Bonds, who has yet to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, said there is little controversy about who holds the record.
“It doesn’t matter what people say,” Bonds said. “In MLB, it says Barry Bonds. That’s what counts, right? Anyone can have an opinion, I respect their opinion, but MLB says 762 is the record , 73 is the record. Unless MLB changes something, they’re still around.”
A judge rejected the Yankees’ contract extension early in the 2022 season, and there’s been speculation that the Giants could propose to him this offseason. The star grew up near San Francisco in Stockton, California, and was a Giants and Bond fan in his youth.
Bonds is one of those hoping to meet the judges at Giants Oracle Park next year.
“I want him to sign here,” Bonds told Sportico. “Is it going to happen? I don’t know. It depends on the Yankees payroll. But we’d love to have him, I’ll let you know.”
Bonds added that he will be close Follow the judge and support him.
“He still has a long way to go. He’s still in the beginning stages of his career,” he said. “I pray Aaron never gets hurt and has a long career. Right now, he’s still young. But does his potential look great? Wow. Will he make a lot of money? Wow.”
Weekly newspaper Contact Bonds and Judge for comment.
