Barry Bonds says baseball should celebrate A-Rod hitting 660th HR

Barry Bonds says he will celebrate Alex Rodriguez hitting career home run 660

SI Wire | Apr 13, 2015

Barry Bonds says baseball should celebrate A-Rod hitting 660th HR /

Major League Baseball's home run king Barry Bonds thinks everyone should celebrate when or if New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez surpasses Willie Mays' 660 career home runs.

Rodriguez, 39, goes into Monday's start of a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles with 655 career home runs, fifth all-time.

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"My godfather means the world to me. I love him to a T," Bonds toldUSA Today, referring to Mays, "but when Alex hits No. 660, I'll be happy for him. Willie will be happy for him. Everybody should be happy for him.... And I can't wait until he hits 660. I know I'll celebrate."

"Any time anybody in the game does something that's a great accomplishment, the game of baseball should celebrate that. No matter what. Baseball is benefiting from that person's hard work, so baseball should at least celebrate," he said.

Bonds doesn't understand why people would not embrace the accomplishment.

"Why the hate?'' Bonds said. "Why hate on something you're paying to see? I don't understand it. He's entertaining us."

"I wish life wasn't like that. This guy is not running for president of the United States," Bonds added. "He's not running for commissioner. We're not running for political office. We're just ballplayers. We're not God. We're imperfect people. We're human beings."

Rodriguez is playing in games for the first time since September 2013 after serving a season-long suspension in 2014 over ties to performance-enhancing drugs, including his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. He admitted to taking PEDs in January 2014 and still has three years and $61 million remaining on his contract.

Bonds said he has spoken to Rodriguez and told him that he doesn't need to prove anything.

"When you have a multiyear contract, it's guaranteed whether you do nothing or you perform," Bonds said. "It's guaranteed regardless no matter what they say about me or what I do. I was killing myself working out because I love the game of baseball."

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