What are your thoughts on A-Rod's 600th?
As a Yankee Fan I think it is awesome. A-Rod is the most prolific power hitter currently in the game, and even though he had used steroids in past, 600 is a number that transcends steroids, in my opinion.
Prior to the steroid era, 600 home runs would have been a huge, huge, huge deal. Now getting to #600 is just a huge, huge deal. It has only been done 6 (now 7) times, and it's only been done by the most prolific home run hitters of all the times (and Sammy Sosa).
Do you think it makes his legacy a little better?
No, because prior to getting 600, his legacy would be as the best power hitter (maybe even best player) of this generation. That was irregardless of reaching this milestone homer run total. What makes his legacy MUCH more then a little better is the 2009 season, when he went from being the most self-centered piece of crap in the clubhouse and to the media, to being Derek fucking Jeter. The transformation that took place (thanks to the steroid scandal and hip surgery) was uncanny. I know you non-New Yorkers may be a little skeptical, but as someone who's seen his dealings with the media after pretty much every game, it's actually legit. He's been 100,000% about the team ever since the press conference about the steroids in 2009.
Does it somewhat forgive his steroid usage?
No, not in the least. However, I don't think the steroid usage is as much an unforgivable sin as everyone makes it out to be.
When he got busted, I think he stopped be a big deal to the baseball audience as a whole.
Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily say that. He's still the biggest deal to the baseball audience as a whole. And He's also the most well known player outside of the game (maybe 2nd behind Jeter).
I don't know how he is received in New York (Arizonian here), but when ESPN stops blowing you hard, you really have fallen in "super stardom".
ESPN never stopped blowing him hard. Hell, I would say they might have blown him harder last year because of the steroid allegations. And weren't they going to his every at bat live for a while when he was chasing it? I am 99.999% certain MLB Network was.
And he's still perceived in New York the same way. Hell, as I said earlier, he gets talked about MORE because of the steroids, because now the haters have a reason for hating him, albeit a crappy one.
Congrats are in order, but I think it is the morality side a lot of people disagree with. Which is hypocritical considering baseball is a sport that "encourages" cheating. lol
The morality crap is just that, crap. If someone told you you could get a hell of a lot better at your job (and thus make a hell of a lot more money) by doing something that doesn't break any rules, anyone in the damn country (hell, maybe even the world) would do it.
And I wouldn't say that baseball "encourages" cheating. I would say it's more like they condone it.
