You would think that with Barry Bonds chasing the most famous individual reacord in American sports the whole country would be going gaga because of Barry Bonds home run chase, but wait ….

By Amaury Pi-GonzalezWhy this country is not excited about Barry Bonds ?

Is it:
1-The steroids issue
2-Way too many sports these days to follow.
3-He is not white,blond and blue eyed like McGwire.
4-He doesn’t play for the Yankees
5-Is Bonds personality.
6-It’s the Media’s fault.

You might have an answer and pick one of the above, or all of the above could also play part in the situation.

The day that Barry Bonds breaks Aaron record he might be first on Wolff Blizter’s CNN "The Situation Room" than in Sportscenter. Why ? Because this has become a drama for the Media but little following among the fans accross the country.

Of course Bonds should break the record at ATT Park at home. The Giants and Major League Baseball do not want to find themselves in the very tough situation where Bonds ties,breaks the record and gets booded in
New York,Philadelphia,San Diego or Atlanta. That could happen.

There is no love for this man. How can you explain that Commissioner Bud H.Selig might not even be in attendance when Bonds ties or breaks the
record ? Or even the record holder Hank Aaron who also is not very much interested in that piece of "history".

I was in Oakland when Rickey Henderson broke Lou Brock’r stolen base record. Lou Brock was a real gentleman. He waited for days, talk to everybody in the media, signed autographs and was a real nice ambassadorr to the game. All while Rickey was chasing his record and then when Rickey broke it he said: "I am the greatest of all time". Which he is, as far as stealing bases is concerned.

In the Barry Bonds road show, there is no Hank Aaron traveling to see each blast that brings Bonds closer to his record, there is no Commissioner with the excitement that should already be there.

Here we have the most coveted individual record in American sports and yet the country could care less ! In a way I see this as a black eye on baseball. A shame for the great American passtime. We should all be celebrating this epic record chase,instead there is little interest accross the country. Of course at ATT Park Bonds is king and 40,000 will always cheer him before,during and after he hits it into McCovey Cove. The BALCO Laboratories scandal, the book Game of Shadows all of this has taken away the joy of what should be a great(and is)a great accomplishment.

Anybody that was alive in 1998 and is alive today can easily remember that people in the streets, at the office, at the factory. at the water-cooler where talking everyday about Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. Today Sosa is just 5 home runs from his 600, McGwire is in exile from baseball and Bonds is marching along to baseball inmortality. Or is it infamy ?

In my travels early this season to Milwaukee,Boston,Chicago and today here in Kansas City, I have not witnessed any great interest for Barry Bonds and what he is doing.Outside of San Francisco and the Bay Area when you say Barry Bonds people kind of respond like; so what ?
By the way, the 3-game set in Milwaukee early April against the Indians because of the snow in Cleveland,in Milwaukee a National League city where Aaron played there is not a very "gentle"response about Bonds breaking the record. And the people in Milwaukee are genuine nice people,midwesteners that truly enjoy baseball.

This man could easily finish his career with 800 or more home runs after he concludes his season with Giants and plays as a DH here in the American League, yet I see little excitement.

For anybody who was born and raised with baseball this is very incredible,
but also very true.

Last friday during my radio broadcast of the Angels game against the White Sox in Chicago my boyhood idol and fellow Cuban Orestes(Minnie)Minoso joined me for 3 innings live talking about everything but he told me prior to going on the air with me "Ninguna cosa sobre Bonds,por favor"
"Nothing about Bonds,please". Minoso is 80 years young, the only man in modern day history to have played in 5 decades, he is an employee of the Chicago White Sox as Community Representative,he was signing autographs for over one hour prior to that game on friday night at US Cellular Field,he is never lost for words yet he wanted no part of Bonds.

I thought that was very interesting and very revealing. What does Minnie has to lose ? He is 80 and has played for 60 years ! Yet he would not touch
the Barry Bonds discussioin with a ten foot pole !

That my amigos speak volumes about the situation baseball is in today.
Adios from Kansas City where the Angels are playing a four game set against the Royals.