Aug9th

What 756 Means to Me

By Adam McFarland | Posted at 10:21 am | Filed Under Uncategorized

Barry Bonds Starting Lineup SLU2

Late Tuesday night I was shutting down my computer when I heard in the background that Barry Bonds was at the plate. I missed the first two pitches, but I scrambled over to the TV in hopes of seeing #756 live. This was nothing new - for the past week or two I’ve attempted to catch every Bonds at bat to see the record tying and record setting blasts. And as Barry launched #756 out of the yard I stood there with my arms in the air admiring one of the greatest athletic feats I’ve ever seen. When Hank Aaron appeared on the big screen with Willie Mays standing next to Bonds I couldn’t help but get chills.

Like most fans with a brain I believe Bonds took HGH (not steroids…to the best of my knowledge HGH is technically NOT a steroid, but that’s another argument). I also believe it probably helped him get both home run records. However, I also believe that he wasn’t facing clean competition, and that the blame should be shared among a lot of people. If you put an * next to Barry, go back and do so for Mickey Mantle because he was hopped up on amphetamines every day (as meticulously is documented in the book Ball Four). While you’re at it, take away Jason Giambi’s MVP and make sure you erase everything Ken Caminiti, Jason Grimsley, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro did. Bonds’ advantage evokes a passionate discussion that opens up pandora’s box and, to me, doesn’t really accomplish much. He should have been caught when he did it, but he wasn’t.

So why did I stand up and cheer? It’s a complex answer, but a large part of it has to do with the Summer of 2001 when Barry broke the single season record. Like most fans I was awestruck by Bonds’ monster home runs into McCovey Cove. When it became apparent that Bonds had a chance at the record, I decided I HAD to see him hit a home run so I could say I was a part of history. I purchased tickets for the 8/23/2001 game in Montreal against the Expos (the 3.5 hour drive was always well worth it - cheap tickets, cheap beer, and a great night life for after the game).

In the meantime, I tried to track down the increasingly popular Barry Bonds Starting Lineup 2 figure. Starting Lineups (my collectible of choice at the time) were on their last leg in their final season, but the Bonds figure that showed him hitting a home run in such detail was nearly impossible to pick up. By comparison, a McFarlane figure makes this sculpt look like a joke, but pre-McFarlane it was the most accurate depiction we had of this living legend. eBay auctions rarely popped up, and when they did I would see them get 25+ bids and sell for hundreds of dollars. Not worth it in my mind, but it boggled me that so many people were holding this figure. It was mass produced, yet it became the only SLU I ever chased after that I had trouble finding that wasn’t made pre-1990. I sought after a reasonably priced one for the entire summer. It was fun, but my efforts turned up fruitless.

That night in Montreal we were all pissed. Bonds was taking the night off and wasn’t in the lineup. With Montreal up 5-1 in the 4th inning, my friends wanted to leave and get an early start at the bars. I said we should stay just in case Barry pinch hit. Sure enough, the Giants tied the game at 5 in the 8th and Barry came to the plate against Graeme Lloyd in the 9th inning. After 3 straight balls, I thought to myself “great, we get to witness a four-pitch walk”. Then, on a 3-1 count, Barry hit a rocket over the right field wall for Home Run #55! The ball landed about 15 feet from us and we we’re going insane. Every time the story comes up, I remind my friends that THEY wanted to leave and I convinced them to stay and witness history. Truly one of my favorite sports stories.

The value of the SLU has since leveled off in the $20-$30 range, and finally in 2004 I picked it up for $25 at a card show (pictured above). Every time I see Bonds blast another HR I’m reminded of that night in Montreal and the chase for the elusive SLU2. It brings me back to when I was awestruck over every moon shot that Bonds hit without even the slightest thought of performance enhancing drugs. That’s why I cheer.

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2 Responses to “What 756 Means to Me”

Joey on August 9th, 2007 2:46 pm

Great story Adam. As a Baseball fan I believe this is the ultimate Pandora’s box with all of the what ifs and yea buts.

I always believe you don’t leave a game early because you never know what can happen. I have been with people before that wanted to leave to beat the traffic. They all know now they are staying no matter how long the game goes.
Adam McFarland on August 9th, 2007 3:54 pm

Exactly. If I pay for the ticket and take the time to travel, I’m sure as heck not missing anything. At a baseball game you never know when you’ll see something special - it’s not like the other sports with a clock. I understand in a blowout football game leaving with 2:00 left, but in baseball a 10 run 9th inning deficit can be made up.

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