An Asterisk on the Home Run Record? Don’t Count On It

Myth: History will have you believe that when Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in the 1961 season, there was an asterisk next to his name for breaking the record in 162 games instead of 154, and that he never got to see it removed before his death.

Fact: The idea of an asterisk was first suggested by sportswriter Dick Young, and the concept was just forced into the imagination of the public. There was never an asterisk next to Roger Maris’ name.

Fifty years later, as the steroid era looms over us, the notion of an asterisk has again burrowed its way deep into the hearts of baseball enthusiasts. Mark McGwire has finally admitted to his steroid usage, and I’m sure Barry Bonds will one day follow suit. Even if Jose Canseco hadn’t selfishly outted players in a selfish attempt to make a quick buck, just following the career of Barry Bands could have caused plenty of speculation. The guy went from a svelte 30/30 guy to a pure home run hitter over the course of his career. The sad part is that he was always an outstanding player, and didn’t need to ruin his mark on history by taking the juice.

Now that Barry Bonds holds the record for home runs in a season with 73, many believe there should be an asterisk next to this number, and that the true record should belong to Roger Maris. I’m all about baseball being pure, and I’d be perfectly content for the record going back to Maris’ name, but it’s just never going to happen. You just cannot speculate that these home runs do not occur if not on steroids. Sure, common sense tells you otherwise, but steroids can’t teach a man how to hit a baseball.

Think about it. For over a century, there was no steroids use policy in Major League Baseball. To throw an asterisk next to the likes of Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds’ names would force the league to look into every type of cheater that baseball could possibly have, many of which are sitting in the hall of fame. The “spitball” has been illegal since 1920. Just to use a name that most are familiar with, although there are many names associated with this pitch, a man considered one of the top 100 baseball players of all time, Gaylord Perry, has openly admitted throwing a spitter his entire career. He even wrote an autobiography about it. If using this pitch is considered cheating, and using it makes you a better pitcher, then shouldn’t there be an asterisk next to his name as well?

So even though Mark Ecko had an asterisk placed on the record breaking baseball that now sits in the hall, there will never be one next to Barry’s name. Even though Bonds or McGwire may never end up in the hall of fame as a result of this scandal, their numbers will remain untainted in the record books. The fact of the matter is that the American public just loves a good story. All those who openly discussed their PED usage immediately, notably Alex Rodriguez, have already been forgotten about. Alex Rodriguez will be a first ballot hall of famer with no questions asked. There will not be an asterisk next to his name, nor will the public or the MLB push for one. Had Bonds admitted his usage from day one, I guarantee this story was dead two years ago. “There’s no such thing as an asterisk in baseball,” said Barry Bonds. He’s right, and there never will be. No one can alter the course of history.