Bear-Arms
Mentor
Ruth's family wants no part of honoring Bonds
Steroids rumors make situation awkward
Fred Mitchell
AROUND TOWN
March 30, 2006
Wrigley Field has been described and romanticized as a baseball sanctuary.
On April 28, the family of American sports icon Babe Ruth will seek such rare solitude at the Friendly Confines, just about the time the Giants' Barry Bonds figures to be matching or surpassing "The Bambino" on the all-time home run list.
Ruth's grandson, 53-year-old Tom Stevens, is scheduled to throw out a ceremonial first pitch that day before the Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers. He will be joined by his mother, Julia Ruth Stevens, Ruth's daughter. One hundred random Wrigley Field fans will receive 1932 replicas of Ruth's famous No. 3 Yankees road jersey in commemoration of Ruth's famous "Called Shot" home run in that year's World Series against the Cubs.
The last place Stevens and the rest of the Ruth family want to be is the site of Bonds' 715th career home run that would place him second on the all-time list behind Henry Aaron, who hit 755.
"If it weren't for the cloud of controversy, which we all are very much aware of, I think we all would be looking at this perhaps a little bit differently than we are," Stevens said this week via telephone from Las Vegas. "I was talking with the Giants (Monday) night. They called me regarding appearing (at the possible times when Bonds could surpass Ruth).
"Normally, I would be right there to congratulate him. My problem with doing thatâ€â€particularly with the revelations that have come up in the recent book ("Game of Shadows") â€â€my concern with being associated with that would be how it would be perceived by the public. Until the publication of that book, I would have been inclined to be there.
"Bonds said some pretty nasty stuff [about Ruth being America's white hero]. But that aside, my feeling was 'Let's take the high road here and be the better person.' After all is said and done, what is important is not to do anything that would tarnish Babe's image."
Stevens said his mother already has made the decision not to be present to congratulate Bonds. Stevens himself is leaning heavily toward not appearing. The Ruth family is represented by Indianapolis-based Curtis Management, which looks after the family's commercial interests.
"They think we should distance ourselves as far as possible," Stevens said. "And there are a number of sports agents who represent ballplayers who also advise the same. I am probably going to defer to their counsel."
Stevens, an engineer who grew up idolizing Mickey Mantle, says the steroid controversy has caused him to lose respect for alleged and suspected abusers. He thinks the use of an asterisk next to the names of alleged steroid abusers would be "one way to treat it, certainly. It is a very awkward situation."
The Ruth family presents an annual award to MLB's home run champion. Stevens met Bonds after he hit 73 homers in 2001 "and Bonds couldn't have been nicer." Bonds enters the 2006 season next week with 708 career homers.
Stevens, who describes himself as a gym rat, said he and Bonds even discussed workout routines and natural workout supplements.
"Steroids never came up. I wouldn't want to touch that to (tick) him off," Stevens said.
Stevens finds the Major League Players Association as culpable as Commissioner Bud Selig for creating this awkward situation.
"Their inactivity brought this about," he said. "But going forward, there has to be a comprehensive [steroid] policy to restore the faith.
"At the time, [Bonds] wasn't breaking any [MLB] rules and neither was [Mark] McGwire. There was no policy in place. That's unforgivable. Baseball really brought it on itself."
Stevens, who acknowledges Aaron's arduous road to success because of racism and death threats during and after his pursuit of Ruth's revered home run record, still considers his grandfather the greatest home run hitter of all-time because he hit 714 in fewer at-bats than Aaron or Bonds.
Ruth hit 714 homers in 8,398 at bats. Aaron hit his 714th in his 11,289th at bat on Opening Day, April 4, 1974, against the Reds' Jack Billingham. Aaron belted 755 homers in 12,364 at-bats. Entering this season, Bonds has 708 homers in 9,140 at-bats.
"In terms of sheer productivity, there has been nobody who has been able to match Babe Ruth," Stevens said.
Source
Steroids rumors make situation awkward
Fred Mitchell
AROUND TOWN
March 30, 2006
Wrigley Field has been described and romanticized as a baseball sanctuary.
On April 28, the family of American sports icon Babe Ruth will seek such rare solitude at the Friendly Confines, just about the time the Giants' Barry Bonds figures to be matching or surpassing "The Bambino" on the all-time home run list.
Ruth's grandson, 53-year-old Tom Stevens, is scheduled to throw out a ceremonial first pitch that day before the Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers. He will be joined by his mother, Julia Ruth Stevens, Ruth's daughter. One hundred random Wrigley Field fans will receive 1932 replicas of Ruth's famous No. 3 Yankees road jersey in commemoration of Ruth's famous "Called Shot" home run in that year's World Series against the Cubs.
The last place Stevens and the rest of the Ruth family want to be is the site of Bonds' 715th career home run that would place him second on the all-time list behind Henry Aaron, who hit 755.
"If it weren't for the cloud of controversy, which we all are very much aware of, I think we all would be looking at this perhaps a little bit differently than we are," Stevens said this week via telephone from Las Vegas. "I was talking with the Giants (Monday) night. They called me regarding appearing (at the possible times when Bonds could surpass Ruth).
"Normally, I would be right there to congratulate him. My problem with doing thatâ€â€particularly with the revelations that have come up in the recent book ("Game of Shadows") â€â€my concern with being associated with that would be how it would be perceived by the public. Until the publication of that book, I would have been inclined to be there.
"Bonds said some pretty nasty stuff [about Ruth being America's white hero]. But that aside, my feeling was 'Let's take the high road here and be the better person.' After all is said and done, what is important is not to do anything that would tarnish Babe's image."
Stevens said his mother already has made the decision not to be present to congratulate Bonds. Stevens himself is leaning heavily toward not appearing. The Ruth family is represented by Indianapolis-based Curtis Management, which looks after the family's commercial interests.
"They think we should distance ourselves as far as possible," Stevens said. "And there are a number of sports agents who represent ballplayers who also advise the same. I am probably going to defer to their counsel."
Stevens, an engineer who grew up idolizing Mickey Mantle, says the steroid controversy has caused him to lose respect for alleged and suspected abusers. He thinks the use of an asterisk next to the names of alleged steroid abusers would be "one way to treat it, certainly. It is a very awkward situation."
The Ruth family presents an annual award to MLB's home run champion. Stevens met Bonds after he hit 73 homers in 2001 "and Bonds couldn't have been nicer." Bonds enters the 2006 season next week with 708 career homers.
Stevens, who describes himself as a gym rat, said he and Bonds even discussed workout routines and natural workout supplements.
"Steroids never came up. I wouldn't want to touch that to (tick) him off," Stevens said.
Stevens finds the Major League Players Association as culpable as Commissioner Bud Selig for creating this awkward situation.
"Their inactivity brought this about," he said. "But going forward, there has to be a comprehensive [steroid] policy to restore the faith.
"At the time, [Bonds] wasn't breaking any [MLB] rules and neither was [Mark] McGwire. There was no policy in place. That's unforgivable. Baseball really brought it on itself."
Stevens, who acknowledges Aaron's arduous road to success because of racism and death threats during and after his pursuit of Ruth's revered home run record, still considers his grandfather the greatest home run hitter of all-time because he hit 714 in fewer at-bats than Aaron or Bonds.
Ruth hit 714 homers in 8,398 at bats. Aaron hit his 714th in his 11,289th at bat on Opening Day, April 4, 1974, against the Reds' Jack Billingham. Aaron belted 755 homers in 12,364 at-bats. Entering this season, Bonds has 708 homers in 9,140 at-bats.
"In terms of sheer productivity, there has been nobody who has been able to match Babe Ruth," Stevens said.
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