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IKnowBetter755.com

Someone may have more home runs than Henry Aaron, but we know better... Aaron will always be the "Home Run King".
As with some previous projects, I'm attempting to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation and American Diabetes Association while "making a statement" and having some fun with my love of sports. Arthritis and Diabetes affect members of my family.

In 1974, when I was eight years old, Hank Aaron became my first favorite player. While Dwight Evans now holds that "honor" for me, Aaron is still way up there. My dad made sure I was in front of the TV when he hit his 715th (Aaron, not my dad). As I read and learned more about Aaron, my respect for him grew immensely. Some of the things he had to go through, especially as he approached Babe Ruth's record, were mindboggling. Early in his career he had to deal with racism in the form of segregation and hostility. Later, the racial hostility often remained but he persevered despite threats to his life. Through it all, and to this day, Hank Aaron remains dignified, respectful, and an excellent role model. His video tribute in San Francisco on August 8th, 2007 is an excellent example of that.

Someone else now has hit more Major League home runs than Aaron. That in itself isn't a problem as even he states that "records are meant to be broken". The person who set the record is in many ways the opposite of Aaron. Despite being the son of a pro ballplayer and having all the advantages that went along with that, he has always appeared to be ungrateful, arrogant, confrontational, and just plain mean. Furthermore, substantial evidence suggests that he likely used steroids and/or other illegal substances to gain a competitive edge and significantly enhance his statistics. While some of these substances weren't specifically banned in baseball at the time, it is my understanding that it was in fact illegal under federal law to dispense and use them for non-medical purposes.

I'm glad that most of society seems to appreciate Hank Aaron's accomplishments and recognize the controversial manner in which the home run record was surpassed. There will be no asterisk (and there never should have been for Roger Maris, but that's another story) and we really can't pretend that Aaron is still has the most home runs. However some good can come from all of this. A whole new generation of baseball fans will learn about Aaron, his accomplishments, and the hard work and perseverence with which he succeeded in the face of obstacles that are hard to appreciate in today's world.

So... why this website? Well, three reasons really. First, I like to take opportunities to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation and the American Diabetes Association because as stated earlier, those conditions affect members of my family. The second reason is the hope that we can spread the word... honor over cheating; dignity over arrogance; nature over drugs; cats over dogs (well, not that one). And the third reason this website exists is that I have some free time on my hands.

In the end, Henry Aaron won't have the most career home runs. But in my mind, and in the minds of many, he will still be the "Home Run King". So don the message. Show everyone that you know better... that we all know better!

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