Reply #15: and that's where race becomes a factor

[northzax]

people still think of Babe Ruth as the home run king (not people who know baseball, of course, but the lay follower) That's a racial issue right there. Why is the Babe the legend, and not Hammerin' Hank? obviously, part of it is the mythology of baseball as a pure game from the nation's youth, and Babe wore pinstripes, while Aaron toiled in relatively obscure markets (pre-Ted Turner, Atlanta was a minor team) but part of it is certainly racial.

remember, Ted Williams was as loathed by the media in his day as Bonds is today, we expect our black men in baseball to be good boys, and not rock the boat.