Less Hype For A-Rod's Milestone

It is entirely possible that it is just me, but I have felt a lack of attention towards the milestone that Alex Rodriguez is about to reach in his illustrious career. It seems as if it is being mentioned during Yankee games, but if you are not tuned in then you may not hear a word about him until he actually hits his 500th homerun.

With all of the headlines these days it is understandable if A-Rod is a little bit lost in the shuffle of milestones and records. Not as if more publicity or media attention needs to be directed his way, but still.

The talk has been about Barry Bonds and his quest of the all-time home run record for some time now and will obviously continue until he hits number 756. This is arguably the most recognizable record in all of professional sports and should be treated like such.

But are we missing something due to lack of interest because so much energy and time has been spent following one guy for, what it seems like, the last 60 home runs? I believe we are and we need to stop a minute and recognize Alex Rodriguez's accomplishment while we put a close to this "all Barry all the time" thing that the baseball world is stuck in the middle of.

There are a few possible explanations to this problem that come to mind other than the fact that Bonds is on the brink of the all-time home run record.

It seems like we can already, even before Bond's hits 756, label 2007 as "The Year Of The Milestone". I assume it is possible that the majority of baseball watchers are a little milestoned-out as it seems one important thing is happening every other week.

Frank Thomas hit his 500th career homerun earlier this year and that was a big thing that needed to be celebrated to put a stamp on his great career. Thomas was one of the most feared hitters in the 90's and it was a perfect cap to his run to reach a plateau that will get him into Cooperstown.

Then we had Craig Biggio record his 3,000th career hit in what was an emotional night. Biggio is the epitome of a "ballplayer", so that surely had to be given its share of attention.

But come on people, as baseball fans we should treat this season not like we are running out of energy or patience, but as a season that will go down as one of the most historic of our time. The game is rewarding us with its fruits and yet it seems like we are leaving some on the table.

It is difficult at times to truly appreciate each milestone because they are packed so tightly together and don't allow enough time to ponder and reminisce. I realize that and am not naive to that fact. Regardless, that is no excuse to let great memories slip by without soaking every bit out of them. Even now is not the time to lay down and die because Bonds still officially needs to tie and break Hank's record and Tom Glavine is one win shy of 300 for his career!

The other reason that I believe may be contributing to the fact A-Rod is not getting the attenion his accomplishment deserves is the fact that he has done it so fast. His ability is almost working against him as it is hard to keep up with the numbers he is putting up in his career.

500 career homeruns used to be looked at as a huge milestone for a player that he reached at the end of his career and carried on into the Hall Of Fame. Frank Thomas' case, for example, was just that. It was a special stamp on a great career.

But Rodriguez reaching this milestone barely past his 32nd birthday? That is unfathomable and is therefore the reason why it is not a bigger deal than it should be. We realize that Rodriguez is barely halfway through his career and may just be into his prime. Due to that, there are many more homers to come. That is leading to the downplay of his 500th career homerun because as fans we see that he is going to go so far beyond this "major milestone" that it isn't even funny.

Nonetheless, this is a number that is considered a big deal in the game of baseball and so it should be treated as such. Even if a player reaches it at 32 years old. So it is only right to take a break from the Barry Bond's watch and put some of it onto A-Rod for the moment as he is reaching a major mark in his career as well. At the pace we are going, we are going to miss the rest of his greatness without truly relishing the moments. After our next blink Rodriguez will not only have broken Bonds' all-time homerun record but he will be winding down his career with the record set somewhere in the 800s.

There is plenty of time and media to spread around two ballparks right now as two of the game's greatest hitters are making news. It would be a shame not to make both great events. Now only if a veteran southpaw could get some love.