Henry Aaron will never be replaced by anyone like Barry Bonds, who is the Ty Cobb of modern times. Just another asshole with undeserved talent. For Barry to have ever even mentioned racial persecution during the “pursuit” of this record* I find profoundly offensive in light of Aaron’s ordeal and achievement.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/sports/baseball/12aaron.html

Of Aaron’s participation in a documentary on the chase:

His principal concern was insuring that our focus would be more on civil rights and social history than on home runs and pennant chases. He seemed less interested in how much he would be paid for his troubles than in how much the film might raise to launch a dream of his, a foundation to offer scholarships and benefit inner-city children.

And look at how much Bonds has changed (in my opinion) from his quote as a young man at the end of the article. The transformative power of Hubris.