Mike Nadel: HR record hallowed now, hollow soon

Hank Aaron repeatedly has vowed to skip the Barry Bonds circus, and I don't blame him. When Bonds and his San Francisco Enablers show up at Wrigley Field for a four-game series that starts tonight, I too would rather not see The Balco Kid break what Lou Piniella called "probably the most hollowed record in baseball."

In his own lovably language-mangling way, the Cubs skipper was on to something: The moment Bonds passes Aaron on the all-time home-run list, the once HALLOWED record will be hollow, indeed.

Though Piniella never would say so publicly, the guess here is that the old-school baseball man in him believes there won't be an asterisk big enough to accompany the record once Bonds holds it. So I implore Lou to avoid being part of the sham.

Zero. Zip. Zilch. That's how many strikes Piniella's pitchers should offer Bonds.

None. Nada. Nil. That's how many home runs Mr. Bulky should add to his total this week. Let him sit at 751, four shy of Aaron's mark and right where he has been stuck for nearly two weeks.

Ball One. Ball Two. Ball Three. Ball Four. That's what the Cubs should throw this clown. Plunking Bonds a time or three would be satisfying, too. I never advocate intentionally hurting anybody, but with all the armor he wears - and all the muscle mass he has added through his "accidental" steroid use - it's not as if the baseball even would bruise him.

"Fans pay their money and they wanna see a slugger take his swings," Piniella said. "Still, if it's a situation where it could cost us a game, we'll gladly have somebody else try to beat us."

I reminded him that even a first-inning home run by Bonds could cost the Cubs.

"You're right," Piniella said. "I'm talking about later in the game, from the sixth inning on. If the score is out of hand, we'll let him have his swings."

That isn't totally what I wanted to hear, but I get Piniella's gist.

Unlike Barry's lousy Giants, Lou's red-hot Cubs are playing for something. Sunday, the suddenly homer-happy Cubbies finished a three-game sweep of Houston, pushing their record a season-best four games over .500 and keeping them within 3 1/2 games of division-leading Milwaukee.

If a game is close, Cubs pitchers should throw Bonds chest-high fastballs and sliders that break a foot out of the zone. If he wants to swing and get himself out, fine. If not - or if the situation calls for a straight intentional walk - he can take his base and the Cubs can take their chances with Ryan Klesko, Rich Aurilia, Omar Vizquel, Dave Roberts and Ray Durham. I haven't seen so many old, ineffective players on one team since, well, the last time I covered the White Sox.

If the Cubs have a big, late lead, I admit walking Bonds would be foolish. Pitch to him and hope he grounds out to Mark DeRosa or whichever second baseman Piniella stations in medium-deep right field.

"We're here to win baseball games," Piniella said, "and we're gonna do what we feel we need to do."

Fair enough ... and that brings me to Hank Aaron and Bud Selig doing what they feel they need to do.

I see no reason for Aaron to follow Bonds around so he eventually can congratulate The Balco Kid for making a hallowed record hollow.

That's the commissioner's job.

Selig made a comment about being busy and having other duties. Like what? Rallying the owners against Mark Cuban's pursuit of the Cubs? As soon as Bonds gets to 754, Selig should be there - period. If nothing else, he can accept it as penance for completely ignoring the Steroid Era as it took place right under his nose.

Here's hoping Selig won't have to serve his penance Thursday at Wrigley because the Cubs had let Bonds snap out of his slump earlier in the series.

Desperate to please the only baseball fans who love him - the lemmings of San Francisco - the petulant, pouty, gimpy-kneed slugger spent the weekend uncharacteristically expanding his strike zone. L.A. pitchers happily took advantage, holding Bonds hitless in 12 at-bats and, incredibly, getting him to strand 15 baserunners.

Warning to the Cubs: Don't be fooled. Playing on the road and being serenaded by the familiar chorus of boos will relax Bonds. He again will be the man Piniella described as "dangerous and very capable."

Ball One. Ball Two. Ball Three. Ball Four.

That's the Cubs' recipe for sweeping the series - and for not being complicit in the Barry Bonds charade.

Mike Nadel (mikenadel@sbcglobal.net) is the Chicago sports columnist for GateHouse News Service. Read his blog, The Baldest Truth, at www.thebaldesttruth.com <http://www.thebaldesttruth.com> .