Story: Would You PItch to Bonds If He Had 755?

Would you be willing to give up No. 756 to Barry Bonds? Two different reactions.

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/622943.html

During an interview on a Boston radio station earlier this month, in anticipation of the San Francisco Giants coming to town, Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling was asked if Barry Bonds was at home run No. 755 and Schilling was pitching, would he give Bonds a pitch to hit.

"Not on purpose," Schilling said. "I don't want to be Al Downing."
In fact, the essential question is this: Who will have the courage to be Al Downing?...

"If you're a pitcher of Hall of Fame caliber, you're supposed to be challenging guys," Downing said. "Otherwise, don't pitch. You go out there and do the very best you can; don't take it personally, because this guy has already hit seven hundred and something home runs; it's not like he's singling you out. You just happen to be the guy who got the ball that night."

All Downing had to do was look at the names of pitchers who had given up home runs to Aaron: Sandy Koufax, seven; Bob Gibson, eight; Juan Marichal, eight; Don Drysdale, 17. Please.
Bonds has hit home runs against 442 pitchers.

"You're a major league ballplayer," Downing said. "You uphold the integrity of your own performance. Don't let your career be defined by one moment."

Downing's career was not.

He broke into major league baseball with the Yankees in 1961 and generally is regarded as the Yankees' first black starting pitcher. Once called the black Sandy Koufax, Downing played 17 seasons and finished with a record of 123-107 and a 3.22 earned run average. He was an All-Star in 1967, led the American League in strikeouts in 1964 and led the National League in shutouts in 1971.