The Record Is 73

Giancarlo Stanton won the Home Run Derby last year, and since being eliminated in the first round of this year's Home Run Derby at his home park, he's turned the second half of the Marlins' season into one.  Giancarlo has 51 homers this year, 30 of which have come since the start of July.  He's the first player with a 50-home run season since Chris Davis in 2013, and he's on pace to become the first to hit 60 in a season since 2001.

That 2001 season, of course, came at the height of the Steroid Era.  Four different players hit 50 homers that year, including two with 60 (it was Sammy Sosa's third 60-HR season in four years).  And, of course, that was the year Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire's single-season record by crushing 73.

He's been hitting home runs at a ridiculous rate, but Giancarlo has absolutely no chance of breaking that record.  He'd need to hit 23 homers in the Marlins' final 29 games in order to do that.  It might seem like he hits at least one every day, but 23 in 29 games is a tall order.

Yet, if you were to ask Giancarlo, he wants to get to 62.  And if he does, he'll have "the record."  I'm not exactly sure what record he's referring to.  Because the Marlins play in the National League, so he can't break Roger Maris' American League record of 61.  If he gets to 62, that would only be the seventh-most for a single-season in National League history.

I know, I know.  Most people consider 61 to be the "legitimate" record.  Well, you know what?  There's no place in the record book that differentiates between those that are "legitimate" and those that aren't.  So, like it or not, Barry Bonds holds the home run record.  And the record books say Bonds hit 73 in 2001 and 762 in his career.  You can question the authenticity of those numbers all you want.  It doesn't change the fact that they won't be erasing any records.  Giancarlo could very well hit 62 this year.  But, if he does, the only record he'll be setting is a Marlins franchise record.

Everyone's entitled to their own opinion on Barry Bonds.  The Hall of Fame voters have made their views on the subject pretty clear.  (Although, he's been trending upwards for a couple years and it does seem like he's eventually going to get in.)  Giancarlo evidently agrees with the Hall of Fame voters.  But, while Hall of Fame votes are entirely subjective, the 73 is not up for debate.  It's the record.  Whether you think it "should be" or not is irrelevant.

Of course, the biggest irony of the home run race during the Steroid Era, and one that obviously still applies today, is that people are concerned with preserving the sanctity of Maris' 61 in 61.  But back when it was happening 56 years ago, it was Maris who had to endure that ridiculous asterisk and all the other crap that was being thrown his way because he was breaking Babe Ruth's record.  Now it's Maris who has the record everyone is trying to protect (of course, the same can also be said of Hank Aaron).

What Roger Maris did in 1961 was extraordinary.  Just like what Giancarlo Stanton is doing this season is extraordinary.  But he's not going to be setting any records.  The single-season home run record is 73.  You don't have to like Barry Bonds or agree with how he did it, but that doesn't change the facts.

And the fact is Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001.  You can't dispute that.  That's the record, at least until somebody hits 74.  Which Giancarlo Stanton will not be doing this season.  So let's please stop the talk that Giancarlo hitting 62 would be some sort of record.  Because it won't be.