Aaron says Bonds should keep record

Hank Aaron believes Barry Bonds should keep Major League Baseball’s home run record.

“In all fairness to everybody, I just don’t see how you really can do a thing like that and just say somebody isn’t the record holder anymore, and let’s go back to the way that it was,” Aaron told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday.

Aaron hit 755 home runs to surpass the previous mark of 714 by Babe Ruth. Bonds, who did not play last season, passed Aaron in 2007 and has 762 home runs.

Bonds has pleaded not guilty to charges that he lied in 2003 to a grand jury when he said he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. Commissioner Bud Selig has indicated that he has given some thought to returning the record to Aaron if it is proved Bonds used steroids.

“If you did that, you’d have to go back and change all kinds of records, and the [home run] record was very important to me,” Aaron said. “It’s probably the most hallowed record out there, as far as I’m concerned, but it’s now in the hands of somebody else. It belongs to Barry. No matter how we look at it, it’s his record, and I held it for a long time.”

Etc.

Livan Hernandez and the New York Mets agreed to a minor league contract, giving the team another pitcher who can compete for a starting role.