It?s not a question of if, but when. If Barry Bonds doesn?t hit his 756th home run before he retires, rest assured that, somewhere around the year 2016, Alex Rodriguez will. Having just hit his 400th home run at the tender age of 29 ?, A-Rod needs 356 more to surpass Aaron. Assuming he?s healthy enough to make it at least to age 40?11 more seasons?Rodriguez would need to average just under 35 home runs a year to pull it off. If he plays to 42 or 43, you can do the math. A-Rod could have 800 by the time he?s done. Of course, by that time, it?s also possible Rodriguez will be closing in on Bonds?s all-time record. The point is, someone has to break Aaron?s record first, and there couldn?t be two more opposite choices to root for (or against): Rodriguez, Mr. Perfect. Or Bonds, Mr. Imperfect. I?m rooting for Mr. Imperfect. Yes, there are all sorts of reasons why Bonds may not deserve to be the all-time home run king, most of them having to do with his personality, the biggest one having to do with whatever performance-enhancing substances he?s put in his body. But there?s one huge reason why he does deserve it: Bonds is the most feared slugger of the past 30 years, a larger-than-life figure with the swagger and intimidation factor of the all-time greats. A guy who forces managers to strategize every single inning of every game he plays in. A guy whose every bat makes everyone drop what they?re doing, whether it?s the kayakers outside McCovey Cove or the players in the opposing team?s bullpen. Can anyone say the same about Alex Rodriguez? Bonds is the last guy that anyone wants to face with the game on the line. Rodriguez isn?t even the most feared hitter on his own team. The one Yankee pitchers don?t want to face with the game on the line is Derek Jeter. Bonds has the charisma of Ruth, the all-around game of Willie Mays, and the power of Aaron. Thanks to a lethally quick, compact swing, the balls jumps off his bat with unusual velocity. Even Bonds can?t help but admire himself. He?s perfected the dropped-bat, how-did-I-do-that stare as the ball rockets out of the park. Plants could grow in the time it takes Bonds to complete his home run trot. It?s arrogant, it?s infuriating, and it only adds to his mystique. It?s a mystique Rodriguez has yet to acquire. When Bonds walks slowly to home plate, sizing up the pitcher with a baleful glare, a rumbling begins throughout the stadium. Cameras snap, infielders shift, pitchers sweat, and managers pace. It?s not just an at bat, it?s an event. Even when Bonds doesn?t homer, his hits tend to be smoked. That?s if he even gets to see a pitch he likes. More often, he?s likely to be walked, intentionally or otherwise. An A-Rod at bat is no different than a Bernie Williams at bat, or a Gary Sheffield at bat. He is a terrific talent, but he does not inspire fear. He becomes less threatening with men on base. He is seldom given first base, though in all fairness, pitchers can?t walk him because there are too many other threats in the Yankee lineup. Which only makes Bonds?s achievements that much more impressive. There?s never been a guy in the Giants lineup hitting behind Bonds that pitchers were afraid of. The fact that Bonds can hit 40-50 home runs a season seeing as few good pitches to hit as he does is nothing short of remarkable. As much as his home run totals may have been padded by steroid use, all the clear and cream in the world can?t create plate discipline, nor can they help a man hit .370, .341, and .362, Bonds?s averages in his last three seasons. There are those who would disqualify Bonds on the spot, who would put an asterisk next to any record he achieved due to the ?roid factor. And while I can respect that, I would also point out that baseball players have been fooling around with performance-enhancers for the past 30 years, whether it?s amphetamines or andro. If baseball was willing to turn a blind eye and keep the substances in question legal, then it can?t turn around and punish the players who took advantage. The sport can?t have it both ways. There are those who would argue that Alex Rodriguez, as a more upstanding individual who would never cheat the game, is more deserving. On that issue, it?s hard to argue. Bonds is mercurial, arrogant, and says stupid things to the press. He cares little about what people think of him and scares reporters as much as opposing managers. Rodriguez is soft-spoken, reserved, and a gentleman. He addresses the press in carefully manufactured sound bytes and cares greatly about what people think. Bonds has been through a messy divorce and an even messier affair, which has left him with a tax evasion investigation that may make his steroid problems look tame by comparison. Rodriguez is a devoted family man who saved a child?s life on a Boston street in April, and was not afraid to show his vulnerable side when he admitted to being in therapy. He is the blandest of superstars, a well-oiled machine who functions with corporate-like efficiency, whereas Bonds has become an insufferable diva, a deeply flawed, guarded individual unwilling to own up to his mistakes, and suspicious of the outside world. Mr. Imperfect vs. Mr. Perfect. Mr. Colorful vs. Mr. Colorless. Sorry, but I?m with the flawed guy on this one. I don?t like Bonds most of the time. Publicly ? to those who don?t know him ? he?s a jerk. But whether I love or hate Bonds, I can?t summon up much feeling for the smooth calculations of Rodriguez. And if the first half of this season has offered any sneak previews, it?s that baseball without Bonds is a lot less exciting. It?s possible, of course, that neither man will break Aaron?s record. The conspiracy theorists whispering that Bonds has played his last game as a Giant may turn out to be right (though I seriously doubt it). Even if he does come back, Bonds may run out of time. Or, he may run out of motivation, since Babe Ruth?s record of 714 has always been more important to him than Aaron?s. As for Rodriguez, it appears that only serious injury or diminished desire can stand in his way, given that he?s been averaging 40+ home runs a year since he began playing a full 162-game season. Then again, stranger things have happened. The great Ken Griffey Jr., who hit his 400th home run by age 30, was considered a cinch to break the record, until injuries robbed him of his playing time and his power. And if neither Bonds or A-Rod makes it, there?s always the Cardinals? Albert Pujols, who amassed 160 home runs in his first four years at the (alleged) age of 25. If Pujols stays healthy and consistent, he should approach 756 by the year 2020. But I don?t want to wait that long. If Bonds can make it back in July and hit, say, 15 homers, he?ll end the season with 718, 38 away from Aaron. Which would make next season memorable indeed.