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And so it begins - a quest of milestones, in a time in history, for a chance at immortality.
There is a lot of significance to the 2007 Major League Baseball season:
Craig Biggio is going to surpass 3,000 career hits.
Jim Thome, Frank Thomas, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez could all join the 500 home run club.
Tom Glavine will earn win No. 300.
Trevor Hoffman will continue his run to pitching immortality, searching for save No. 500.
And don't forget about the possibility of Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755.
Chasing a number that is considered to be the greatest number in all of sports, Bonds is 22 shy of matching Aaron's record.
And in a world where a dark cloud overshadows the greatest feats, a new home run king will be crowned - with or without the approval from baseball fans.
I don't even know if MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is going to be open to crowning Bonds. Selig seems more interested in trying to crucify him.
But here is something to think about:
Look at Bonds' career statistics and you'll find that, from 1992 through 2000, Bonds put up between 30 to 40 home runs a year - consistently, at best.
He also started going from size small to size gargantuan, which Bonds attributes to time in the gym.
But it's the number 73 that stands out the most - the number of home runs Bonds hit in 2001, following the great home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998.
Roger Maris' record lasted three decades.
McGwire's and Sosa's lasted three years.
Some say Bonds didn't want to be in the shadow of the game, and in the shadow of what McGwire and Sosa accomplished in '98.
Maris took flak for breaking Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a season - not only was he a Yankee, but he was playing with Yankee history, baseball history and the way it would be told to future generations.
Not only does Bonds stand in a shadow and take more flak than any other athlete, he still continues to move forward, unfazed by the accusations and skepticism from the baseball world.
Last year fans watched as Bonds hit 26 home runs in 130 games for the San Francisco Giants.
This spring Bonds looked like a rejuvenated player, not like the 43-year-old battling a pair of bum knees that we've been accustomed to watching over the past three years.
Bonds is a Giant - literally.
He's bigger than life, and I dare say almost bigger than the game of baseball itself.
Pete Rose was bigger than life and bigger than the game. Turns out he was a cheater.
That question is one still trying to be answered about Bonds.
In America, it's innocent until proven guilty, but it appears the verdict on Bonds has already been read.
Outside of Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, Bonds is public enemy No. 1.
The season's already begun without any bumps in the road. But rest assured that when Bonds' record-breaking day comes, it will feel more like the apocalypse than a day of accomplishment and baseball history.
