Buzzmaster

  (1:53 PM)

Howard will be here at the top of the hour to take your questions!

Howard Bryant

  (1:57 PM)

Hey everyone. Thanks for checking in. I'm three minutes early, even!

Steven (DC)

Does Mr. Aaron like his role as the "voice" of baseball? IT seems like he's one of the few, if not the only, person that when he speaks, everyone listens.

Howard Bryant

  (1:59 PM)

I think Henry Aaron enjoys being a respected voice. He always wanted to be treated as a person of substance on important issues, but I don't think it is a role he actually seeks. It is a very tricky question, because he has not always enjoyed the attention his position has garnered.

sean bond (bel air, maryland)

Hank Aaron: greatest player of all time?What do you think mr. bryant?

Howard Bryant

  (2:02 PM)

I think it is very difficult not to have him in the conversation. If there's a Mount Rushmore of baseball, his face is certainly on the side of the mountain.

Jeff (RI)

what was one thing about Aaron that you found out that you didn't know before writing this book?

Howard Bryant

  (2:05 PM)

I think the thing I didn't know about him was just how wrong his narrative was. People had always said that Aaron spent his whole career as a sort of understated talent that no one noticed. This has been the accepted story of Henry Aaron and it is totally false. Aaron was PHENOM from the day he left Mobile. He was a can't miss in the Negro Leagues, the low minors and the minors. When the Milwaukee Braves were WS contenders Aaron was in the middle. It was only in the 1960s when Milwaukee fell out of contention that more charismatic players overshadowed his most productive years.

Bill (NY)

I don't think it was right to take those shots at Willie Mays in your Aaron biography. Do you have any corroborating witnesses to those alleged remarks Willie made? It sounds a lot more like one-trick pony Aaron (and the one-trick is longevity, not HRs) expressing his jealousy of the best all around player of all time.

Howard Bryant

  (2:07 PM)

If you think 3,771 hits, 2,297 RBI and more than 1400 extra base hits is a "one-trick" pony, you're right.

fred (dallas)

what does henry aaron feel about the steroids era and losing his place int he history books?

Howard Bryant

  (2:10 PM)

I think it is actually quite the opposite. Henry lost the NUMERIC record of having once hit the most home runs in ML history, but he is still considered the standard of excellence. His reputation is greater than ever. I think the one thing that bothers him is that it took steroids _ an issue that offends him _ for him to be rediscovered and elevated to the public.

Courtney Jackson (Lindenwold, NJ)

hi howard, do you think that was steroids back in the day that they used or natural strength?

Howard Bryant

  (2:12 PM)

hi Courtney, I think that anabolic steroids were not widely used _ if at all _ during Henry Aaron's day. There are many reasons, the biggest being baseball players back then did not believe added muscle helped your swing.

Henry (Buffalo)

How many people did you talk to for this book?

Howard Bryant

  (2:12 PM)

I talked to more thant 200 people for the book.

Will (Washignton)

how did you get involved in this project?

Howard Bryant

  (2:16 PM)

Hi Will: I think the steroid era had a lot to do with it, but it wasn't just steroids. It was Enron and the mortgage crisis and this feeling in this country that "if you're not cheating, you're not trying." People seem to use words like "honor, and integrity and accountability" and laugh at them. I was intereste in Henry Aaron because I wanted those words to matter again. I was pleased to find he represented each well. He's not a saint, but he is someone to admire.

Steve (California)

I know tihs is your third book now, but still...how cool is it to see something you labored over in print?

Howard Bryant

  (2:18 PM)

Steve, after four years cover-to-cover, all I want to do is take a nap! Seriously, it is amazing because it is so fortunate to be able to take an idea and be able to explore it. Best job in the world.

Jay (KY)

I personally think it is a shame that both Henry Aaron's and Roger Maris' home run records were broken by disrespectful steroid abusers, what do you think MLB should do about this disgrace and why can't Bud Selig admit he turned a blind eye to the problem

Howard Bryant

  (2:21 PM)

I have said often that I believe that major league baseball needs to provide a comprehensive asterisk for the time period between the years 1994-2008 as a simple acknowledgement of the steroid era and let the public decide. I know this penalizes clean players, but they also benefited financially from their silence.

Scrappy (Atlanta, GA)

Who are some ballplayers Henry Aaron admires from his day and from today's game?

Howard Bryant

  (2:21 PM)

Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Tim Hudson, Kevin Youkilis, too many to count, actually...

Steve (Sonoma, CA)

How truthful are the reports of the discord between Aaron and Mays? One would think that the African American players of the 1950's would be more unified and supportive of each other.

Howard Bryant

  (2:24 PM)

I don't think they hate each other. I think HA certainly admired Willie, looked up to him. The issue is that Willie always believed it would be he who broke Ruth's record and seemed to have a very difficult time surrendering the stage. He offended HA by using Aaron's home parks and his own military service as reasons Mays didn't break the record. but that's the beauty about records - everything has to go right, otherwise Ted Williams might've beaten them both.

Sam (miami)

Will you write another book?

Howard Bryant

  (2:24 PM)

I'd love to! Got any ideas?

Bill (VA)

How do you go about choosing your material for writing a book?

Howard Bryant

  (2:26 PM)

I think the biggest question for me is whether or not I have a connection to the material. Then you have to research whether the material is an article, magazine piece, or book-length. And then you really have to believe you have a point of view, something to say...

Dave (Alabama)

How hard is it to juggle writing a book on the side, while also continuing your regular job duties?

Howard Bryant

  (2:26 PM)

Verrrry difficult. My wife is a saint.

Gregory (Baton Rouge)

How much time did you spend writing the book?

Howard Bryant

  (2:26 PM)

Cover to cover, four years.

Wilson (LA)

How helpful were Henry, his family, friends and associates to you in the process of writing this?

Howard Bryant

  (2:29 PM)

He didn't want to be part of it, really, because he felt I was only interested in Bonds. But he didn't make the phone call to his people that kills many a book: "hey there's a guy writing a book about me. Don't talk to him." He did the opposite. He let me talk to whoever I wanted.

Dave (Denver)

Do you go to a book store the day your book comes out and see if it's really on the shelves?

Howard Bryant

  (2:29 PM)

Hah! After the first book, "Shut Out," yes. On this one, I'm trying to calm down a bit.

Sean (Toronto)

Aaron has admittedly used "Greeneis" before games to give him more focus, do you not think that is perfofmance enhancing?

Howard Bryant

  (2:31 PM)

I've never believed amphetamines are performance-enhancing because they don't build muscle mass or improve eyesight (HGH).

Tarek (NYC)

Hey Howard, so Ruth, Mays, Aaron and Who? Thanks for all your work on ESPN.

Howard Bryant

  (2:33 PM)

DiMaggio. I'd love to put Bonds and A-Rod there. Maybe Koufax, too. But since Rushmore only has four faces, I'd go Koufax. Need a pitcher.

David (Kansas)

Do you think we have to get past this steroids era, get some new, younger stars into the game and watch them develop/get into their primes, before we can ever put this 'roid era behind us?

Howard Bryant

  (2:35 PM)

Yes. I think everyone looked at A-Rod to be the "clean guy" which would ease the sting of Bonds. I think Alex will hit 803 home runs. So it will take some time for someone to supplant him. Issue not going away because of that.

Steve (Sonoma, CA)

Was there a specific time or decision by Aaron to become more of a pull hitter going for the home run record and sacrificing his batting average? He was a .320 hitter and there is an argument that says he could have maintained that average or even improved it had he not changed his approach.

Howard Bryant

  (2:36 PM)

Happened right around 1963, and he certainly tailored himself to pull when the Braves moved to Atlanta. It was a totally conscious decision. Otherwise, he would've had 4,000 hits

JW (Cherry Valley, CA)

After having slugged his way through the minors and Negro Leagues in the south and deal with all of the bigotry that came with that path, how helpful do you think it was for Mr. Aaron to be able to begin his career in Milwaukee where there was more of a chance he could play with less racial tension at his own doorstep?

Howard Bryant

  (2:38 PM)

I think that was huge for him, but he found out that racial tension in Milwaukee was difficult in its own way. But on balance, yes, it changed his life.

barry (ny, ny)

"I've never believed amphetamines are performance-enhancing because they don't build muscle mass or improve eyesight (HGH)." Do you think LASIK is cheating then?

Howard Bryant

  (2:39 PM)

GREAT question. I've been asking myself and people in baseball that question for years. It's technology, perhaps no different than the improvement in surgeries. I just don't know!

Michael (SF)

So a drug that enhances focus is not an enhancing drug? But it is still illegal correct? Oy vey and good luck.

Howard Bryant

  (2:40 PM)

Muscle building. Slippery slope, but I think the two are very different categories.

Steve (North of Atlanta)

As time goes by, Aaron legend continues to grow. Bonds looks like a bitter pretender to the crown. Bud needs to do the right thing and return the title to Aaron. What do you think?

Howard Bryant

  (2:40 PM)

Agreed. Aaron is the standard bearer.

Josh (Philly)

Didn't he say that Chase Utley was his favorite player to watch? Aren't there attitudes toward the game similar?

Howard Bryant

  (2:41 PM)

Absolutely, yes. They both just do the work.

Todd (Philly)

Howard - with all that was documented about the threats sent to Aaron for breaking the HR record, I was curious if you asked him what was going through his mind when he was rounding the bases on the record breaking HR and there are people coming out of the stands to join him on his trot? I would think that would have been the height of nervousness for him, yet he seemed to stride without concern (and with appropriate pride)....has Aaron ever commented on this?

Howard Bryant

  (2:41 PM)

Yes. he was aware, and Ron Cey, who was playing third base at the time, thought the two kids running on the field were coming to kill him.

Bryan (Annapolis)

Do you find it hard for people you are interviewing to take you seriosuly when you are wearing an earring?

Howard Bryant

  (2:42 PM)

Yes. They look at my earring and laugh hysterically. It is very hard to keep 'em focused.

Michael (SF)

I think Bonds should be allowed in the Hall of Fame regardless of the allegations against him. He would have had the numbers anyways and steroids were not a banned substance at the time he played. How can he go to the slate and cheat when there was no rule??

Howard Bryant

  (2:43 PM)

The drugs were illegal in the US. If there were no problem, why didn't these guys admit it?

Owen (Berkeley)

Have to respectfully disagree on amphetamines not being performance enhancing. People take them because they provide energy and focus. The effects don't cause more permanent structural changes to your body, but that doesn't mean they don't amp up performance while they are working. Performance-enhancing doesn't have to mean long-term body changing.

Howard Bryant

  (2:43 PM)

No easy answers on that one. I respect your opinion.

Sean (Toronto)

Your response to my question is a little weak, I hope your book isn't filled with that kind of rubbish.

Howard Bryant

  (2:44 PM)

Which question was it again? I'm trying to answer quickly to get to everyone's questions. My apologies.

jeff (san jose)

Bonds is the leader. IMHO Lyle Alzado and players used during the 70's. Why don't you dishonor them as well?

Howard Bryant

  (2:44 PM)

I do.

Howard Bryant

  (2:45 PM)

Thank you all for participating!