Bud Selig: Barry Bonds not all-time home run king, Hank Aaron is

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Is Barry Bonds deserving of a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame?

It’s a question more difficult to answer now that the steroid wall at the helm of the Baseball Writers Association of America is slowly beginning to crumble. But it remains one of the biggest debates across baseball.

But how does Bud Selig feel about it? Not necessarily as a big-league executive, but as a fan. 

The ninth Commissioner of Major League Baseball was a recent guest on The Dan Patrick Show and was asked his thoughts on the controversial subject. He has some biased as he’s close friends with Hank Aaron, and even said in his book that having to name Bonds as the all-time home run king “didn’t feel good at all.”

Bonds currently holds the all-time record with 762 career homers. Asterisk or not, they stand by his name.

Aaron hit 755 across 23 seasons.

As a fan …

“Well, I’ve never really answered that,” Selig told Patrick. “But I will say this to you, in my mind, even though Bonds holds the record, and I’ve said ‘records are records,’ I think you know how I feel about Henry Aaron.”

The former Milwaukee Brewers' team president and owner said he and Aaron had just spoken recently about this like they sometimes do. 

Patrick wanted to confirm Selig’s beliefs that Aaron should have the title of home run king. Selig confirmed.

And would Selig vote Bonds into Cooperstown?

“That’s one I will not answer because what I’ve said is I did everything I could do,” he explained. “Remember this, Dan, and I don’t have to tell you this, baseball not only didn’t have a drug-testing program -- we went through the cocaine era -- a serious problem in the ‘80s. Twenty-nine guys get convicted, four go to jail, and they couldn’t get a drug program.”

The Hall of Famer himself is glad those responsibilities are on others. 

“So, I’m proud of where we are," Selig said. "But I’m going to let the writers decide that -- they can decide that.”

[RELATED: Selig reflects on 'misery' of Bonds' home run chase]

Patrick wanted to know if Selig’s thoughts on Rogers Clemens mirrored that of Bonds -- once again, as a fan. 

“No, I don’t want to answer.”

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