Hank Aaron believes Barry Bonds should keep the 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 Friday.

Commissioner Bud Selig has indicated that he's 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 ..."

Manager Tony La Russa said it over and over yesterday. Baseball has no place for performance-enhancing drugs. "I would agree with those who've said, 'No if, ands or buts -- zero tolerance,'" La Russa said as the Cardinals opened workouts. "If you could get the union to agree with that, that would be a step in the [right] direction."

Goose Gossage hates to say the words, but says them anyway. Alex Rodriguez, Gossage said, should never join the greats at the Baseball Hall of Fame. "I've always liked A-Rod," Gossage said Wednesday. "I've always liked him. But the things that are coming out now ..."

Pete Rose also chimed in on Rodriguez's admission while in Dayton, Ohio, this week.

"Being my good and close friend, I was disappointed about A-Rod's admission. I really thought A-Rod and Junior [Ken Griffey Jr.] were two of the greatest players out there today who were clean."

Ichiro Suzuki has always maintained that he could pitch successfully at the major league level. It now appears if a game runs long enough in the World Baseball Classic, the Seattle star right fielder might actually get that chance.

According to a Japanese sports Web site, nikkansports.com, Ichiro skipped batting practice at the team's workout at the Skymark Stadium in Kobe, Japan, last weekend and instead threw a 56-pitch bullpen session off the mound. He reportedly touched 92 mph with his fastball.

Livan Hernandez and the New York Mets agreed to a minor league contract yesterday, giving the team another pitcher who could compete for the final rotation spot and also signaling that Pedro Martinez won't be back. ... Ervin Santana, 26, the youngest active pitcher with 50 wins, agreed to a four-year, $30 million contract with the Angels. ... It wasn't a totally bad week for Alex Rodriguez. The University of Miami renamed its baseball field in his honor Friday.