Barry Bonds swung, took a half-dozen steps and clapped. With no trace of a smile but a strong shot for all the doubters, he caught Hank Aaron and tied the career home run record Saturday night.
No. 755 was an opposite-field drive to left-centerfield, moving Bonds within one swing of having baseball's pinnacle of power all to himself.
Commissioner Bud Selig stood and put his hands in his pockets while Bonds' family hugged and high-fived. When Bonds crossed the plate, he lifted his batboy son, Nikolai, and carried him several steps in an embrace.
The Petco Park crowd stood and cheered, with some boos mixed in, when the San Francisco slugger homered off Clay Hensley in the second inning. Several fans held up asterisk signs.
Bonds was booed as he headed to leftfield at the end of the inning. The 43-year-old star has been shadowed by suspicions of steroid use for several years, which some fans feel has tainted his chase for the home run record.
It had been eight days since Bonds hit his 754th home run, and he came out for early batting practice Saturday, hoping to break his slump. He did it quickly, homering to lead off the second.
Earlier in the day, Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th home run. Like Bonds, he took advantage of his first opportunity of the game.
Bonds' milestone shot came at 10:29 p.m. and traveled an estimated 382 feet. The ball clunked off an advertising sign on the facade and fell into the navy blue bleachers below, right below the main scoreboard featuring a giant photo of the smiling slugger.
A fan in that area threw a ball back onto the field, but it was unclear whether that was the souvenir ball.
After Bonds crossed the plate, teammate Ryan Klesko hugged him, and Bonds slowly walked through a greeting line of other Giants. Moments later, he walked over to the field-level seats and kissed 8-year-old daughter Aisha and wife Liz through the screen.
Bonds then lifted his cap before going to the far end of the dugout and hugging Sue Burns, widow of Giants ownership partner Harmon Burns.
Bond is scheduled to take today off and resume play Monday at home.
FAST FACTS
Career Home Run Leaders
Player No.
1. Hank Aaron 755
1. x-Barry Bonds 755
3. Babe Ruth 714
4. Willie Mays 660
5. x-Sammy Sosa 604
6. x-Ken Griffey Jr. 589
7. Frank Robinson 586
8. Mark McGwire 583
9. Harmon Killebrew 573
10. Rafael Palmeiro 569
11. Reggie Jackson 563
12. Mike Schmidt 548
13. Mickey Mantle 536
14. Jimmie Foxx 534
15. Willie McCovey 521
15. Ted Williams 521
17. Ernie Banks 512
17. Eddie Mathews 512
19. Mel Ott 511
20. x-Frank Thomas 505
21. Eddie Murray 504
22. x-Alex Rodriguez 500
23. Lou Gehrig 493
23. Fred McGriff 493
25. x-Jim Thome 490
26. x-Manny Ramirez 488
27. x-Gary Sheffield 478
28. Stan Musial 475
28. Willie Stargell 475
30. Dave Winfield 465
31. Jose Canseco 462
32. Carl Yastrzemski 452
33. Jeff Bagwell 449
34. Dave Kingman 442
35. Andre Dawson 438
36. Juan Gonzalez 434
37. Cal Ripken Jr. 431
38. Billy Williams 426
39. x-Carlos Delgado 424
40. x-Mike Piazza 422
41. Darrell Evans 414
42. Duke Snider 407