Bonds slugs home run No. 756 to pass Aaron

SAN FRANCISCO -- The ball exploded off Barry Bonds’ bat, a small white sphere streaking through the dark San Francisco sky, headed for the right-center field seats and a hallowed place in baseball history.

It was 8:51 Tuesday, a night no one in the sellout crowd of 43,154 at AT&T; Park would ever forget, a night to be lived and relived by word of mouth, digital camera and endless reels of highlight tape.

On a 3-and-2 pitch from Washington Nationals left-hander Mike Bacsik, Bonds, in his second game after tying Hank Aaron’s career home run mark of 755, belted No. 756.

In this, his 23rd season in the major leagues, his 16th in a Giants uniform, the holder of the single-season home run record with 73 in 2001 and a record seven most-valuable player awards, Bonds added the final jewel to his home run crown.

A towering drive that has become Bonds’ trademark, the ball, cheered on by a hysterical home crowd, traveled 435 feet before landing in a pile of straining arms and banging bodies, fans with visions of perhaps half a million dollars fighting for the souvenir of a lifetime.

For an instant, Bonds stood at home plate, just another spectator watching the majestic moment.

For an instant, all the doubters, all the critics, all those who pointed toward his alleged use of steroids, who accused him of tainting the game and its most treasured record, had been left behind.

There’s no telling what the future holds for the 43-year-old Bonds, whether the allegations of steroid use will ultimately be proved, whether he might eventually be indicted by a grand jury investigating him on accusations of perjury and tax evasion, whether Alex Rodriguez, the youngest player to hit 500 home runs at 32, will someday eclipse Bonds.

But nothing, nobody could take this moment away from Bonds.

“This record is not tainted at all, at all, period,” Bonds said.

According to the book “Game of Shadows” by Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada -- the San Francisco Chronicle reporters who broke the story of a sports steroids scandal -- Bonds decided to use steroids in an attempt to surpass the achievements of of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa after their memorable home run race of 1998 in which both exceeded Roger Maris’ single-season record of 61.

Bonds hit 49 home runs in 2000, then shattered the record with 73 the next year.

In September 2003, as Bonds closed in on Aaron’s record, federal agents raided the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative, based in the San Francisco suburb of Burlingame. By the end of the year, a host of prominent athletes had testified before a grand jury investigating steroid trafficking by BALCO, including Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield as well as track stars Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, NFL players Bill Romanowski and Barret Robbins, swimmer Amy Van Dyken and boxer Shane Mosley.

No athletes have been charged in the BALCO investigation.

In 2004, the San Francisco Chronicle published grand jury testimony revealing that Giambi had admitted using steroids he obtained from Bonds’ trainer, Greg Anderson, and that Bonds had acknowledged using substances he believed to flaxseed oil and an arthritic balm but that prosecutors identified as steroids.

Giambi publicly confessed this year to steroid use. Bonds has repeatedly denied using steroids and is not known to have tested positive under baseball’s drug protocol.

In 2006, baseball Commissioner Bud Selig appointed former Sen. George Mitchell to investigate how -- and how widely -- steroids had infected baseball. Mitchell, who does not have the power to compel players to talk to him, has yet to issue a report.

As Bonds began his ultimate victory trot Tuesday night, a 360-foot romp around the bases, leaving Aaron and all who preceded him behind, two banners dropped from the light towers on either side of the center-field scoreboard.

One read: “756. Road to history.” The other depicted Bonds completing a swing with the words “Home Run 756” beneath it. Washington won the game, 8-6.

At home plate, Bonds’ 17-year-old son, Nikolai, waited anxiously, a single finger raised in the air to depict Bonds’ status as the new home run king.

Behind him were Bonds’ joyous teammates, his wife, Liz, his mother, Pat, his 8-year-old daughter, Aisa, and, back in the dugout, his 76-year-old godfather, Giants Hall of Famer Willie Mays.

In the stands, 22-year-old Matt Murphy of Queens, N.Y. had won the scrum for the ball. Murphy had flown in Tuesday en route to Australia, purchased a ticket and wound up with the grand prize.

At home plate, father and son embraced after Bonds pounded his left fist into his right hand twice as he looked skyward. Then Bonds firmly jabbed at the sky one final time before falling into the arms of well-wishers.

Washington first baseman Dmitri Young motioned for his teammates to get off the field, which they quickly did, including Bacsik, who became the 446th pitcher to give up a home run to Bonds.

“I dreamed of this as a kid,” Bacsik said. “Unfortunately, I dreamed I was the one hitting the home run.”

At that point, the godfather entered stage left.

Mays -- who has become Bonds’ closest confidant since the death of Bobby Bonds, Barry’s father and Mays’ former teammate -- came out of the third-base dugout to join in the celebration.

And then, the man who has been most noticeable by his absence from the Bonds home run watch, Aaron himself, addressed the crowd via a video on the center field scoreboard.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to Barry Bonds on becoming baseball’s career home run leader,” Aaron said. “It is a great accomplishment which requires skill, longevity and determination. Throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball and I have been privileged to hold this record for 33 of those years.

“I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historical achievement. My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their dreams.”

Asked afterward about Aaron’s video, Bonds said “it meant everything. Absolutely everything.”

Baseball Commissioner Selig, who also was not on hand, issued a statement of congratulations as well, revealing that he had spoken to Bonds by phone after the historic home run after having not talked to Bonds for the previous 2 1/2 years.

Bonds said of the conversation: “He told me, ‘It’s a great accomplishment. You’ve endured a lot. I have a lot of respect for you.’ I have a lot of respect for him.”

Finally it was Bonds himself who ended the festivities, which interrupted the game for 10 minutes. Handed a microphone, he said, “I want to thank you, the fans of San Francisco, and I want to thank my teammates. You gave me all the support in the world and I will never forget it.”

Then he looked skyward and thanked his father, raising one arm to the sky as tears appeared to form.

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