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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: Speedbuff on August 05, 2007, 10:54:25 PM
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Bonds must have felt tremendous pressure before 755 finally came. He has certainly earned a lot of respect for his many accomplishments in the game of baseball.
Bonds finally takes deep breath
By Bob Nightengale
USA TODAY
August 6, 2007
SAN DIEGO — Barry Bonds woke up Sunday morning and, with the sun shining brightly behind the curtains in his hotel suite, finally was able to exhale, finding peace.
Bonds, 43, awoke with as many home runs as Hank Aaron, tied for the all-time major league lead after hitting his 755th Saturday night at Petco Park.
"I don't know what to think right now," said Bonds, who was given Sunday off, and will attempt to break Aaron's record Monday night in San Francisco against the Washington Nationals (10:15 ET, ESPN2). "It's just a weird thing that goes on. With more time, I'll be able to explain it better. The reality is that you're there. The hardest part is over now."
Bonds sauntered into the San Francisco Giants' clubhouse at 11 a.m., not quite knowing what to do with himself. He didn't have to play for the first time in 10 days. The most stressful aspect of his day was simply returning all the cellphone and text messages and he had received. Bonds said Aaron was not among those leaving a message.
"I just told him it was about damn time," Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who has 589 career homers, said in a telephone interview Sunday. "I told him I was going to call earlier, but I didn't want to jinx him. I'm happy for him. I think we all are."
Bonds, who hit his record-tying homer off San Diego Padres starter Clay Hensley in the second inning Saturday night, said Sunday morning that he was stressed from the pressure of chasing Aaron.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever gone though in my entire career," Bonds said. "I had rashes on my head, I think. I was getting sick at times. …
"It's a little bit different than any other milestone I've ever gone through. It's Hank Aaron. I can't explain the feeling of it, it's just Hank Aaron."
While Bonds hopes to break the record in front of his hometown fans, Commissioner Bud Selig won't be there when the Giants open a seven-game homestand. Selig, who has attended 11 of the Giants' last 16 games, is scheduled to be at Major League Baseball's offices in Milwaukee and New York through Wednesday. He could come to San Francisco on Thursday if Bonds remains tied for the record.
Selig's statement
Selig, sitting in Padres owner John Moores' suite Saturday night, stood with his hands in his pants pockets when Bonds homered. He issued a statement after the home run, and although he called to congratulate New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez for hitting his 500th career home run Saturday, he did not speak to Bonds, who has been surrounded by allegations of steroid use and is under a federal perjury investigation.
"Congratulations to Barry Bonds as he ties Major League Baseball's home run record," Selig said in his statement. "No matter what anybody thinks of the controversy surrounding this event, Mr. Bonds' achievement is noteworthy and remarkable.
"As I said previously, out of respect for the tradition of the game, the magnitude of the record and the fact that all citizens in this country are innocent until proven guilty, either I or a representative of my office will attend the next few games and make every attempt to observe the breaking of the all-time home run record."
Selig initially will be represented in San Francisco by Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's vice president of baseball operations. Selig has not spoken to Bonds since spring 2005. He has kept his distance since Bonds became the subject of a perjury investigation for telling a federal grand jury in 2003 he did not use steroids.
Bonds said he welcomes the opportunity one day to talk to Selig again, as well as to Aaron.
"We as baseball players, especially African-American baseball players, have so much respect for Hank Aaron," Bonds said. "No one at any time, shape or form will ever get me to say anything different."
Bonds' record-tying home run was off a pitcher who tested positive in 2005 for steroid use and received a 15-game suspension while in the minor leagues. Hensley, who surrendered the homer on a 2-1 fastball that was high and outside ("I thought he's either going to take this pitch or hit it out," Hensley said), received an autographed bat from Bonds after the game.
"I shook his hand, gave him a big hug and said, 'Congratulations,' " said Hensley, who was optioned to the minors Sunday. "I watched the replay a couple of times. It's not that big of a deal. To me, it's just another home run. It happened, what are you going to do?"
When Hensley was asked if he thought Bonds' home run was tainted because of the steroid allegations, he said: "I don't know. Whatever has happened, happened, and it has nothing to do with me or this organization, so I'm not too concerned about it."
Bonds also was not interested in talking about Hensley's past when asked in Saturday night's news conference. "I don't think we're here to discuss those matters," he said. "I think we have a great policy in this game of baseball, and we should leave it at that."
The sellout crowd of 42,497 at Petco Park included taunters of Bonds, as at most of his road games. But many cheered when his home run hit the second-deck façade. He stood momentarily and watched, then trotted around the bases.
"The mouths were open and the eyes were wide," Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn said. "It's still baseball. People love to see that stuff happen at the ballpark."
Bonds was greeted at home plate by his 17-year-old son, Nikolai, who leaped into his arms. Nikolai stayed in his father's arms for several moments while Bonds kept repeating, "I love you."
"You could see how relieved he was. When he slapped my hand, he just screamed out, 'Yeaaaah!' said Giants third base coach Tim Flannery. "It was a special moment for all of us. My mom was in the stands, and she just started crying."
Said Giants vice president Larry Baer, who later spent time with Bonds outside the clubhouse: "There had been such a stress and strain. It was like a 1,000-pound weight came off his shoulders getting to 755. In Barry's mind, 755 symbolizes Hank Aaron. Now, he's coming home for the record."
'Sense of relief for Barry'
Most members of Bonds' inner circle were in San Diego for his 755th homer and will travel to San Francisco. He will be accompanied by his family, his publicists, his agent, his video cameraman and his trainers, except Greg Anderson, who has been imprisoned since last November for refusing to testify to a grand jury about Bonds.
Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative who provided steroids to Anderson, said he was thrilled to witness history and will watch the Giants' games this week from his home.
"I first felt a sense of relief for Barry and then a feeling of happiness for him and his family," Conte said via e-mail. "They've had to endure a tremendous amount of undeserved criticism for quite some time now. Hopefully, Barry will be able to hit 756 in San Francisco where he is loved and respected the most."