Yesterday San Francisco Giants LF Barry Bonds hit a 435-foot home run, his 756th, off a pitch from Mike Bacsick of the Washington Nationals, breaking the all-time career home run record, formerly held by Hank Aaron.
The pitch, the seventh of the at-bat, was a 3-2 pitch, which Bonds hit into the right-center field bleachers. Matt Murphy, a 22-year-old from Queens in New York City, got the ball and was promptly protected and escorted away from the mayhem by a group of San Francisco police officers.
After Bonds finished his home-run trot, a ten-minute delay in the game marked the occasion. This included a brief video by Aaron congratulating Bonds on breaking the record which Aaron had held for 33 years. An impromptu emotional statement by Bonds on the field, with Willie Mays at his side, followed.
"I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historic achievement," said Aaron in his video-taped statement, which was played on the scoreboard.
After the game Bacsik said of Bonds, "He's the greatest of all time ... Giving it up to Barry Bonds is nothing to be ashamed of."
Speculation about banned, performance-enhancing drugs have followed Bonds in recent years. But he said to his critics, "This record is not tainted at all -- at all. Period." He also said to reporters, "You guys can say whatever you want."
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MLB: Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's home run record