SAN FRANCISCO–Ten years ago today, Barry Bonds claimed his crown in baseball history.
On August 7, 2007, Bonds launched home run No. 756 to the deepest part of AT&T Park, etching himself past Hank Aaron as the new home run king. Few hitters, if any, have produced the type of memorable moments over the last decade similar to the ones Bonds offered, even at the end of his career.
Bruce Bochy, who was in his first year of managing for the Giants at the time, reflected on Bonds’ momentous bash before Monday’s game against the Cubs.
“It’s a historic moment that you consider yourself fortunate to be a part of,” Bochy said. “There’s so many great things that happen in this game and milestones that are reached, and that was one of them. We got to be a part of it. It’s something that you always cherish, when you can be part of a player or team’s special moment or milestone. Obviously that was a big one.”
In the bottom of the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals, Bonds sent a 3-2 pitch off Mike Bacsik into the bleachers behind Triples’ Alley for 756, delivering euphoria to a sold out Giants crowd. Bonds stood and watched, arms raised and fists clenched emphatically, as orange fireworks sparked over McCovey Cove. The blast broke a 4-4 deadlock, but the Nationals would go on to win 8-6.
2007 would be Bonds’ final season in baseball, and he finished with 762 home runs.