Baseball: Bonds soars into the record books

HOUSTON - San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds slugged his 70th home run of the year yesterday, tying the Major League single-season record set three years ago.

Bonds' 454ft (140m) smack into the upper deck of right-centre field against the Houston Astros tied the record set by St Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire in 1998.

He fired the homer off a fast ball from rookie pitcher Wilfredo Rodriguez, who was in his second Major League appearance.

The record-tying home run came in the ninth inning at Houston's hitter-friendly Enron Field, putting the Giants ahead for a final score of 10-2.

As soon as he hit the ball, Bonds raised both his hands and pointed toward the ball as the crowd chanted "Barry, Barry!"

The fans gave him two standing ovations when he stepped on to the field for an encore.

It was a sharp contrast to the boos they dealt out when the Astros continually walked him in their previous three games.

Bonds now has a three-game home programme against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he can surpass McGwire's record.

McGwire's 70-homer season broke Roger Maris' record of 61, which had stood since 1961. In turn, Maris had eclipsed Babe Ruth's record which had stood for 34 years.

"I have a lot of respect for Mark McGwire, and for me it's an honour to share this with him. He put the home run record where it is and I will always respect that," Bonds said after the game.

"I just felt proud to be on the same level with Mark."

The homer also moved Bonds, 37, to sixth on the career list with 564, surpassing the 563 held by Reggie Jackson.

Bonds said he could not express his feelings when his fellow Giants came out to congratulate him, but he joked about his reputation as a sometimes difficult and aloof team-mate.

"I think some of them took some cheap shots at my ribs. There was some long years of frustration and they kind of got it out on me," he said, laughing.

More important for Bonds than the run was a chance to get into the playoffs. The Giants are now two games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL West title.

"I want three more victories. I want the playoffs again," he said.

Asked what he would say to the fan who caught the ball and who for his own safety was escorted from the stands by the police, Bonds laughed and said: "Congratulations."

Television reports identified the man as Charles Murphy, of Houston.

Hundreds of fans brought baseball gloves to the game in hopes of catching a Bonds' homer, no doubt mindful that McGwire's record-setter fetched $US3.05 million ($7.57 million) on the open market.

Enron Field's crowds set three consecutive attendance records during the Giants-Astros series, culminating with a crowd of 43,734.

Bonds also burnished his record for most walks in a season as the Astros pitched him three - including two intentional - to bring his tally to 175.

He surpassed Babe Ruth's 78-year-old mark of 170 on Thursday.

- REUTERS

Home run records

1876 George Hall, Philadelphia Athletics, 5.

1879 Charley Jones, Boston Red Caps, 9.

1883 Harry Stovey, Philadelphia Athletics, 14.

1884 Ned Williamson, Chicago White Stockings, 27.

1919 Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox, 29.

1920 Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, 54.

1921 Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, 59.

1927 Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, 60.

1961 Roger Maris, New York Yankees, 61.

1998 Mark McGwire, St Louis Cardinals, 70.

2001 Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants, 70.

Bonds has three games left in which to pass McGwire.