By Carol-Ann Rudy

Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds has the dubious distinction of being the first Major League Baseball player to be indicted in the steroid-use scandal. Bonds—Baseball’s Home Run King as of Aug. 8—was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice on Thursday, while still protesting his innocence. He is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Dec. 7.

Bonds Breaks Hank's Long Standing Home Run Record

By Carol-Ann Rudy
TicketNews.com

The career home run record now belongs to Barry Bonds. On Tuesday night, he hit a fastball thrown by Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning of the game played in the AT&T Park. The ball soared into the center field bleachers, his twenty-second home run of the year, just left of the 421-foot marker.

It seems Bonds knew right away that he’d done it, throwing his arms into the air and running the bases to cheers and even tears from the crowd. Fireworks exploded and streamers fell. He hugged family and teammates. The tumultuous celebration brought the game to a standstill for twenty-two minutes. The Nationals, however, ended up rallying to win the game 8-6.

A personal message from Henry Aaron, recorded about a month ago, was played on the scoreboard congratulating Bonds on his accomplishment. “I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historic achievement.” He said that he’d been privileged to hold the record for thirty-three years and it had been his hope, then and now, that it would inspire other players to “chase their own dreams.” . . .

By Carol-Ann Rudy
TicketNews.com

What’s not to like?

He’s been voted to be a starter in the NL All-Star game in his hometown at AT&T Park, endorsed by no less than two of baseball’s most respected greats: Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn.

He broke the 750 career home run mark, his 16th of the season, in a home game on Friday night, June 29 against the Arizona Diamondbacks pitched by Livan Hernandez, although the Giants lost the game. . .

By Carol-Ann Rudy
TicketNews.com

Bonds Breaks Out of His Slump! To the fans’ cheers of “Barry! Barry!” and the flashing of “746” on the scoreboard, Bonds rounded the bases and completed his 746th career home run. That was the scene this past Sunday, May 27th. It puts him a mere nine HRs away to tie Henry Aaron’s record. Even Bonds’ son, Nikolai, got into the act. He’s a bat-boy and gave his dad a big hug after he crossed the plate.

It happened in the sixth inning. Bonds hit a 2-1 fastball from Taylor Buchholz of the Colorado Rockies team for his 12th home run this season, breaking a 15-game slump. He last hit a homer on May 8th from the Mets’ Tom Glavine. It changes the odds slightly as well; TicketNews now predicts he’ll break the tie on July 17th, 2007, based on current performance. . .