Finally, Bonds is king

Slugger sets, extends HR record

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds wasted no time adding to his home run record, this time with a two-run shot into the water for No. 757.

It helped Bruce Bochy to his 1,000th managerial victory, too.

Bonds hit a towering homer into McCovey Cove in the first inning of the San Francisco Giants' 5-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, one night after he broke Hank Aaron's 33-year-old record with his 756th.

Bonds sent a 1-1 pitch from Tim Redding clocked at 94 mph into the bay beyond the right-field fence.

Bonds hit his 23rd homer of the season, then tipped his cap when he came out in the top of the second to play left field. He left the game after the sixth inning, finishing 1-for-2.

From the White House, to international home run king Sadaharu Oh in Japan, to his first major league manager, Jim Leyland, and onto Alex Rodriguez, the congratulations poured in Wednesday for the San Francisco star, who realized in recent weeks just how difficult it is to clear the fences when that's all you're trying to do.

"Now, the hard part's over, and we get to actually go back to our everyday routines and enjoy ourselves," Bonds said.

Bonds quickly took a glimpse toward the future Wednesday: Yes, he does believe A-Rod one day will unseat him as home run king. The New York Yankees' third baseman reached 500 at age 32 and is far ahead of Bonds' pace.

"I'm not trying to set any bars. Alex will break my record," Bonds said, standing at his locker with a much smaller swarm of reporters than he has faced in recent weeks. "He's young enough to catch anybody. Like I said, I'm rooting for him. He got through one. Each one gets a little bit tougher."

It took Bonds a while to wind down from all the excitement surrounding this feat. His wife, Liz, sported a black T-shirt reading "The King and I" on the front. And Bonds had his two daughters, Shikari and Aisha; son Nikolai; his mother, Pat; and a sister to celebrate the moment.

Not to mention his Hall of Fame godfather, Willie Mays; his agent, two of his trainers; two publicists; and many other friends thrilled to be part of it.

Bonds' received a call from President Bush on Wednesday.

"He said congratulations. He said it was great to have my kids there, my family there," Bonds said of the conversation. "With his father being famous as well, he understood the importance of my father. He said it was an outstanding achievement."

Bonds broke Aaron's storied record with one out in the fifth inning on Tuesday night, hitting a full-count, 84-mph fastball from Washington's Mike Bacsik. The ball traveled 435 feet and landed in the right-center field seats.

The blast gave his hometown fans a reason to cheer and celebrate him and forget -- for one night at least -- the suspicions that steroids fueled his pursuit.

"This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period," Bonds said late Tuesday.

Next? He hopes it's reaching 3,000 hits, and the 43-year-old plans to play in 2008 and beyond, as long as his body allows it.

He has 2,915 hits now.

"I haven't gotten there yet, but I want it," Bonds said of 3,000.

A grand jury is investigating whether Bonds perjured himself when he testified in the BALCO case that he hadn't knowingly taken performance-enhancing drugs.

Someone asked whether the grand jury had come up in his conversation with the president.

"Are you serious? Are you dead serious? It never ends," Bonds said.