Baseball Guru
08-16-2001, 06:00 PM
By Associated Press
August 16, 2001
SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds tied Willie Mays' franchise record for home runs in a season by hitting his major league-leading 52nd on Thursday.
Bonds, who has been on the fastest homer pace in baseball history for most of the season, tied the Giants' single-season homer record with a drive to right against Florida right-hander A.J. Burnett.
The hit barely reached the top of the elevated fence that separates the park from McCovey Cove. The crowd at Pacific Bell Park gave Bonds a standing ovation as he rounded the bases, and another ovation when he took the field in the fifth inning.
Mays, Bonds' godfather, hit 52 homers for the Giants in 1965. Bonds' homer also broke the NL record for homers by a left-handed hitter; Johnny Mize hit 51 homers for the New York Giants in 1947.
Bonds has hit 52 homers in the Giants' first 121 games. The previous fastest pace was set by the Cubs' Sammy Sosa, who accomplished the feat in 125 games in 1999.
The homer was the 546th of Bonds' career. He trails Mike Schmidt by two homers for eighth place on baseball's career list.
August 16, 2001
SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds tied Willie Mays' franchise record for home runs in a season by hitting his major league-leading 52nd on Thursday.
Bonds, who has been on the fastest homer pace in baseball history for most of the season, tied the Giants' single-season homer record with a drive to right against Florida right-hander A.J. Burnett.
The hit barely reached the top of the elevated fence that separates the park from McCovey Cove. The crowd at Pacific Bell Park gave Bonds a standing ovation as he rounded the bases, and another ovation when he took the field in the fifth inning.
Mays, Bonds' godfather, hit 52 homers for the Giants in 1965. Bonds' homer also broke the NL record for homers by a left-handed hitter; Johnny Mize hit 51 homers for the New York Giants in 1947.
Bonds has hit 52 homers in the Giants' first 121 games. The previous fastest pace was set by the Cubs' Sammy Sosa, who accomplished the feat in 125 games in 1999.
The homer was the 546th of Bonds' career. He trails Mike Schmidt by two homers for eighth place on baseball's career list.