List of milestone home runs by Barry Bonds

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An AT&T Park sign depicting the anticipation of #714

Barry Bonds hit numerous milestone home runs during his 22 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. Bonds ranks among the greatest baseball players of all time and was for much of his career considered a five-tool player.[1][2] Bonds' ascension towards the top of experts' lists of greatest players was propelled by highly productive years in which he set many records. By 1998, he was considered among the 50 greatest players of all time by The Sporting News,[3] and after winning the National League's Most Valuable Player Award four consecutive times from 2001–2004, he jumped into the top 10 in the 2005 list.[4] He now holds numerous Major League Baseball records for home runs, bases on balls, intentional bases on balls, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, as well as a record seven MVP awards.[5]

In baseball, the home run is one of the most popular aspects of the game. Thus, the career record for home runs is among the most important and respected records in baseball. The road to this record has been closely followed and each additional home run Bonds hits extends the current record further. On August 7, 2007, Barry Bonds became the major leagues' career home run champion by hitting his 756th career home run, which surpassed Hank Aaron's total.[6]

Quite often milestone home runs such as round hundred and career records are considered breaking news,[7][8] and sports news services give coverage to countdowns on impending milestone home runs. Several of Bonds' milestone home runs were given dedicated coverage on ESPN BottomLine, with Chasing Ruth and Chasing Aaron coverage being quite extensive for the few seasons preceding the breaking of the record. Sports collectible dealers and buyers pay exorbitant sums for paraphernalia associated with such milestones. The Baseball Hall of Fame covets such paraphernalia for display.[9] In fact, players are even sensitive to the way in which their paraphernalia is displayed.[10] A baseball that was hit for a milestone causes such a mêlée and such hysteria that special balls have to be used to stop counterfeiting,[11] and police escorts are necessary for those who catch such balls.[12]

Because of Bonds' versatility even some of his early milestones were quite significant. Barry Bonds' milestone home runs have received extensive coverage since his 300th made him the fourth member of the 300–300 club which also included his godfather Willie Mays and father Bobby Bonds.[13] His 400th home run also received national coverage,[14] and his 400–400 feat was a motivating goal and is widely cited as a testament to his greatness.[15][16][17] His 500th home run was part of a memorable 2001 Major League Baseball season of milestones in which he hit a record 73 home runs in a single season and surpassed many baseball legends.[18][19] His 554th home run and 60th of the season sold for US$5000.[20] His 567th and 73rd of the season sold for $500,000, which was far less than the $3 million for which Mark McGwire's 70th had been sold three years earlier.[21] Bonds' 660th home run was more celebrated than his 661st because it put him in the same company as his own godfather on the all-time list.[22] Bonds' 600th and 700th home runs both were widely followed and reported in the media because they placed him such elite company.[23][24] Bonds' 756th home run sold for $752,467 (including a 20% commission).[21] Below is a list of Barry Bonds' milestone home runs.[25]

Milestone home runs[edit]

HR Date Age Team Pitcher Opponent Park Score Situation Runners Notes
1[26] June 4, 1986 21 y, 315 d Pittsburgh Craig McMurtry Atlanta Fulton County Stadium 10–2 T5 2out ---  
100[27] July 12, 1990 25 y, 353 d Pittsburgh Andy Benes San Diego Three Rivers Stadium 0–0 B1 2out 2–0 12-  
200[28] July 8, 1993 28 y, 349 d San Francisco José DeLeón Philadelphia Veterans Stadium 11–1 T7 0out 0–0 ---  
300[29] April 27, 1996 31 y, 278 d San Francisco John Burkett Florida Candlestick Park 2–0 B3 0out 0–0 −2- Becomes the fourth member of the 300–300 club.[13]
400[30] August 23, 1998 34 y, 30 d San Francisco Kirt Ojala Florida Pro Player Stadium 3–0 T3 1out 1–1 --- Becomes the first member of the 400–400 club.[14]
500[31] April 17, 2001 36 y, 267 d San Francisco Terry Adams L.A. Dodgers Pacific Bell Park 1–2 B8 0out 2–0 --3 Becomes the seventeenth member of the 500 home run club.[19]
554[32] September 6, 2001 37 y, 44 d San Francisco Albie Lopez Arizona Pacific Bell Park 4–2 B2 2out 2–2 --- Ties Babe Ruth as the fifth member of the 60 home run club.[33][34]
564[35] October 4, 2001 37 y, 72 d San Francisco Wilfredo Rodriguez Houston Minute Maid Park 9–2 T9 0out 1–1 --- Ties Mark McGwire for first place in single season home runs and as 2nd member of the 70 home run club.[36]
565[37] October 5, 2001 37 y, 73 d San Francisco Chan Ho Park L.A. Dodgers Pacific Bell Park 0–5 B1 2out 1–0 --- Surpasses McGwire for first place in single season home runs with 71.[38]
567[39] October 7, 2001 37 y, 75 d San Francisco Dennis Springer L.A. Dodgers Pacific Bell Park 0–0 B1 2out 3–2 --- Sets new single season record with 73 home runs. Ownership of ball was disputed in Popov v. Hayashi.[40][41]
600[42] August 9, 2002 38 y, 16 d San Francisco Kip Wells Pittsburgh Pacific Bell Park 2–4 B6 2out 2–1 --- Becomes the fourth member of the 600 home run club.[43]
660[44] April 12, 2004 39 y, 263 d San Francisco Matt Kinney Milwaukee SBC Park 2–4 B5 2out 3–1 12- Ties Willie Mays for third place in career home runs.[45]
661[46] April 13, 2004 39 y, 264 d San Francisco Ben Ford Milwaukee SBC Park 3–1 B7 2out 1–2 --- Surpasses Mays for third place in career home runs.[22]
700[47] September 17, 2004 40 y, 55 d San Francisco Jake Peavy San Diego SBC Park 3–0 B3 0out 0–1 --- Becomes the third member of the 700 home run club.[48]
714[49] May 20, 2006 41 y, 300 d San Francisco Brad Halsey Oakland McAfee Coliseum 0–1 T2 0out 1–1 --- Ties Ruth for second place in career home runs.[50]
715[51] May 28, 2006 41 y, 308 d San Francisco Byung-hyun Kim Colorado AT&T Park 0–6 B4 0out 3–2 1-- Surpasses Ruth for second place in career home runs. Also becomes all-time home run leader among left-handed batters.[52]
733[53] September 22, 2006 42 y, 60 d San Francisco Chris Spurling Milwaukee Miller Park 8–10 T6 1out 2–0 12- Ties Hank Aaron for first place in NL career home runs.[54]
734[55] September 23, 2006 42 y, 61 d San Francisco Chris Capuano Milwaukee Miller Park 1–6 T3 1out 1–0 --- Surpasses Aaron for first place in NL career home runs.[56]
755[57] August 4, 2007 43 y, 11 d San Francisco Clay Hensley San Diego Petco Park 0–1 T2 0out 2–1 --- Ties Aaron for first place in career home runs.[58]
756[59] August 7, 2007 43 y, 14 d San Francisco Mike Bacsik Washington AT&T Park 4–4 B5 1out 3–2 --- Surpasses Aaron for first place in career home runs.[60]
762[61] September 5, 2007 43 y, 43 d San Francisco Ubaldo Jiménez Colorado Coors Field 0–0 T1 2out 1–2 -2- Final career home run.[62]

Career home run leaders[edit]

Through the 2021 Major League Baseball season the following are the career home run leaders:[63]

All-time
  1. Barry Bonds 762
  2. Hank Aaron 755
  3. Babe Ruth 714
  4. Albert Pujols 701
  5. Alex Rodriguez 696
  6. Willie Mays 660
Active
4. Albert Pujols 701
28. Miguel Cabrera 502
42. Nelson Cruz 448
53. Edwin Encarnación 424
100. Giancarlo Stanton 343

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

[1]

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  2. ^ Acee, Kevin (June 2001). "Majors' Five-Tool Players Who Are They? – skills of baseball players". Baseball Digest. FindArticles. Archived from the original on November 15, 2007.
  3. ^ "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players by The Sporting News (1998)". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
  4. ^ Smith, Rod, Baseball's 100 Greatest Players: Second Edition, Sporting News, ISBN 0-89204-800-X, 2005.
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  6. ^ "Bonds turns page to new era with home run No. 756". ESPN. August 7, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2007.
  7. ^ McLarty, Butch (August 8, 2007). "Giants' Slugger Barry Bonds smacks Home Run Number 756 to break Hank Aaron's record". altlondon.org. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
  8. ^ Curry, Jack (August 8, 2007). "Bonds Hits No. 756 to Break Aaron's Record". The New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
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  11. ^ Schulman, Henry (July 20, 2007). "HAMMER TIME: Bonds homers twice – just two behind Aaron". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
  12. ^ "Queens man in San Francisco for one day catches famous ball". ESPN. August 9, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
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  14. ^ a b "Bonds Becomes 1st 400–400 Man". The Washington Post. August 24, 1998. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
  15. ^ Pearlman, Jeff (March 16, 2006). "For Bonds, great wasn't good enough". ESPN. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
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  20. ^ Bulwa, Demian and Peter Fimrite (July 29, 2007). "Ballhawks circle for historic Bonds home run balls". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
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  27. ^ "Jul 12, 1990, Padres at Pirates Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. July 12, 1990. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
  28. ^ "Jul 8, 1993, Giants at Phillies Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. July 8, 1994. Retrieved November 2, 2007.
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  33. ^ Reaves, Jessica (September 7, 2001). "Barry-ing the Hatchet With Mr. Bonds". Time. Archived from the original on September 18, 2005. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
  34. ^ Peterson, Anne M. (September 6, 2001). "Barry Bonds Joins The Babe At 60". thesundevils.cstv.com. Arizona State Baseball. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2007.
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