Milestone home runs by Barry Bonds

Milestone home runs by Barry Bonds have been those important home runs hit by Barry Bonds, who ranks among the greatest baseball players of all time and has for much of his career been considered a five-tool player. [] [cite web|url=http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/article/2007-8-7-bn-bonds-756|title=Breaking News: Barry Bonds hits 756 to break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record|author=McCauley, Janie|accessdate=2007-11-03|date=2007-08-07|work=Palo Alto Daily News] 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 perephernalia for display. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2968901|title=Helmet, other gear from homers 755, 756 on display at Hall|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|accessdate=2007-11-02|date=2007-08-10] In fact, players are even sensitive to the way in which their paraphernalia is displayed. [cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2007-11-01-bonds-hof-boycott_N.htm|title=Bonds: Asterisk would force boycott of Hall of Fame|accessdate=2007-11-02|publisher=USA TODAY|date=2007-11-01|author=Fitzpatrick, Mike] 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, [cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/07/20/SPG92R3OJ91.DTL|accessdate=2007-11-02|title=HAMMER TIME: Bonds homers twice -- just two behind Aaron|publisher=Hearst Communications Inc.|work=San Francisco Chronicle|author=Schulman, Henry|date=2007-07-20] and police escorts are necessary for those who catch such balls.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2965703|title=Queens man in San Francisco for one day catches famous ball|work=ESPN.com|accessdate=2007-09-29|date=2007-08-09|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures]

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.cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06EFD61639F93BA15757C0A960958260|accessdate=2007-11-02|date=1996-04-28 |title= BASEBALL;Bonds Joins 300-300 Club Before Ejection|publisher=The New York Times Company] His 400th home run also received national coverage,cite web|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/33331151.html?dids=33331151:33331151&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=AUG+24%2C+1998&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Bonds+Becomes+1st+400-400+Man&pqatl=google|accessdate=2007-11-02|title=Bonds Becomes 1st 400-400 Man|publisher=The Washington Post Company|date=1998-08-24] and his 400-400 feat was a motivating goal and is widely cited as a testament to his greatness. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2368395|accessdate=2007-11-02|title=For Bonds, great wasn't good enough|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|date=2006-03-16|author=Pearlman, Jeff] [cite web|url=http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/history/sf_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=35|accessdate=2007-11-02|title=Giants Timeline - 1996: Bonds bashes, runs into history|publisher=MLB Advanced Media, L.P.] [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E7DC1339F934A25756C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print|title= BASEBALL;Bonds Loses Rage, but Not the Swing|publisher=The New York Times Company|accessdate=2007-11-02|date=1996-05-17|author=Smith, Claire] 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. [cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/10/08/SP206202.DTL|accessdate=2007-11-02|title=Barry Bonds' Incredible Season|publisher=Hearst Communications Inc.|date=2001-10-08|work=San Francisco Chronicle] cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2001/10/05/bonds_71_ap/|title=Bonds hits 71st, 72nd homers as Giants get eliminated|accessdate=2007-11-02|publisher=CNN/Sports Illustrated|date=2001-10-05] His 554th home run and 60th of the season sold for $5000. [cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/29/BALLHAWKS.TMP&feed=rss.news|title=Ballhawks circle for historic Bonds home run balls|accessdate=2007-11-03|date=2007-07-29|publisher=Hearst Communications Inc.|work=San Francisco Chronicle|author=Bulwa, Demian and Peter Fimrite] 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.cite web|url=http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/mlb_experts/post/Home-run-high?urn=mlb,45174|title=Home run high|accessdate=2007-11-03|date=2007-09-15|publisher=Yahoo! Inc.|author=Passan, Jeff] 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. Bonds' 600th and 700th home runs both were widely followed and reported in the media because they placed him such elite company. [cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2002/08/09/bonds_600_ap/|title=Bonds joins Aaron, Mays, Ruth in 600-homer club|publisher=CNN/Sports Illustrated|accessdate=2007-11-03|date=2002-08-10] [cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/28/national/main645996.shtml|title=Bonds Joins 700 Home Run Club|accessdate=2007-11-03|date=2004-09-18|publisher=CBS Interactive Inc.] Bonds' 756th home run sold for $752,467 (including a 20% commission). Below is a list of Barry Bonds' milestone home runs. [cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/event_hr.cgi?n1=bondsba01&type=b|accessdate=2007-11-01|publisher=Sports Reference, Inc.|title= Barry Bonds Home Run Log (Batting)|date=2007-10-28|work=baseball-reference.com]

Milestone home runs

Career home run leaders

Through the end of the 2007 Major League Baseball season the following are the career home run leaders: [cite web|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/HR_career.shtml|title=Career Leaders & Records for Home Runs|publisher=Sports Reference, Inc.|accessdate=2007-11-03|date=2007-10-28|work=Baseball-Reference.com]

External links

* List of Barry Bonds 73 Home Runs
* Progression of the single-season MLB home run record

Notes