Bonds draws a crowd -- and boos, By: Don Benevento
May 6, 2006
With Barry Bonds still needing two home runs to tie and three to surpass the 714 hit by Babe Ruth, the fans came with few expectations of witnessing a piece of baseball history.
Considering Bonds has hit only four home runs all season, not many fans in the crowd at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night thought he would reach the milestone, which is something different from the home run record of 755 hit by Hank Aaron.
Yet they came -- 37,269 strong.
Some were drawn by the lure of seeing a player who many still consider the best of this generation. Some came to root for the suddenly hot Phillies, who won their sixth in a row. And others were out just to enjoy a summer-like night at the ballpark.
They booed when Bonds' name was announced in pregame inductions, and they booed lustily each time he came to bat.
However, there were no overt signs of protest and nothing was thrown on the field.
Bonds didn't stay long in the batter's box, finishing 0-for-3 on the night. In his first at-bat, he swung at Gavin Floyd's first pitch, lofting a lazy fly ball to center field for an easy out.
Then he was intentionally walked. In his next at=bat, he hit into a rare 3-5-4 double play. In his last at-bat in the eighth inning, he struck out on a 3-2 pitch from Aaron Fultz, sending the crowd into euphoria.
When he went to left field, fans greeted him with a chant of "Just retire, Just retire." But there were no further signs of disruption as the game wore on.
In fact, a sampling of fans in right field during Giants batting practice revealed very little personal dislike for Bonds. If he has caused any damage, it has been to his own reputation and to the integrity of the game.
But as Henry Goodelman of Margate pointed out, it's only been recently that those who run the game seem to care.
"They must have known what was going on with some of these guys, but MLB looked at it with a closed eye," he said.
Goodelman said he came to the park with a sign reading, "Got roids, Barry," but that it was taken away from him. However, Goodelman also spoke as though he was a fan.
"I think he's a great player," he said. "I go to the University of Pittsburgh and they're all into him there. I hope he hits 714 and 715 while he's here."
Tim Swann of Deptford also admitted to being a fan.
"I still like him personally," he said. "I grew up watching him as a Pirates fan, and when he moved to San Francisco, I followed him there too.
"I remember him when he was a leadoff hitter, and he was a great player then, too. Did he take steroids? Possibly. But you had other guys taking them, too. I think a lot of people have been unfair to Bonds and I'm going to root for him regardless."
Others felt Bonds has been put under the microscope as well.
"I don't mind him," said Ron Chance of Hammonton.
"I think he has a right to play the game. A lot of fans have been all over him, throwing things and stuff at him. I hope that doesn't happen here. I think fans in Philadelphia already have a bad reputation."
Having said that, however, Chance said he believed that Bonds' records should either be expunged from the books or be published with an asterisk.
Meanwhile, Nathan Witner, a resident of Sicklerville, seemed more annoyed with Bonds for a story he'd heard about him taking up three lockers with a lounge chair in the middle.
"He took steroids, and that's bad for the game," Witner said. "I know he's a superstar, but he's still a human being. When you hear stories like that, you know he's a crappy guy."
