by Edgar Martínez
Homage to Barry Bonds Barry Bonds receives the Key to the City from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at Justin Herman Plaza. (photo by Marvin J. Ramirez)
In the middle of a day of a radiant summer sun in the Justin Herman Plaza, the greatest home runner of history, Barry Bonds, was honored majestically and delivered the Keys to the City of San Francisco by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom before almost a thousand people.
Newsom, praised and stood out the 15 years of Bonds with the San Francisco Giants and his prowess breaking the record with 755 home runs that Hank Aaron held for 33 years.
Holding with much effort, Larry Bear, the vice-president of the Giants, delivered him – without giving it to him, since it weight very much – the home plate that Bonds trod when he batted his home run 756 last August 7 at the AT&T Park of San Francisco.
Bonds, considered by some a hero and for others a “a suspect” of reaching glory using prohibited substances – although nothing has been proved yet – and being in the middle of an investigation that still does not end – walked amid applauses to the podium to thank for the homage.
A child Bonds fun wears a Bonds shirt and gets a shot with his camera at Justin Herman Plaza. (photo by Marvin J. Ramirez)
“Fifteen years my friend, 15 years in this beautiful city, ” he said to the Giants team owner, Peter Magowan.
It was the way of Bonds of reminding him the passed time since he blessed him with a multimillionaire contract criticized by the press at the time, but with support from his deceased father Bobby Bonds and his godfather Willie Mays, two ex-giants of weight.
>Bonds, who remains divorced from the press, was per moments between sarcastic and haughty, especially when, after receiving the key, said to have had the keys all the time.
His teammates, Omar Vizquel and the New York-Rican Rich Aurilia gave the best support to their partner and friend with a good applauded speech.
The two baseball players backed him up qualifying him as an excellent partner, a simple person as there is no other one so tenderly that he loves cartoons on TV.
Among the present personalities were the ex mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown, the legends of the Hall of Fame Willie Mays and Willie Macovey, and ex-pitcher and now commentator of radio KNBR for The Giants, Mike Krukow.
