Monday BP: 19 years ago, Barry Bonds set the single-season record

Hello and happy Monday.

It was on this day, 19 years ago, that Barry Bonds became the single-season home run record-holder. And I’m guessing, despite it being nearly two decades ago, that most of you remember it very well.

It was October 5, 2001, and the San Francisco Giants were playing game number 160. Bonds was sitting on 70 home runs, which tied Mark McGwire’s record, and he had three games left to go and get the record.

Because Bonds finished the year with 73 home runs, it’s easy to forget just how down to the wire the race came. He had just 68 with five games remaining, and it wasn’t clear that he would tie the record, let alone break it. But number 69 came on October 3, and the record-tying dinger came on October 4, which gave him the entire final series to set the record.

He didn’t need it. In his first at-bat of the series (against the Los Angeles Dodgers), Bonds took the second pitch he saw and fittingly took it to the biggest part of the yard.

And he wasn’t done! In his next at-bat, leading off the third inning, he put some distance between himself and McGwire.

If you’re bored today, I recommend watching both, with some spectacular Vin Scully commentary.

Did Barry Bonds hit any other home runs today?

He absolutely did.

October 5, 2002: In Game 3 of the NLDS, against the Atlanta Braves, Bonds hit a solo home run in the 6th inning off of Greg Maddux. It cut the Giants deficit to 6-2, and they would lose 10-2, falling behind the Braves 2-1 in the best-of-five series.

Old, random MCC article for you to read

Giants fall short in Game 3, down 2-1 (Oct. 24, 2014 — Grant Brisbee)

I hope you all have a spectacular Monday.