Barry Bonds makes baseball history.
Barry Bonds tips his hat and acknowledges the fans after hitting his 756th career home run against the Nationals. Bonds has been a controversial and polarizing American icon since hitting 73 home runs in 2001. Accusations of steroid use have dogged the mercurial slugger, who has never wavered in asserting his innocence. Tuesday night in San Francisco he was celebrated as the new keeper of sports' most sacred record.
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The Braves' Hank Aaron eyes the flight of the ball after hitting his 715th home run. Aaron was playing against the Dodgers in Atlanta on April 8, 1974, when he hit the home run that pushed his all-time total past Babe Ruth's and into first place. "My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their own dreams," Aaron said in a video tribute played for Barry Bonds on Tuesday night.
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Barry Bonds circles the bases after hitting his 756th career home run. Waiting at home plate is his son, Nikolai (25).
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Barry Bonds follows through on his 756th career home run, putting him in sole possession of Major League Baseball's all-time home run record. Addressing the crowd during a ceremony shortly after he crossed home plate - with his godfather, Hall of Famer Willie Mays, at his side - Bonds thanked the San Francisco fans, his teammates and his late father, Bobby. "To my dad," he said as he shed tears and his voice broke while he pointed skyward, "thank you for everything."
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Fans cheer in right field above the home run leader board after Giants slugger Barry Bonds hit his milestone 756th career homer. Bonds' blast Monday night came in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
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Matt Murphy of New York, the fan who caught the record-breaking 756th home run hit by Barry Bonds, is escorted by San Francisco police during the fifth inning after he emerged from a wild scrum for the lucrative souvenir. Collectors say the Bonds ball could fetch as much as $500,000 despite the steroids controversy swirling around the Giants slugger.
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