"I Was There." Those three words keep ringing through my head as I remember watching Barry Bonds become a potential game hero in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Mets.
With balls being smacked around all day the Giants found themselves in a deep hole down 7-4 coming into the bottom of the ninth inning. Omar Vizquel would score on a throwing error and Barry Bonds would come in with two outs and a runner on base (Moises Alou). Bonds would face Mets closer Billy Wagner who's fast balls were hitting 98,97 mph.
On a 2-1 pitch the crushing sound of bat against ball froze us fans as we watched a line drive blast climb as it screamed out toward left-center field. I remember jumping up and down pounding on my buddy Peter's shoulder, willing the ball to clear the wall. It did. Giants 7 Mets 7, and every Giants fan was out of their seat cheering bonds as he rounded the bases and pointed skyward at homeplate. the next batter Lance Niekro wasn't able to duplicate Bonds heroic feat and we found ourselves buckling up for a wild extra inning ride to follow.
The home run was Bonds' first off left-handed pitcher Wagner, making him the 418th pitcher to allow a home run to the slugger in his 21-year career.
Wagner said there was no shame in being added to that list.
The Giants went on to lose this game, 9-7 in eleven innings. But the loss couldn't take away that nostalgic moment when Barry Bonds jacked home run no. 711 into the left-center field bleachers and reminded us yet again why we love the game of baseball.
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