Bonds contemplates life, goals after 600

SAN FRANCISCO -- The morning after Barry Bonds joined one of baseball's most exclusive home run clubs, he wandered through the San Francisco Giants' clubhouse carrying a large wicker basket.

"You guys want some pot stickers?" Bonds asked, lifting the lid to reveal an incredible number of the Chinese appetizer.

There were a variety of responses at Pacific Bell Park to Bonds' 600th homer, which put him in the company of Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays as the only major leaguers to reach the mark.

Bonds, his wife and his father all felt relief. Jay Arsenault, the man who got a bloody face while catching the ball, saw dollar signs.

The Giants front office responded with pot stickers, a meat-filled delicacies. The others simply appreciated it, blanketing Bonds with cheers on Friday night and on Saturday, when Bonds stayed in the Giants' lineup to contribute to their playoff chase despite a torn hamstring that prevents him from sprinting.

"We all need to play," Bonds said. "We're down to the part of the season where it's gut-wrenching time. ... I don't worry about the history right now."

The atmosphere from Bonds' latest magical night hadn't evaporated on Saturday. The emblem honoring his achievement on the left-field wall will be a constant reminder of Bonds' 421-foot solo homer in the sixth inning against Pittsburgh right-hander Kip Wells, who got the win in Pittsburgh's 4-3 victory.

Bonds rounded the bases against a backdrop of roars and fireworks. His father, Bobby Bonds, probably breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't need to travel to Atlanta next week to continue the chase.

As Bonds walked through the tunnels underneath Pac Bell after the game, he signed several autographs with one arm while holding his daughter in the other. Two female fans walked away speechless, while others screamed at the sight of Bonds.

"I see myself in 50 years talking about this -- talking about Barry, and what I saw," said Shawon Dunston, Bonds' teammate and friend. "I'm glad he did it. He was starting to press a bit in each at-bat.

"People just don't appreciate him. You need to appreciate him. This is old-time baseball. This is Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson, Joe DiMaggio. He deserves to be honored like them."

The quick reaction

Nevertheless, Bonds hadn't even hugged his daughter when the questions began: Just how far can Bonds climb on baseball's career homers list?

Bonds, who turned 38 late last month, says he won't play beyond his current contract -- a four-year deal he signed prior to the season. But his balky hamstring notwithstanding, Bonds is still in phenomenal physical condition, and there's no reason to think he can't continue at something close to his amazing homer pace over the past two seasons -- particularly after an offseason of rest.

"Every year it gets harder," Bonds said. "It's tougher on me."

At this point in his career, Bonds has seen so many pitchers and so many pitches that he doesn't need to consult scouting reports. He simply looks for pitches to drive -- and with reflexes that only a few men in history have matched, he does it over and over again.

"I have a zone, and if you hit it, I'll hit it," he said simply. "I was born to hit a baseball."