Bonds returns from surgery, nearly hits HR

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds is just a foot or two shy of his old sluggin' self.

In his season debut for San Francisco, Bonds strode to the plate Monday night, tipped his batting helmet to the roaring, flashbulb-popping crowd, worked a 3-2 count and lined a double that fell just shy of clearing the wall in left-center.

It appeared at first that Bonds had homered in his first-at bat since last October, but wait! A fan had reached over the fence and interfered with the ball, collecting it into the stands, and it was ruled a double.

The scoreboard briefly flashed "704" -- which turned out to be premature. Bonds scored moments later on Ray Durham's single to right.

The fan was immediately ejected, consistent with policy for those who interfere with the game.

Playing for the first time following three surgeries this year on his troublesome right knee, Bonds led off the second inning for the Giants, stretching his bat above his head as he walked out of the dugout and acknowledging the fans before digging in against San Diego's Adam Eaton.

Thus began a wild, 11-pitch at-bat in which Eaton, who has given up three of Bonds' 703 career home runs, challenged Bonds with the crowd was on its feet all the way.

The sequence: ball one low and outside, ball two low and outside -- "Boo!" from the crowd. Called strike one, called strike two in tight -- Bonds mouthing the word "Wow" in disbelief at the call. Foul ball into the second deck, another foul behind him into the second-tier seats, two straight towering fouls into the right-field stands, ball low and away, a foul to left.

Then the double.

In the third inning, Bonds hit a shallow fly to center in his second at-bat. He flied out to deep center in the fifth, and center fielder Dave Roberts banged into the wall after making the catch. The Giants were hanging onto a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The 41-year-old Bonds, resuming his quest for Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755, received a warm ovation when he took his spot in left field in the top of the first, tipping his hat to the cheering crowd.

Bonds was accompanied to the field and warmed up by 9-year-old Christopher Laub, a leukemia patient from nearby Tiburon, who wrote to Bonds during the slugger's rehab and encouraged him to "stay strong because I've had to stay strong because I have leukemia." They have been corresponding ever since.

A lengthy tribute and highlight show of the superstar played on the main center-field scoreboard before the first pitch, ending with "Welcome Back, Barry." Bonds is clearly still plenty loved in the Bay Area despite the steroids controversy surrounding him, though everybody expects far worse treatment on the road.

The Giants activated their slugger from the 60-day disabled list earlier in the day after Bonds spent months rehabilitating his knee. He was in the starting lineup in left field and batting cleanup in the opener of a three-game series against the Padres.

When Bonds casually strolled into the dugout for his pregame preparations, the cameras were already clicking at his every move -- even his brief stop at the water cooler.

"Everybody knows what he can do," said San Francisco shortstop Omar Vizquel, anticipating his first game with Bonds after Vizquel spent the past 11 seasons with the Cleveland Indians. "Personally, I'm one of those players who came here to watch him play. Finally, the moment has come. Being on the field with him is going to be exciting."

Bonds has changed his stance about playing this season so many times that nobody could keep track of his true intentions. During spring training, he predicted he might not play again until 2006, though he had been more upbeat recently about a return.

Now that he's healthy, Bonds will give it a go for the season's final three weeks, determined to gain ground in his quest for Aaron's record -- and help the struggling Giants to a respectable finish.

This was Bonds' first time facing major league pitching in almost a year. He has 80 homers against San Diego, his most against any club.

"We're going to approach him like he's been playing all year," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "Watching batting practice, it looked to me like he was ready. ... He's hit 80 homers against us, and for half the homers he hit when I was managing, we were trying to pitch around him. He just doesn't miss."

Bonds is third on the career list with 703 home runs, trailing only Babe Ruth (714) and Aaron (755). Bonds' last homer came against the Dodgers last Sept. 26, a solo shot off Jeff Weaver -- one of seven homers Bonds hit last September.

Carlton Fisk's 53 homers are the most any player has hit after turning 41, and that is exactly the number Bonds needs to break Aaron's record.

Rubber chickens returned to the ballpark souvenir stands for the first time this season -- for fans to wave if and when Bonds is walked. A few boats were in McCovey Cove beyond right field, with fans aboard hoping to catch a home run.

Many doubt the seven-time NL MVP has enough time to make a difference in the team's slim playoff chances, considering the Giants began the day seven games back in the division race with 20 remaining.

But his presence has certainly boosted optimism among at least some of his teammates.

"I've been around some really great players," Vizquel said. "A player like Barry brings a lot to a team -- emotional energy, positive thinking."

Bonds' timing in the batter's box has never been a concern for manager Felipe Alou, though the skipper expected Bonds to be a half-step or so slow in left field at first. Alou is leaving it up to Bonds -- as has always been the case -- to decide whether he plays in day games following night games.

Alou figures Bonds will play enough the rest of the way to get close to 80 at-bats, but that number could be cut in half if he is walked at the rate he has been in past seasons. Bonds batted .362 last season with 45 homers and 101 RBIs and walked a major league-record 232 times on the way to his record seventh MVP award.

"He does not have to hit home runs," Alou said. "It is the fact that he will be in the lineup. Not only will the people attending the game be watching but people all over the world will be watching."