Bonds Borrows Bat, Outslugs Mcgwire

Barry Bonds borrowed a bat to steal the home run derby title back from the American League. The San Francisco star beat Oakland’s Mark McGwire in a Bay Area final, capping a sweltering Monday of All-Star festivities at Philadelphia.

Bonds, using a bat belonging to Houston’s Derek Bell, outhomered McGwire 3-2 in the final to become the first National League player to win the contest since Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs in 1990.

After hitting his third homer, an exhausted Bonds flung his bat to the ground and walked toward the A.L. dugout to hug McGwire, who thrilled the crowd of 62,304 with several monstrous shots into the left-field upper deck of Veterans Stadium.

“The highlight of my career,” Bonds said. “I didn’t think I had a shot.”

The seventh annual home run contest wrapped up the day’s All-Star eve events and workouts by the N.L. and A.L. teams.

With balls flying out of stadiums at record rates this season, the event promised to be a showcase for some of the game’s premier power hitters. However, injuries to defending champion Frank Thomas of Chicago and Boston’s Mo Vaughn diminished the field.

Cleveland’s Albert Belle, who led the majors with 50 home runs last year, declined an invitation to take part.

“I was surprised Frank Thomas and Albert Belle weren’t in it,” Bonds said. “When I heard that, I thought Mark McGwire would just dominate. There’s no way any human being can beat him.”

When McGwire launched nine homers in the second round, including a 460-footer, it looked like the Giants outfielder was right.

However, Bonds, the only N.L. player to make it out of the first round, outhomered McGwire 10-9 in the second round to make the final.

Baltimore’s Brady Anderson and Seattle’s Jay Buhner also made the second round.

Philly seems nonplussed

The City of Brotherly Love was ready for Belle. Following whispers he might skip Monday afternoon’s workouts after missing a Sunday flight, the Cleveland outfielder arrived late at the ballpark. However, he took the field with the other A.L. All-Stars.

Philadelphia fans are notoriously tough on their own players, so it was no surprise they greeted Belle with boos when he took his first cuts in the batting cage.

The local papers took their shots, too.

Both major Philadelphia dailies ran large photos of the Cleveland slugger, with one cover shot proclaiming him “Belle of the Ball,” a headline blaring “Yo, Mr. Tough Guy Belle! Menace This!” An inside article claimed to be “The Official Albert Belle Guide to the City of Brotherly Love.”

Rodriguez acts plussed

Seattle rookie Alex Rodriguez dropped his bags, turned and faced a converging pack of cameras and notebooks.

“Hello,” he offered.

“Welcome to the All-Star game,” a reporter said.

“Wow,” Rodriguez said.

It’s been quite a week for the 20-year-old shortstop. Last week he got home to find a message on his answering machine that gave him two things to celebrate.

“Not only was I an All-Star,” he said. “But I was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as well… . I never dreamed of making an All-Star appearance before I was 25.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ALL-STAR LINEUP The All-Star Game coverage begins at 5 p.m. on NBC. Here are the starters.< American League 1, Kenny Lofton, Cleveland, cf 2, Wade Boggs, New York, 3b 3, Roberto Alomar, Baltimore, 2b 4, Frank Thomas, Chicago, 1b 5, Albert Belle, Cleveland, lf 6, Ivan Rodriguez, Texas, c 7, Cal Ripken, Baltimore, ss 8, Brady Anderson, Baltimore, rf 9, Charles Nagy, Cleveland, p

National League 1, Lance Johnson, New York, cf 2, Barry Larkin, Cincinnati, ss 3, Barry Bonds, San Francisco, lf 4, Fred McGriff, Atlanta, 1b 5, Mike Piazza, Los Angeles, c 6, Dante Bichette, Colorado, rf 7, Chipper Jones, Atlanta, 3b 8, Craig Biggio, Houston, 2b 9, John Smoltz, Atlanta, p