Homer rocks San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO – Mike Boehle was walking down Third Street near the Giants ballpark Saturday when he spotted Barry Bonds standing at home plate on a bar’s television screen.

The 34-year-old Giants fan plopped himself down at the bar to watch, and then the slugger made history. Bonds hit his 755th home run in San Diego, tying Henry Aaron’s long-standing record.

“It was awesome,” Boehle said.

Boehle and fans around San Francisco’s waterfront ballpark celebrated the slugger’s historic achievement, and hoped that Bonds would break the record when the Giants return home Monday.

A few blocks away from Boehle, at the 21st Amendment Brewery, the crowded pub turned up its televisions when Bonds took the plate.

“I stopped pouring for a moment and we all watched together,” said bartender Brian Clark, 31.

After the milestone homer, the place erupted in cheers, he said.

“Guys came out from the kitchen and high-fived,” he said. “People got up from the restaurant and came over.”

“It was very cool,” said Rick Marshall, 45, who was sitting at the bar near Clark. “But I’m disappointed because I’ve been to 15 games and he didn’t hit it out then.”

The sidewalk outside the Giants waterfront ballpark was quiet, but inside the park’s Acme Chop House restaurant, a quiet dinner was interrupted by cheering when Bonds homered.