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Bonds Breaks Rickey Henderson's All-Time Walk Record
San Francisco's Barry Bonds is hit by a pitch in the second inning.
Barry Bonds is advising Rickey Henderson not to try to make a comeback just to regain the walks record.
"If he comes back, he will never catch me," Bonds said with a chuckle.
Bonds became baseball's all-time walks leader, breaking Henderson's major league record when he drew his 2,191st from Chad Bradford in the eighth inning of the San Francisco Giants' 9-6 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.
The six-time NL MVP then strolled to first base and picked up the bag to save as a memento of his latest amazing milestone.
"I don't know how to react to a walks record," Bonds said. "It's just another one. I'd rather hit, but the circumstances it's just what it is. I need a ring with all these other records."
Eric Byrnes hit a pair of three-run homers for a career-high six RBIs, and Mark Mulder won his career-best ninth straight decision for the A's.
On his record-breaking walk, Bonds fell behind 0-2 then drew four straight balls. He received a standing ovation, then went to retrieve the base.
What will he do with it?
"I haven't decided yet -- I just got it today," he said.
Bonds walked on a 3-2 pitch from Mulder leading off the sixth inning to tie Henderson. Bonds was plunked on the right hand in the second inning and threw his bat down in pain and frustration, but stayed in the game. He hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth and struck out to end the game.
"That's incredible," Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda said. "I never thought anybody was going to break it. That's unreal. Barry's a cleanup hitter. Henderson was a leadoff hitter who's supposed to walk. Wow. Unbelievable. Awesome!"
Bonds, the most feared slugger in the game, has been drawing walks at a remarkable rate in recent years as few teams are willing to challenge him. He already has 121 walks in the Giants' first 82 games -- including 63 intentional passes -- and is on pace to shatter his single-season record of 198 set in 2002.
Mulder made it clear he wasn't trying to plunk fellow All-Star Bonds. Bonds was selected by the fans to start for the NL, and Mulder was chosen by players, mangers and coaches for the AL squad.
"I hit Bonds with a 2-1 fastball going in," Mulder said. "Unfortunately I got him on the hand. I'm not trying to hit him there. He's right on the plate and I'm just trying to come inside. With him, guys tend to overthrow things because he's so good."
Byrnes provided the offense for Mulder at this ballpark again.
On June 29 last year, Byrnes hit for the cycle in San Francisco with Mulder on the mound. He is batting .483 (14-for-29) with three homers and nine RBIs at SBC Park.
"I love hitting here. It's comfy," he said.
Octavio Dotel gave up a homer to pinch-hitter J.T. Snow leading off the ninth before getting the final three outs.
Mulder (11-2) got double plays in the first and second innings. He hit Ray Durham in the fifth to load the bases, then allowed Deivi Cruz's RBI single that pulled the Giants to 5-3 before Marquis Grissom grounded into a double play.
San Francisco reliever Tyler Walker was ejected in the sixth for hitting Mulder with a pitch on his right side, causing manager Felipe Alou to charge out and scream for several minutes at the umpires because the benches hadn't been warned.
Then Felix Rodriguez was ejected in the eighth for hitting Byrnes, and Alou was also thrown out for arguing.
"My question is, how many guys on my team have to be hit for the other pitcher to get ejected - three, five, six or eight?" Alou said.
Said home plate umpire Marty Foster: "The two Giants guys got hit and that was deemed unintentional. When they hit Mulder, that was deemed intentional because of the location of it."
Byrnes had his second career multihomer game and second this year. He also did it June 12 against Pittsburgh. Byrnes hit his first homer in the third to stake Mulder to a 4-0 lead. He hit the next one in the sixth, giving him 10 on the year.
The A's added an unearned run in the fourth after a passed ball by Giants catcher Yorvit Torrealba. Scott Hatteberg got things started with his first-inning RBI single.
Jerome Williams (7-6) wasn't sharp and had just one 1-2-3 inning. He was done after 78 pitches. The right-hander was tagged for four earned runs on seven hits in four innings, struck out six and walked one.
The Giants added two runs in the eighth, one on a passed ball by Bradford.
The teams finished their six-game interleague series at 3-3, each taking two of three in the other's ballpark.
Source: AP