No asterisk

Congratulations, Barry.

With his devastating, compact swing, Bonds blasted a fastball from Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals over the fence in right center field in the fifth inning. The eager San Francisco Giants fans, who were already standing and hoping to watch their hero create history at AT & T Park, cheered, hugged and high-fived. Some even wept.

When Bonds reached home, Nikolai, his 17-year old son and a Giants’ bat boy, was there to greet him. Nikolai held up one finger to his father, a sign that Bonds was No. 1. Bonds stopped at the plate, and raised his arms high again, then pointed to the sky, a tribute to his late father, Bobby.

In a post-game news conference later, Bonds, who has been suspected of using steroids, offered a sharp response to doubts about his record.

“This record is not tainted at all, at all,” Bonds said. “Period. You guys can say whatever you want.”

We were up all night listening to the dog pace and pant (and pee, as we would later learn) as thunderstorms swirled around the region. Shoulda gotten up and turned on the damned Teevee.

And good for Mr. Aaron.

“I move over and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historical achievement,” Aaron said. “My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their own dreams.”