Ster*id Freak B*nds Hits No. 756*

As America slept, steroid-drenched San Francisco Giants "slugger" B*rry B*nds surpassed Hank Aaron's alltime home run mark by hitting his 756th home run off Washington Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik last night at AT&T Park.

B*nds slugs way past Aaron for home run record

SAN FRANCISCO -- The ball exploded off B*rry B*nds' bat, a small white sphere streaking through the dark San Francisco sky, headed for the right-center field seats and a hallowed place in baseball history.

It was 8:51 Tuesday, a night no one in the sellout crowd of 43,154 at AT&T Park would ever forget, a night to be lived and relived by word of mouth, digital camera and endless reels of highlight tape.

On a 3-and-2 pitch from Washington Nationals left-hander Mike Bacsik, B*nds, in his second game after tying Hank Aaron's career home run mark of 755, belted No. 756.

In this, his 23rd season in the major leagues, his 16th in a Giants uniform, the holder of the single-season home run record with 73 in 2001 and a record seven most-valuable player awards, B*nds added the final jewel to his home run crown.

A towering drive that has become B*nds' trademark, the ball, cheered on by a hysterical home crowd, traveled 435 feet before landing in a pile of straining arms and banging bodies, fans with visions of perhaps half a million dollars fighting for the souvenir of a lifetime.

Victor Conte was unavailable for comment.

Oddly enough, in the scrum for the ball, of all people, a New York Mets fan came up with it.

Queens native catches B*nds' No. 756

SAN FRANCISCO - Once Barry B*nds' 756th home run left the playing field, AT&T Park turned into a shrine for the new home run king, with nary a boo to be heard.

But the fan who caught the most valuable souvenir from this momentous event, hails from . . . Queens?

Mike Murphy, a 22-year-old from Queens, wore a Mets jersey as he prevailed in the battle for B*nds' home run ball.

According to the Giants, Murphy flew into town yesterday, purchased a ticket at the ballpark -- the club didn't know whether Murphy found a ticket from a scalper or acquired a standing-room-only ticket from the team -- and attended the game with a friend. He stopped here in San Francisco on his way to Australia.

Police escort the man who caught Barry B*nds' 756th home run ball.
(Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

In more important baseball news last night, the Yankees won, the Red Sox lost, and the once vaunted 14-game lead is now down to five.

Fear, loathing and panic grips Red Sawx Nation.