One of the most followed campaigns of any player in MLB history culminated on this day in 2001, when Barry Bonds set a new benchmark for home runs in a season with his 71st long ball.
The San Francisco Giants slugger broke the record at home in Pac Bell Park against the Los Angeles Dodgers and wasted no time as he did it in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning.
Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park didn’t intentionally walk him like so many other teams chose to do, but went after him only to see his second pitch to Bonds deposited 445 feet into the right field bleachers.
The home run broke Mark McGwire’s mark of 70 set just three years earlier in 1998.
More memorable events on this day:
1957: The Britain and Ireland Ryder Cup team beat America at Lindrick to register their first win since 1933.
1975: Niki Lauda won his first Formula One Drivers Championship.
2010: Australia retained the Champions Trophy with a six-wicket win over New Zealand at Centurion.
2013: Wladimir Klitschko beat Alexander Povetkin to retain the WBA heavyweight belt.
