Barry Beats The Babe

No. 715 played out exactly the way Barry Bonds wanted: He hit it at home, in front of the fans who love him.

It just took him a little longer than he hoped it would.

The San Francisco slugger moved past Babe Ruth on the career home run list with a mammoth shot Sunday, and now stands behind just one person.

Hank Aaron owns baseball's most revered record with 755 homers. And so the debate begins: Will Bonds stick around long enough to break it?

"If you keep playing long enough anything is possible," Bonds said, wearing a new 715 shirt and cap. "I'd like to win a World Series and be home run king. I'd like to do both. I would take a World Series first."

Bonds' latest milestone — a mightier homer than No. 714 — was a 445-foot, two-run shot to center before a sellout crowd. The homer came on the last day before the Giants begin a road trip to Florida and New York.

"For the fans of San Francisco, it can't get any better than this — even though I made them wait longer than I have in the past," he said. "Age ain't catching up with me."

But at 41, Bonds has been slowed by health problems. He underwent three operations on his right knee last year, and also has bone chips in his left elbow.

And many believe his rapid ascent up the home run chart was fueled by performance-enhancing drugs — though he was always denied knowingly taking steroids. CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports the asterisk has become the sign of the season — adorning signs for those who believe Bonds' accomplishments came with a steroid assist.

Bonds' teammates toasted him with champagne in the clubhouse after the Giants' 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

"Everybody was waiting for a moment like this," shortstop Omar Vizquel said. "A couple of words were said."

Bonds homered off Byung-Hyun Kim in the fourth inning. The ball glanced off a fan's hands about 15 rows up and then dropped onto an elevated platform beyond the fence.

The souvenir sat there for a few minutes before rolling off the roof and into the hands of 38-year-old San Francisco resident Andrew Morbitzer, who was waiting for a beer and peanuts. He was quickly ushered away by security.

Bonds circled the bases as shiny orange, gold and black streamers fell from the upper deck.

Bonds connected at 2:14 p.m. on a 90 mph fastball with the count full, then immediately raised his arms and clapped his hands before beginning his historic trot. Kim became the 421st pitcher to surrender a homer to Bonds.

"It's a great honor," said Bonds, who watched Aaron hit his 715th home run at age 10. "It's a wonderful honor. Hank Aaron is the home run king and I won't disrespect that ever. ... I have a lot of respect for Babe Ruth and what he's done."