Barry Lamar Bonds, San Francisco Giants

Perspective is very elusive in the heat of the moment.  Nonetheless, uttered whispers assert that today’s baseball fans are watching the game's greatest player.  San Francisco Giant slugger Barry Bonds is building an impressive resume while staking his claim to the title given to greats like Ruth, Mantle, Mays and Aaron.

Bonds ranks in the top ten in eleven categories over his fantastic baseball career, including on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs, total bases, triples, homeruns, and bases on balls.  Writers, opponents and fans are very familiar with Barry Bonds’ great presence at the plate.  They are familiar with San Francisco's boos when the opposing pitcher intentionally walks Bonds for the fourth time.  But Barry Bonds is also an intimidating presence as an outfielder in the leftfield grass and along the baseline running the bags.  He is a all-around baseball player, well-deserving of his record six MVP awards.

Even with all his amazing accolades, the best seems forthcoming.  "Unbreakable" Bonds is the best of his time, the best of all time.

HOUSTON - Barry Bonds has never been closer to his godfather Willie Mays on baseball's career home run list than he is now. Bonds hit his 659th home run Monday night - one behind Mays for third all time - in helping the San Francisco Giants begin the season with a 5-4 comeback victory over the Houston Astros.

Bonds said he feels no pressure as he bears down on his beloved godfather.

"I don't understand the word 'pressure,'" Bonds said. "How can you have pressure when you're doing something you love?"

If Bonds can perform through the pressure of losing his father Bobby last year and dealing with an offseason filled with questions about steroids, catching Mays should be a piece of cake.

Bonds went 3-for-3 with a homer and two doubles against one of the NL's top pitchers in Roy Oswalt. His sixth opening day homer came in the eighth inning with two on and the Giants down 4-1.

Oswalt, chosen over ex-Yankees Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte to start the Astros' first game, stayed in after assuring manager Jimy Williams he was fine.

One low-and-away fastball later, Bonds was trotting and Oswalt was leaving.

"It was just a dumb pitch," Oswalt said. "You can't get beat that late in the game when you're a starter."

In other NL games, it was: Milwaukee 8, St. Louis 6; Chicago 7, Cincinnati 4; Pittsburgh 2, Philadelphia 1; and San Diego 8, Los Angeles 2.

None of the Astros were down on Oswalt after the game. After all, many of them have seen this before from Bonds.

"You're talking about maybe the greatest player of all time," Jeff Bagwell said. "I would say he amazes me, but I've seen this for a long time. I've always said he's the best I've ever seen and he's the last guy you would want to see in that situation."