OAKLAND, Calif. - The boos reached a crescendo when Barry Bonds’ name was announced to the Coliseum crowd in the top of the second inning on Saturday.

Moments later, after Barry Bonds drove a 1-1 pitch from A’s starter Brad Halsey into the right-field bleachers for his 714^th career home run, tying him with Babe Ruth for second on the career list, something strange but not totally unexpected happened.

As Bonds rounded second base and stadium security began to line the field boos turned into cheers. By the time Bonds hugged his teenaged son Nickolai after touching home plate and pointed to his wife and two daughters the stands, A’s fans and a sprinkling of orange-and-black Giants faithful were on their feet, applauding.

Now here was the most surreal moment of what has been an increasingly surreal home run chase. Bonds is the most hated player on their most hated rival but A’s fans were on their feet during a lengthy ovation acknowledging the significance of a feat, however tainted by steroid allegations, that has been accomplished only twice before in major-league baseball history.

They were applauding Bonds, the controversial slugger who allegedly used a wide array of performance-enhancing drugs to fuel his late-career power surge. They were applauding Ruth, the icon of icons, whose legend continues to hover over the game.

Maybe they were also applauding the significance of the number itself. 714 deserves to take one last bow. For nearly four decades the number was by far the biggest footprint left by the most significant figure the game had ever seen.

For generations, 714 was the most daunting of all baseball records.

BARRY BONDS HIS NO. 714 Bonds hits 714th home run, ties Ruth |   Video Hayes: 714 assures Bonds’ immortality Commentary: Fans cheer moment, not man Robinson's blog: A subdued No. 714 Halsey finds humor in allowing 714 | Reactions Close up: Multimedia look at Giants star   Slide show: Fans having fun needling Bonds Compare 700 club | Vote |   Discuss | Stats

“This is a great accomplishment because of Babe Ruth and what he brought to baseball and his legacy in the game of baseball,” Bonds said.

Bonds hit No. 714 on a 1-1 offering from A’s starting pitcher Brad Halsey in the second inning of what would become a 4-2, 10-inning Giants victory.

Ruth hit No. 714 in Pittsburgh, where Bonds career began. He was increasingly aware that playing one more season with the Boston Braves had not been a good idea. He was a defensive liability and was often booed after another mighty swing and miss.

He wanted to quit but was convinced to continue through the next road trip because so many fans had bought advance tickets because they wanted to see him.

NBC VIDEO I got you, Babe Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list with No. 714 on Saturday. Now he turns his attention to Hank Aaron and 755. NBC News

He homered in his first at-bat and when he came up again in the third the reliever was reliever Guy Bush, his old nemesis who had taunted him from the top steps of the dugout before Ruth supposedly “called his shot” against the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. Bush plunked him in the arm later in the series.

Ruth hit another two-run homer and added a RBI single before strolling to the batters’ box to face his old rival for a third time in the seventh.

The 714^th and final home run of his storied career cleared the roof at Forbes Field, the first time that had ever happened, and was later estimated to have traveled 600 feet.

Slide show   Needling Bonds Fans enjoy poking fun at Giants slugger and his alleged steroid use.

“I never saw a ball hit so hard before or since," Bush said years later. “He was fat and old, but he still had that great swing. Even when he missed, you could hear his bat go swish. I can't remember anything about the first home run he hit off me that day. I guess it was just another homer. But I can't forget the last one. It's probably still going.”

It took Bonds 10 games to hit No. 714. Aaron had to wait six months.

He was stuck on 713 when the 1973 season ended and instead of spending the offseason worried about his upcoming marriage or headlines about the Watergate scandal he thought about the Cincinnati Reds’ Jack Billingham, the Opening Day pitcher.

Aaron, like Bonds, wanted to get it over with. Hordes of media were following the chase, inconveniencing his teammates and ratcheting up the pressure.

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