The man who gave up Bonds' first HR

Former Braves pitcher Craig McMurtry understands his place in history

Jim Baumbach

12:46 PM EDT, May 30, 2007

Nearly 21 years have passed since Barry Bonds hit the first of his 746 career home runs (and counting), and the pitcher who gave up that historic shot understandably doesn't remember it.

But former Braves righthander Craig McMurtry sure has heard all about it.

He gets autograph requests mailed to his home located in a small, quiet Texas town, an occasional call from a reporter and every so often ESPN airs the video of the Bonds homer from June 4, 1986.

While he doesn't exactly embrace his place in baseball history -- "I wouldn't describe it as good" -- he has no problem accepting it. He talks openly about it when asked by a friend or a total stranger, and he understands he'll be hearing his name a lot more as Bonds nears Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755.

Jim Baumbach Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

"I'm not upset I gave up his first home run," McMurtry said from his home earlier this morning. "Somebody had to give it up. It just so happened to be me. I don't know if it's a big deal. I gave up the first one. But I didn't look up and say, 'That guy's probably going to hit 800 home runs before he's through.' It's just a part of it."

McMurtry knows he is destined to become the answer to a trivia question. He already catches his share of ribbing about it from the junior college players he coaches at nearby Temple, which he's fine with.

His players actually were the ones who told him of his connection to Bonds. He doesn't remember the exact year, recalling only that it was a couple of years ago around the time when Bonds, suddenly was amassing home runs at a record rate, was nearing a milestone. Maybe it was 600 career home runs, McMurtry thinks.

"Some of my players saw it on ESPN, showing me giving up the home run, and they came in and told me," McMurtry said. "I've seen the clip. Looked like a fastball down and away. Obviously it wasn't down and away enough. It was opposite field, out to left-centerfield in Atlanta. I was used to seeing balls go out of the park when I was pitching there in Atlanta."

He's not the only former Braves pitcher from the Fulton County Stadium days who feels that way, though of course none of them gave up what the first career home run to a player who threatens Aaron's record -- not to mention also becomes baseball's most universally despised superstar.

"I've never met him, never got the chance to talk to him," he said. "He never sent me a thank you card for giving up his first home run. Never signed an autograph or anything like that."

As for the specter of steroids that'll always hover over Bonds' home runs, McMurtry said, "I don't have any opinions that I care to share with anybody. That's a whole another can of worms. Somebody else is going to have to figure it out."

A first-round, fourth-overall pick by the Braves in 1980, McMurtry came on strong in his rookie season in 1983, going 15-9 with a 3.08 ERA in 224 2/3 innings. But he never came close to matching that success, going 9-17 his second season and finishing his eight-year career 28-42 with a 4.08 ERA.

These days McMurtry spends all of his time in Troy, Texas, which is where he has always lived. His home is on a five-acre lot, he has a farm on hundreds of acres a few miles away and he just finished his ninth season coaching at the junior college.

"People who followed the Braves or people around here who know me, they know the whole story," he said. "People who don't know who I was don't matter anyway. I hung around for a few years, had a mediocre career. But it was a lot of fun."

He's perfectly content with his life, proud of his baseball career and confident that the tack-on home run Bonds hit in the fifth inning of a 12-3 loss won't ever define him or his career, at least to the people who matter to him.

Besides...

"As soon as someone gives up 756, I'll be left alone."