Barry Bonds basked in hometown adulation Friday during a celebration where he received the key to the city and heard not a mention of the steroid controversy that dogged him on the way to the career home run record.
Bonds was joined on a stage at Justin Herman Plaza by family, teammates, politicians and Giants greats Willie McCovey and Willie Mays. The sometimes prickly slugger smiled broadly as he thanked his parents, Mayor Gavin Newsom, team owner Peter Magowan and especially the Giants faithful.
"Love was giving me that strength," Bonds said. "You the fans, the city of San Francisco -- that is why I'm the player I am today."

With throngs in Giants black-and-orange cheering their hero, the lovefest differed sharply from the scathing insults heaped on Bonds at rival ballparks before his record-breaking 756th home run Aug. 7. Across the country, Bonds has faced detractors wielding placards inscribed with asterisks -- baseball-fan shorthand for the belief that his record is hopelessly tainted by allegations of steroid abuse.