Between the Seams | New era begins in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — In recent years, a Barry Bonds home run was the highlight so many San Francisco Giants fans came out to see.

The fog horn would blow, the fans would be ecstatic and the counter measuring up Bonds to the other great sluggers in baseball would be changed.

Often times when Bonds would leave a game early, so too would many of the fans, regardless of the score. It was part-baseball, part-sideshow at San Francisco's beautiful waterfront ballpark.

When the Giants play their first home opener since cutting ties with Bonds after 15 seasons, there will surely be a different feeling. Matt Cain, the pitcher the Giants hope will be one of the faces of the franchise in the post-Bonds era, will take on Greg Maddux and the San Diego Padres today.

"It will be different without him," Cain said Sunday in Milwaukee. "That's something that we're trying to get past. But I mean it's [the opener] something that I hope the fans look forward to. We're all looking forward to getting back home, obviously."

Bonds, who remains unsigned, spent the night before the home opener in Sacramento watching the Kings take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Bonds sat with Kings owners Gavin and Joe Maloof and waved his black hat to the fans, who gave him a mostly warm ovation when he was introduced.

The ballpark will be without a few elements that were prominent during Bonds' chase of the home-run record. The banners honoring record home run No. 756 are gone, as is the counter showing the career homer leaders and the rubber chickens that were hung from a rope after each intentional walk.

Also, the "Road to History" mural in left field honoring Bonds will be replaced by a 50th anniversary montage that will change every couple of homestands. Bonds will be one of the players remembered in those montages, said Staci Slaughter, the team's vice president of public affairs.

"He'll be featured in our 50th anniversary celebrations. He's a huge part of our 50 years," Slaughter said.

Bonds' achievements are honored in displays honoring the 50th anniversary of the franchise's move West from New York.

There will be a plaque revealed today on the right-center field wall near where the record-setting homer landed.

The "Splash Hits" counter recognizing those signature home runs into McCovey Cove has been moved, although it doesn't figure to get much use this season. Bonds accounted for 35 of San Francisco's 45 "Splash Hits." Randy Winn is the only player on the roster with even one, a homer into the Cove against San Diego back in 2005.

If the first week of the season is any guide, there probably won't be many homers of any kind for Giants fans to celebrate. San Francisco has hit only two home runs and scored 12 runs in losing five of its first six games on the road.

"We're excited even though we're limping home here a little bit," manager Bruce Bochy said.

"We have to find a way to understand what the situation is and to understand that we don't have him anymore, and go at it the best way we can without him," catcher Bengie Molina said of Bonds.