SAN FRANCISCO -- The man Sports Illustrated once pictured on its cover with the headline, "I'm Barry Bonds and You're Not," showed a rare thing Friday night. Emotion.

The Bonds Watch

Up to bat First inning, runner on first, nobody out vs. right-hander Jason Middlebrook: Mostly heat in the low 90s. Strike, ball, ball, ball, ball -- walk. Second inning, bases empty, two out vs. Middlebrook: Mostly junk. Ball, ball, ball, home run to center field. Fourth inning, bases empty, two out vs. Middlebrook: Mostly junkballs. Strike, ball, ball, ball -- walk. Sixth inning, leading off vs. RH Wascar Serrano: Mostly junk. Ball, ball, strike, foul, foul, ball, strike -- strikeout. Seventh inning, one out, runners on first and second vs. RH David Lee: Mostly hard stuff. Strike, ball, ball, ball, called strike -- double. Ballpark figures The home run was just the second this year on a 3-0 count for Bonds. His three RBI gave him 131, a career high. He walked twice, giving him 164 to break McGwire’s 1998 National League record. The major league record is 170 by Babe Ruth in 1923. “That’s not a record you want to be proud of.’’ Why not? “Because I signed on for this job to play, not observe.’’ Overheard Tony Gwynn is entering the final week of his career and says he will immediately begin as San Diego State’s baseball coach after that. Asked whether, given the bloodlines, he would recruit Bonds’ 11-year-old son, Gwynn replied: “As a coach you are always looking for the best players. And you know, in his case, I know what his dad did. I know what type of player he is, but he’s still Barry Bonds, so (the son) is still going to have Barry Bonds in him, which is going to be tough to deal with. But you catch him early enough, you start talking to him early enough, maybe you can make a difference.’’ Gwynn then started laughing. He was clearly ribbing Bonds and didn’t mean it as a real criticism. Lean, mean hitting machine Bonds disputed observations that he is bigger and stronger than in years past. “I’m smaller this year than last year,’’ he said. “I’m probably five pounds lighter than I was last year. So I’m a lot lighter which is due to the fact that I had to lose weight because of problems with my back and it’s helped me out a lot. “It’s improved the speed, quickness of my batting hand. It has taken a lot of pressure off my back and I’ve really lost weight. I’m not bigger. I’m smaller.’’ Up next Saturday, at San Francisco, vs. RH Brett Jodie. Bonds is 0-2 against Jodie.

Bonds hit his 68th home run Friday in the Giants' 10-5 victory, leaving him two behind Mark McGwire's season record, and dedicated it to a close friend who died Thursday while undergoing a surgical procedure.

After slamming a 3-0 pitch far into the center-field bleachers, Bonds circled the bases, then emphatically pointed to the sky with both hands as he crossed home plate. The uncharacteristically animated Bonds took a brief curtain call and appeared to be holding back tears when he sat in the dugout.

"I had to (leave the dugout) and go downstairs," he said. "It just felt good because I just tried to do something for him. To be able to do something on the day that you really wanted to something for somebody.

"I lost my uncle and my cousin. I just lost one of my best friends. It's been a real tough year for me and I think everything built up inside of me at once, and it just felt really good to be able to do something that I wanted to do for numerous different people."

The Associated Press reported that Franklin Bradley, 37, died during a surgical procedure at a San Francisco hospital Thursday. He had worked as a security guard for Bonds as well as receiver Jerry Rice. Bonds said the two had been friends "since before my kids were born. And the one time he wants to do something for himself, something fatal happens to him."

Bonds clearly was distracted during a pregame news conference, telling reporters in passing about Bradley's death. "I've got a lot of things going on in my mind right now," he said, "and I'm just trying to stay as calm as I can and as relaxed as I can and not cause any distraction amongst the team."

His voice almost began cracking with emotion when he replied to the next question, when asked whether he was able to take a breath and absorb what the home run race meant.

"Every time I have the opportunity to exhale or breathe, whatever you want to call it, something has come up that has been difficult for me now," he said. "I had a very disappointing article that came out, what happened with the tragedy and some other issues, and I lose one of my best friends yesterday. I haven't had time to think about anything right now, and every time I want to enjoy it for a minute, something else happens.

"When I really want to give you guys the story I want, it seems like I can't. I just can't. I haven't had time."

Bonds has created his reputation by being aloof, arrogant and rude and by not much caring what others think of him. As Tony Gwynn said of him Friday, echoing a line so often said of him, "Barry is Barry."

Gwynn says Bonds has mellowed in recent years, "But he's also guarded. He's not going to let you in too far."

Friday night, Bonds let his guard down. He was a more emotional, more vulnerable Barry. He has 68 home runs, a $10.3 million salary, a personal trainer, a personal P.R. person, Scott Boras for an agent and the need (or desire) for bodyguards. But Friday, he seemed just a little bit more like the rest of us, trying to go about his business and get on with his life, the same way everyone else is.

"I got through today and that's most important thing," Bonds said. "Yesterday was very, very difficult and today was another difficult time, but I got through it and I can move on."

Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com.