Barry Bonds tipped his cap, raised an armored arm and blew a kiss to the crowd at AT&T Park in San Francisco, all after slamming milestone home run No. 715 in his career yesterday.

We are left to wonder if any of those gestures were also meant for Victor Conte, president of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, James Valente, BALCO's vice president, Greg Anderson, Bonds' personal trainer, or reputed supplier Patrick Arnold.

All of whom were convicted of distributing steroids to athletes and many of whom have been linked to Bonds by published allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs.

For while Bonds passed Babe Ruth with a mighty 445-foot blast, he remains unable to put any distance between himself and the taint of scandal. One historic trot around the bases, to be sure, but ending up right back confronted with enduring questions of its legitimacy.

While we would normally be debating whether Bonds can pass Hank Aaron's mark of 755 to become baseball's all-time home run hitter — unlikely — the question that still dominates is Bonds' proper place in the all-time roll call.

Perception is that instead of standing in the company of Ruth and Aaron, the better fit would be with Rafael Palmeiro and Jason Giambi, if not Ben Johnson and Rosie Ruiz. That his legacy leans more toward the reviled than the revered.

Which is why, for all the orange and black streamers and chants of "Barry, Barry..." in his home ballpark, neither Major League Baseball or the Ruth family wanted any part of this. Many of his teammates remained in the dugout.

A far cry from the sense of momentous accomplishment that accompanied Aaron passing Ruth or the joy of Cal Ripken overtaking Lou Gehrig.

You wonder if this is what Bonds had in mind when, according to the book "Game of Shadows," he took up performance-enhancing substances in 1999 to compete with Mark McGwire? Actions he denied. Was this an understood codicil in a Faustian contract?

While the day and the No. 2 position in the home run category belong to Bonds, be assured Ruth's legacy is not only unshaken but strengthened. By comparison, The Bambino never looked so good. There will still be a Babe Ruth League and a Babe Ruth Museum. Yankee Stadium stands as the "House That Ruth Built." We'll always know who the "Sultan of Swat" is.

As for Bonds? An asterisk in the record books, maybe. But, more fitting, an Rx marks his spot.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.