updated 9:34 p.m. ET July 1, 2007

NEW YORK - Barry Bonds is as much a fixture in San Francisco as cable cars and the Golden Gate Bridge, and he’ll be in his usual spot in left field when the All-Star game comes to his home ballpark.

The Giants star overcame a 119,000-vote deficit in the final days of balloting and finished 123,000 ahead of the Chicago Cubs’ Alfonso Soriano on Sunday to claim the third and final starting outfield spot for the National League.

“I’m at a loss for words right now,” Bonds said. “It just means more ’cause I’m at home. This is my town. This is my house. You can’t say enough about being at home. It’s great.”

At 42, Bonds will be the oldest player to start an All-Star game. He tops Roger Clemens, who was 41 years, 11 months at the 2004 game in Houston, his hometown.

“This is the one I’ll remember all time. This is the one I’ll remember forever,” Bonds said.

Bonds, heading to his 14th All-Star game and 12th as a starter, was the lone Giants player chosen for the July 10 game in San Francisco — his first trip since 2004. Five home runs from tying Hank Aaron’s record of 755, Bonds is beloved in San Francisco but booed in most other cities following years of suspicion that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

“One guy will be a lot bigger than everybody else. It’s his hometown,” said Cincinnati’s Ken Griffey Jr., the top NL vote-getter. “He gets to have all the fun stuff and the press conferences. I just get to play.”

With the game in his home park, Bonds figures to be the focus all week. He could be one of the sluggers picked to participate in Monday night’s Home Run Derby.

“I don’t think so. I don’t have anything to prove in that,” Bonds said.

Soriano wasn’t bothered that fans voted Bonds to start over him. Soriano still made it as a backup.

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“Going to the All-Star game means a lot to me, especially my first time with the Cubs,” he said.

The Boston Red Sox and AL champion Detroit Tigers led all teams with five players selected. Boston is sending first baseman David Ortiz, third baseman Mike Lowell, outfielder Manny Ramirez and pitchers Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon.

Detroit had three players elected to start for the first time since 1983 (second baseman Placido Polanco, outfielder Magglio Ordonez and catcher Ivan Rodriguez). Pudge, a 14-time All-Star, was elected to start for the 12th time. Polanco is a first-time All-Star.

Detroit’s Justin Verlander, who pitched a no-hitter this season, was picked for the AL staff, and shortstop Carlos Guillen is a reserve.

The Red Sox or Tigers could gain a sixth, with Boston reliever Hideki Okajima and Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman among five players on the Internet ballot for the final AL spot.

The New York Mets (center fielder Carlos Beltran, shortstop Jose Reyes, closer Billy Wagner and third baseman David Wright) tied the Milwaukee Brewers (closer Francisco Cordero, first baseman Prince Fielder, shortstop J.J. Hardy and pitcher Ben Sheets) for the most players picked in the NL. The Brewers hadn’t had four All-Stars since 1983.

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Fans elected the starters, except for the pitchers, and a record 18.5 million votes were cast before Thursday’s deadline.

Alex Rodriguez, with 3.89 million votes, led fan voting for the first time. A-Rod was picked for his 11th All-Star appearance, his 10th as a starter.

“It’s hard to think about that right now,” Rodriguez said Sunday after the Yankees lost for the ninth time in 11 games. “But it’s a pretty neat experience. It never gets old.”

Griffey jumped past Beltran in the final days and topped the NL with 2.99 million votes, the eighth time Griffey has led his league. Griffey is going to his 13th All-Star game, all as a starter.

The rest of the AL starting lineup has the Yankees’ Derek Jeter at shortstop, A-Rod at third, and the Los Angeles Angels’ Vladimir Guerrero and Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki in the outfield.

Fielder and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin were elected as first-time All-Stars in the NL. Philadelphia’s Chase Utley topped voting at second base.

While fans picked the starters, player voting determined eight reserves and eight pitchers in each league. St. Louis’ Tony La Russa and Detroit’s Jim Leyland, the All-Star managers, each chose four position players and three pitchers.

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