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Giants slugger Barry Bonds had harsh words for the media on Tuesday, but that may be nothing compared to what awaits him as he nears the all-time home run record, writes NBCSports.com's Gary Peterson.

Suffice to say, this isn’t how the Giants saw this unfolding. In their dreams, Bonds hits No. 715 at home before (another) sell-out crowd on the shores of McCovey Cove, to deafening applause and gridlock at the souvenir stands.

Nor is this how Major League Baseball envisioned Bonds’ inexorable trot toward history. No doubt the marketing brains at Baseball HQ were hoping, at last, for a happy road to 714, given that the first two were so arduous.

Ruth’s arrival at that magic figure was a sad day. Cut loose by the Yankees after the 1934 season, Ruth signed with the Boston Braves as an outfielder, coach and drawing card. He was 40, out of magic, and he lasted less than two months, during which he batted .181.

His final three homers came in one game at Pittsburgh. They were, by all accounts, jaw-dropping shots. But there was no parade afterward, just the quiet sound of Ruth walking away from the game.

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On Tuesday, Bonds hinted that part of his problem vis-a-vis Ruth is that Bonds is black, where Ruth was white. “I'm not racist,” he said. “(But) I live in the real world.”

Pressed on the subject, Bonds back-tracked. And rightly so. Bonds’ problem is that people believe he used steroids to enhance his already prodigious talent, that using steroids is akin to cheating, and, thus, Bonds is about to close the deal on a landmark he may not deserve.

He is free to argue the point, and he did on Tuesday, lashing out at the media, Jose Canseco, the media, suggestions that steroids have damaged the game, the media, the media and the media.

His real problem is that his former nutritionist, Victor Conte, and his friend and former trainer, Greg Anderson, are both targets of the BALCO investigation; that he has added layers of muscle and had five of his best six home run hitting seasons (in succession) since turning 35; that it is now an known fact that steroids and human growth hormone have been used by major league players over the past 17 years; that his leaked testimony is not believable; and that he won't look any of the above in the eye.

“I never paid any attention to (rumors of steroid use),” he said. “I paid attention to me.”

Now everyone is paying attention to him, to see how he fares on the road to 714. One man’s guess: It’ll be a carpet of rose petals compared to what awaits him at 755.