A bond with Barry for the ages

Barry Bonds may be booed tonight at Dodger Stadium, but there is another side to the San Francisco Giants slugger.

Jon Miller, the ESPN and Giants announcer, recalls that about eight or nine years ago a woman celebrating her 100th birthday was brought into his broadcast booth.

“She wanted to meet me, but then she excused herself to go say hi to Barry,” Miller said. “She said they were friends and not only had he gotten her tickets to the game, he had on several occasions come to visit her.”

Trivia time

What do Bonds, Tom Brady, Lynn Swann and former major leaguer Gregg Jefferies have in common?

Barry charming

Bonds can be charming when he wants to be. At least that was the case in 1993 when Bonds, along with his then-agent Dennis Gilbert attended a political fundraiser for then-governor Pete Wilson at the Beverly Hills home of Jeff and Gayle Rosenthal.

Bonds posed for pictures, told stories and won over the 40 or so people in attendance. The only problem was, Bonds got more attention than the governor. But Wilson didn’t seem to mind, and a friendship between the two developed.

Secret to his success?

Earlier that same day in 1993, Bonds was at NBC in Burbank to tape a segment with Jay Leno. With some time to kill between the taping and the fund-raiser, Bonds and his companions stopped off at a deli in Studio City.

Bonds ordered a beer and a milkshake -- both for himself.

Right up his alley

The story goes that when Bonds went bowling for the first time with a couple of his Giants teammates, he scored a 250 in his first game, and a 232 in his second.

One thing seems certain -- he saw more strikes that night than he will the next three.

Chance to hit Barry

Bonds did some pitching at AT&T; Park last Thursday -- with a whiffle ball. It was the Giants’ family photo day and softball game, and Bonds volunteered to pitch to all the kids. Word is there were no intentional walks.

Called out by Clinton

Miller, the Giants’ announcer, has called many of Bonds’ homers. But he says his most memorable home run was hit by Cal Ripken Jr. on Sept. 6, 1995, against the Angels. That was the night Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record by playing in his 2,131st consecutive game.

Miller was then an announcer for the Baltimore Orioles and at the time that Ripken hit his home run, Miller was interviewing President Clinton.

“When Cal launched a shot into the left-field stands,” Miller said, “the president yelled, ‘Go, go,’ then, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ He was just as excited as any fan and he drowned my call out completely. The president shot my call all to heck, but that’s what made it so memorable.”

Trivia time

They all were sports stars at Serra High in San Mateo, Calif.

And finally

Online reader Mike Dudnikov of Union, N.J., e-mailed to say the Times’ poll concerning the all-time Los Angeles Dodgers team -- it is now to the center fielder -- reminded him of a quote from the late Gene Mauch.

Dudnikov recalls that Bill Russell was moved from center field to shortstop in 1972 to replace Maury Wills. That year, when Mauch was managing Montreal, he was asked his opinion of the National League’s center fielders. Willie Davis was the Dodgers’ center fielder, prompting Mauch to say, “The Dodgers have the best center fielder in the league -- actually the two best. But unfortunately one of them is playing shortstop.”

larry.stewart@latimes.com