2001 Home Run Chase by BruceM

Two of the top five major league player-seasons by home runs hit took place in 2001, as Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs and which outfielder hit 64?

Baseball Reference lists Bonds and the aforementioned player as the top two players in the 2001 MLB season by what metric, for which BB-Ref has Bonds at 11.9 and Sosa at 10.3?

During that season Bonds not only hit his 500th career home run but also passed ten other members of the 500 home run club. What Hall of Famer was the first one he passed?

This infielder hit 504 home runs in 21 seasons (1977-1997), the first 12 of which he played for Baltimore

What pitcher allowed the 15th home run hit by Bonds in 2001, as well as the 62nd hit by Mark McGwire in 1998?

Bonds batted third in the starting lineup of 136 Giants games that year. What infielder, at the time the reigning National League MVP, batted fourth in the starting lineup of 141 Giants games that year?

Bonds hit his 40th home run off of Paul Abbott on July 12th, after sitting on 39 for nearly three weeks. What Cardinal allowed Bonds's 39th home run on June 23rd, then died of a heart attack less than a year later?

In which stadium did Bonds hit his 61st, 62nd, and 63rd home runs, all in the same game?

The day after the game mentioned in the previous question, San Francisco had a travel day. The day after that, a piece on Bonds's home run chase was the top story on ESPN.com for much of that morning until being displaced by news of what event?

What pitcher allowed home runs #71 and 72, both in the same game? He also once allowed the same player to hit two grand slams against him in the same inning.

Who hit the pair of same-inning grand slams mentioned in the previous question? This infielder began his career with the 1997 Texas Rangers, spent three seasons apiece with St. Louis and Montreal, and finished his career with the 2010 Mets.

Your smith attended the Giants' final home game of 2001, hoping in vain to see Bonds hit #70. The other left fielder that game went 0-for-4, dropping his slash line (at the time) to .231/.369/.347 in his age 42 season. Name that hall of famer.

Four players hit 50 or more home runs in 2001, but only one of them for a playoff team. Name that player, whose most famous post-season hit went just over the drawn-in shortstop's head.

Who hit 52 home runs in 2001 (with 135 RBI and a .318/.399/.622 slash line) but neither reached the playoffs that year nor is the player from question #1? He wore uniform #3 at the time but would later wear #13, so here he is as question 13.