appears the old wounds surrounding Bonds abrupt

PITTSBURGH -- Barry Bonds spent a portion of Monday morning driving around Pittsburgh, marveling at the changes hes seen in the city since baseballs career home run king bolted for San Francisco more than two decades ago. He drove by his old apartment in the western suburbs and the reconfigured North Shore, where Three Rivers Stadium has been replaced by sparkling PNC Park. The makeover hasnt been limited to the scenery. After 21 years, it appears the old wounds surrounding Bonds abrupt departure have started to heal, too. Bonds drew a mixture of boos and cheers while presenting current Pittsburgh centre fielder Andrew McCutchen with the 2013 NL MVP award. Bonds was the previous Pirates player to win the honour, earning the second of his record seven career MVP trophies in 1992. Standing next to McCutchen, Bonds waved to the packed house and seemed at ease in his first public appearance in conjunction with the team where he starred from 1986-92 before leaving for San Francisco via free agency. "It feels good to be back where it all started," Bonds said. "We had some great times here." Bonds then sat in the stands and watched as the Pirates opened against the Chicago Cubs. Bonds won the 1990 and 1992 MVP awards while playing for the Pirates from 1986-92 and led the team to three straight NL East titles. Each playoff trip, however, fell short of the World Series, most notably a Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Braves in the 1992 NL championship series that ended when Bonds throw from left field failed to stop Atlantas Sid Bream from scoring the series-clinching run. He left for San Francisco and a then-record six-year, $43-million deal two months later, where Bonds eventually broke Hank Aarons record for career home runs, finishing with 762 before leaving after the 2007 season. Bonds declined to draw any comparisons between himself and McCutchen, who easily won the MVP award last season a year after finishing third in the voting. "Hes got the formula now," Bonds said. "Once you do it once, I expect you to do it again." Bonds was joined by a familiar face as the Pirates put the finishing touches on a breakout 2013 when they won 94 games and made it to the NL division series. Former manager Jim Leyland presented current skipper Clint Hurdle with his NL Manager of the Year Award and credited Hurdle for helping turn the franchise around. After spending years watching his former club serve as a laughingstock, Leyland is confident the Pirates are back. "Theyre the real deal now," Leyland said. "They should be here for a long time." And while he steered clear of the politics surrounding Bonds place in baseball history, Leyland left no doubt about whether Bonds should be in the Hall of Fame. Bonds fell well short of the 75 per cent threshold required for induction during his second year of eligibility, with many voters saying they wouldnt put him in because of the steroids cloud. "In my opinion, Barry Bonds is a Hall of Fame player," said Leyland, who managed the Pirates from 1986-96 and is now retired. "Theres no doubt about it." Robbie Ray Jersey . Felton was in court as the Manhattan district attorneys office outlined the agreement, which would resolve a gun case that arose amid the breakup of his marriage. Hes expected to admit June 30 to at least one charge, attempted criminal possession of a weapon -- he wont have to come to court to do so -- and get a $5,000 fine and 500 hours of community service. David Peralta Jersey . 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The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who lose three straight finals in Monte Carlo to Rafael Nadal from 2006-08, has not played in the tournament since 2011, when he lost to Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals.DALY CITY, Calif. - After a whirlwind week featuring a multitude of celebrations that included her first LPGA Tour victory as a pro, Lydia Ko planned to sleep late Monday before catching a San Francisco cable car for a little bit of sightseeing. What a successful, memorable trip she had to the Bay Area. Ko turned 17 and had "Happy Birthday" sung to her at the first tee box to kick off the inaugural Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, earned a spot as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine, and captured her first LPGA Tour title as a professional — all while playing with a fill-in caddie from the local club. "Normally they would say sweet 16, but I would say its sweet 17," Ko said. "I dont think I could have any better birthday week." Poised and unflappable, Ko made the perfect pitch up to the green from the rough to birdie the final hole Sunday, holding off Stacy Lewis and Jenny Shin for her third LPGA win in all. It went down to the final shots, and the teen made a 6-foot birdie putt moments before Lewis knocked in a 4-footer of her own to finish one stroke back. After beginning the day a stroke behind Lewis, Ko birdied three of her final four holes on the front nine on the way to a 3-under 69 and 12-under 276 total at Lake Merced. Ko earned $270,000, celebrating on the 18th green three days after celebrating her birthday at the first tee box with the gallery singing "Happy Birthday." Ko, born in South Korea and raised in New Zealand, will move up two spots to No. 2 in the next world ranking. Her father, G.H., got to see her win Sunday. "Tears nearly ran down my face. You may lose friends, but youre always going to have your parents," Ko said. "I try to make myself not cry of happiness, but it was coming to that point." She won the Canadian Womens Open as an amateur the last two years and took the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in December in Taiwan in her second start as a professional. She has six victories in pro events, also winning in Australia and New Zealand. All three of Kos LPGA wins have come on courses most of the other golfers also played for the first time. The third-ranked Lewis finished with a 71 for her sixth runner-up finish since winning the Womens British Open in August. She will head to her home state of Texas next week loooking to build on a disappointing near miss in which she struggled all day with her short game.dddddddddddd "I knew she wasnt going away. Lydia played great," Lewis said. "Every time I hit a shot in there, she answered." Shin, still looking for her first tour win after her best finish this year, had a 68 to finish two shots behind. "They were fearless," Shin said about her playing partners, "They just went for it." Playing together for the fourth straight day, neither Ko nor Lewis hit any dazzling shots early. Kos second of three bogeys came on the 417-yard, par-4 seventh in which her tee shot hit a tree and dropped in the rough. Lewis 10-foot birdie putt on No. 9 lipped out. Ko pulled into a first-place tie at 10 under as they made the turn on a picture-perfect spring day, then took the lead with a birdie on No. 13. Lewis went in the bunker, missed the green and two-putted for bogey to fall two back. "The front nine, I did everything I wanted to do, the putts just didnt go in," Lewis said. "I expected her to do exactly what she did today. ... She hit every shot she needed to make from 13 on in." There were two holes-in-one Sunday: Jimin Kang on the 164-yard third and Dewi Claire Schreefel with a 7-iron on the 157-yard 12th hole that earned her a $100,000 prize from China Trust Bank. The weather held for the final day after fog and rain delays earlier in the tournament. This event was the LPGAs first in the Bay Area since the 2010 CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge at Blackhawk in Danville. Organizers and club officials are optimistic about keeping the tournament at Lake Merced. Donna Lowe, Lake Merced general manager, hopes an announcement would come within a month to begin planning for 2015. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has spoken with Swinging Skirts Chairman Johnson Wang, while Lowe has received positive feedback from LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan, players and their caddies. "So far, its just been amazing and very positive and uplifting," Lowe said of the feedback. DIVOTS: Michelle Wie, who won last week in her home state of Hawaii, tied for ninth at 2 under. Second-ranked Suzann Pettersen shot a 70 to finish at 3 over in her first event since last month after missing three tournaments with a back injury. Top-ranked Inbee Park tied for fourth at 6 under. ' ' '