When San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds surpasses Hank Aaron’s all-time career home run total of 755, throngs of reporters and fans will be waiting for the event, which is regarded in baseball annals as one of the three most difficult marks to attain.

The other two, Joe DiMaggio’s 56 consecutive-game hit streak and Ted Williams’ .406 single-season batting average remain as seemingly untouchable.

As strength and conditioning coordinator for the Giants, Sangerville native Ben Potenziano, a 1983 Piscataquis Community High School of Guilford graduate, has pretty much seen the home-run chase in person.

Ben began his duties in the Giants organization in the club’s Rookie League in Bellington, Washington, as a trainer.

After serving a two-year stint under legendary trainer Wes Jordan at the University of Maine, Ben was ready for professional sports work.

I first met the likeable Potenziano in the gymnasium at PCHS when he was a sophomore in high school. Ben came into our hoop program as a well-known soccer and baseball player. Although basketball was not his best sport, he was a hustler and served our talented team as spot starter at forward – he was a bear – and as a back-up center for talented Mike Graf.

There are several questions that come to mind, obviously, when renewing old acquaintances with a former player, but to be in the locker room with a guy like Barry Bonds, well, that changes things dramatically.

What’s it like, Ben?

“I have been extremely fortunate to witness Barry’s display of hitting over the past several seasons,” Ben said. “I am amazed at how he approaches hitting. His hand-eye coordination is impeccable. Barry has such quick hands that pitchers try to pitch away from him.”

“If they try to come inside, that is where he can do the most damage.”

Is the clubhouse a zoo during this historic chase?

“We played the Cubs recently in Chicago and the clubhouse at Wrigley is small. We had to walk around reporters just to get to our training room.”

“It was wall-to-wall reporters, who were waiting to have 10 seconds with Barry. Forty television cameras – that type of thing.”

How about the crowds?

“Each day is exciting because you don’t know if today is the day,” Potenziano said. “I feel many people – especially the home crowd – are pulling for Barry. Others have their reservations.”

“Being able to sit in the dugout and hear 42,000 people cheer when he steps to the plate is a really cool experience.”

(That’s the Ben I know.)

“When the team is on the road, those cheers are muffled to some degree,” he added.

“The crowd will get excited – and all those flash bulbs, hundreds of them –Wow! If Barry hits a ball to the outfield and it comes up short, the crowd still roars until it is caught. The electricity that I feel each day when the game begins is something very difficult to explain.”

You just did, son.

For you, Ben, as a former high school star athlete, what is most significant about being there for all this hoopla?

“Knowing that I will be watching history being made,” he said, “that’s the neat part.”

“I look forward to every [at- bat].”

For proud teachers, coaches, and friends from PCHS of Guilford, the pride we feel with Ben Potenziano’s professional accomplishments is important to note, too.

BDN columnist Ron Brown, a retired high school basketball coach, can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net