Barry Bonds Bio
Barry Lamar Bonds is a former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. Bonds received seven NL MVP awards and 14 All-Star selections, and is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
Bonds was born on July 24, 1964 in Riverside, California to former major leaguer Bobby Bonds and Patricia Howard. He attended Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football. He batted for a .467 batting average his senior year and was named prep All-American. In the 1982 MLB draft, the San Francisco Giants drafted Bonds as a high school senior, but were unable to agree on contract terms. Instead Bonds decided to attend college.
Bonds attended Arizona State University, hitting .347 with 45 home runs and 175 runs batted in (RBI). In 1984 he batted .360 and had 30 stolen bases and in 1985 finished with 23 home runs, 66 RBIs and a .368 batting average. Bonds tied the NCAA record with seven consecutive hits in the College World Series as a sophomore and was named to All-Time College World Series Team in 1996. He graduated from Arizona State in 1986 with a degree in criminology and a promising MLB career ahead. He was named ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player.
The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Bonds as the sixth overall pick of the 1985 Major League Baseball Draft. In 1993, Bonds signed with the San Francisco Giants, following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, where he would spend the next 15 seasons and retire in 2007.
Bonds was regarded as an exceptional hitter, and finished his regular season career with a very high on-base percentage (.444) and isolated power (.309). He holds many MLB hitting records, including most career home runs, most home runs in a single season (73, set in 2001) and most career walks. Bonds also received eight Gold Gloves for his defense in the outfield. Ranked second in career Wins Above Replacement among all major league position players by both Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference.com, Bonds is behind only Babe Ruth.
Throughout its long history, the MLB All-Star Game has produced a number of unforgettable highlights. From Jackie Robinson’s All-Star debut in 1949 to Pedro Martinez dominating from the mound in 1999 to Mariano Rivera’s final All-Star game in 2013, there is no shortage of remarkable feats.
1933: Babe Ruth hits the first home run in All-Star Game history
By the time of the MLB’s first ever All-Star Game in 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Babe Ruth was nearing the end of his legendary career, but that did not stop “The Bambino” from putting on a show for the ages. In the bottom of the third inning, Ruth crushed a pitch from Cardinals pitcher Bill Callahan for the first home run in All-Star Game history.
1941: Ted Williams with a historic walk-off home run
Joe DiMaggio was having a legendary season, but Ted Williams was in the midst of a historic year himself and it culminated in a memorable end to the 1941 All-Star Game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. With DiMaggio and Yankees teammate Joe Gordon on base and the AL down to its final out, Williams hit the first walk-off home run in All-Star Game history.
1949: Jackie Robinson’s debut as the All-Star Game integrates
Jackie Robinson did not stop at breaking baseball’s color barrier. At Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, two years after entering the league, Robinson made history again by becoming the first African-American to play in the MLB All-Star Game when he started at second base for the National League. Robinson was joined by fellow African-American players Larry Doby, Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe.
1970: Pete Rose runs over Ray Fosse
Pete Rose was never one to shy away from contact, even during an exhibition game. With a victory on the line, Rose plowed into Ray Fosse to knock the ball loose and score the winning run in the 12th inning of the 1970 All-Star Game at the Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.
1971: Reggie Jackson flashes his power at the plate
The 1971 MLB All-Star Game at Tiger Stadium in Detroit featured an impressive collection of future Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Frank Robinson and Reggie Jackson. All the sluggers went deep during the game, but Jackson’s home run was perhaps the most impressive, as it hit a light tower and travelled an estimated 520 feet.
1989: Bo Jackson starts the All-Star Game off strong
Bo Jackson was known for his power at the plate, and his strength was on full display during the 1989 MLB All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim. With the American League trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Jackson stepped up and crushed a leadoff home run to center field. He was named MVP of the game after the AL went on to win.
1999: Pedro Martinez puts on a show at Fenway Park
Pedro Martinez took the mound at his home stadium in Fenway Park and put forth one of the greatest pitching performances in All-Star Game history. He struck out prolific sluggers Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire to start the game. The AL went on to win and Martinez became the second player ever to win the All-Star Game MVP Award as a member of the host team.
2001: Cal Ripken Jr. wins the All-Star Game MVP award
In his final season, Cal Ripken Jr. put on an unforgettable MLB All-Star Game performance at Safeco Field in Seattle. He was selected to start at third base for a record 19th All-Star appearance. Ripken ripped a solo home run to left field on the first pitch he saw in the third inning to open the scoring. He was named the game’s MVP and became just the fourth player to win two All-Star Game MVP awards.
2002: Torii Hunter robs Barry Bonds at the wall
Barry Bonds set the single-season record for home runs in 2001 with 73 and was poised to hit another one during the 2002 MLB All-Star Game at Miller Park in Milwaukee, but Torii Hunter had other plans. Bonds smacked a towering fly ball to right-center field that looked to be heading for the stands, but Hunter tracked the ball to the wall and made an incredible leaping catch to snatch the ball out of the air for the final out of the first inning. Bonds could only smile and playfully lift Hunter over his shoulder before heading back to the dugout.
2007: Giants honor Willie Mays in San Francisco
In 2007, the MLB All-Star Game moved to AT&T Park in San Francisco and the Giants decided to pay tribute to the franchise’s greatest player, Willie Mays. He was honored during a special pregame ceremony and the “Say Hey Kid” began the All-Star festivities by throwing out the first pitch to Mets shortstop José Reyes.
2007: Ichiro’s inside the park home run
After the Giants honored Willie Mays, the actual All-Star Game started off well for the National League. The NL scored the first run of the game, but the American League fought its way back to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish again thanks to Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki. He hit a deep fly ball to right field at the top of the fifth inning, raced around the bases and made it back to home plate to notch the first inside-the-park home run in the 74-year history of the All-Star Game. Ichiro won MVP honors after the AL went on to defeat the NL.
2013: Mariano Rivera says goodbye to the All-Star Game
New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera had announced that the 2013 season would be his last. Rivera was prolific out of the bullpen, holding records for the most saves in addition to his five World Series championships. At the 2013 MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York, Rivera was given a standing ovation as he made his way from the bullpen to the mound. He then proceeded to retire all three batters he faced and was the first reliever to be named the All-Star Game MVP.
Barry Bonds
| Barry Bonds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Bonds in 2006
|
|||
| Left fielder | |||
| Born: July 24, 1964 Riverside, California |
|||
|
|||
| MLB debut | |||
| May 30, 1986, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 26, 2007, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .298 | ||
| Home runs | 762 | ||
| Hits | 2,935 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,996 | ||
| Stolen bases | 514 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
MLB records
|
|||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2007. He is considered to be the greatest baseball players of all time.
Recognized as an all-around player, Bonds received a record seven NL MVP awards and 12 Silver Slugger awards, along with 14 All-Star selections. He holds many MLB hitting records, including most career home runs (762), most home runs in a single season (73, set in 2001), and most career walks. Bonds led MLB in on-base plus slugging six times and placed within the top five hitters in 12 of his 17 qualifying seasons. For his defensive play in the outfield, he won eight Gold Glove awards. He also stole 514 bases, becoming the first and only MLB player to date with at least 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases. Bonds is ranked second in career Wins Above Replacement among all major league position players by both Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference.com, behind only Babe Ruth.
Early life
Bonds was born in Riverside, California to Patricia (née Howard) and former major leaguer Bobby Bonds, and grew up in San Carlos and attended Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football. He played on the junior varsity team during his freshman year and on the varsity team for the remainder of his high school career. He garnered a .467 batting average his senior year, and was named prep All-American. The Giants drafted Bonds in the second round of the 1982 MLB draft as a high school senior, but the Giants and Bonds were unable to agree on contract terms when Tom Haller‘s maximum offer was $70,000 ($187,721 today) and Bonds’s minimum to go pro was $75,000, so Bonds instead decided to attend college.
College career
Bonds attended Arizona State University, hitting .347 with 45 home runs and 175 runs batted in (RBI). In 1984 he batted .360 and had 30 stolen bases. In 1985, he hit 23 home runs with 66 RBIs and a .368 batting average. He was a Sporting News All-American selection that year. He tied the NCAA record with seven consecutive hits in the College World Series as sophomore and was named to All-Time College World Series Team in 1996.
Bonds was not well-liked by his Sun Devil teammates, in part because in the words of longtime coach Jim Brock, he was “rude, inconsiderate and self-centered.” When he was suspended for breaking curfew, the other players initially voted against his return even though he was easily the best player on the team.
He graduated from Arizona State in 1986 with a degree in criminology. He was named ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player; other winners include Dustin Pedroia, Willie Bloomquist, Paul Lo Duca, and Ike Davis. During college, he played part of one summer in the amateur Alaska Baseball League with the Alaska Goldpanners.
Career distinctions
 |
|
| Barry Bonds’s number 25 was retired by the San Francisco Giants in 2018. |
Besides holding Major League career records in home runs (762), walks (2,558), and intentional walks (688), at the time of his retirement, Bonds also led all active players in RBI (1,996), on-base percentage (.444), runs (2,227), games (2,986), extra-base hits (1,440), at-bats per home run (12.92), and total bases (5,976). He is 2nd in doubles (601), slugging percentage (.607), stolen bases (514), at-bats (9,847), and hits (2,935), 6th in triples (77), 8th in sacrifice flies (91), and 9th in strikeouts (1,539), through September 26, 2007.
Bonds is the lone member of the 500–500 club, which means he has hit at least 500 home runs (762) and stolen at least 500 bases (514); no other player has even 400 of both. He is also one of only four baseball players all-time to be in the 40–40 club (1996), which means he hit 40 home runs (42) and stole 40 bases (40) in the same season; the other members are José Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano.
Records held
 San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds |
- Home runs in a single season (73), 2001
- Home runs (career) (762)
- Home runs against different pitchers (449)
- Home runs since turning 40 years old (74)
- Home runs in the year he turned 43 years old (28)
- Consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs (13), 1992–2004
- Slugging percentage in a single season (.863), 2001
- Slugging percentage in a World Series (1.294), 2002
- Consecutive seasons with .600 slugging percentage or higher (8), 1998–2005
- On-base percentage in a single season (.609), 2004
- Walks in a single season (232), 2004
- Intentional walks in a single season (120), 2004
- Consecutive games with a walk (18)
- Consecutive games with an intentional walk (6)
- MVP awards (7—closest competitors trail with 3), 1990, 1992–93, 2001–2004
- Consecutive MVP awards (4), 2001–2004
- National League Player of the Month selections (13) (2nd place, either league, Frank Thomas, 8; 2nd place, N.L., George Foster, Pete Rose, and Dale Murphy, 6)
- Oldest player (age 38) to win the National League batting title (.370) for the first time, 2002
- Putouts as a left fielder (5,226)
- Consecutive plate appearances with a walk (7)
- Consecutive plate appearances reaching base (15)[218]
- Tied with his father, Bobby, for most seasons with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases (5); they are the only father-son members of the 30–30 club
- Home runs in a single post-season (8), 2002
Other accomplishments
| Category | Times | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted OPS+ leader | 9 | 1990−1993, 2000−2004 |
| Bases on balls leader | 12 | 1992, 1994−1997, 2000−2004, 2006, 2007 |
| Batting champion | 2 | 2002, 2004 |
| Extra base hits leader | 3 | 1992, 1993, 2001 |
| Games played leader | 1 | 1995 |
| Home run leader | 2 | 1993, 2001 |
| Intentional base on balls leader | 12 | 1992−1998, 2002−2004, 2006, 2007 |
| On-base percentage leader | 10 | 1991−1993, 1995, 2001−2004, 2006, 2007 |
| On-base plus slugging leader | 9 | 1990−1993, 1995, 2001−2004 |
| Runs batted in leader | 1 | 1993 |
| Runs scored leader | 1 | 1992 |
| Slugging percentage leader | 7 | 1990, 1992, 1993, 2001−2004 |
| Total bases leader | 1 | 1993 |
- Awards and distinctions
| Award | # of Times | Dates | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babe Ruth Home Run Award | 1 | 2001 | |
| Baseball America All-Star | 7 | 1993, 1998, 2000–2004 | |
| Baseball America Major League Player of the Year | 3 | 2001, 2003, 2004 | |
| MLB All-Star | 14 | 1990, 1992–1998, 2000–2004, 2007 | |
| Major League Player of the Year | 3 | 1990, 2001, 2004 | |
| Rawlings Gold Glove Award at outfield | 8 | 1990–1994, 1996–1998 | |
| Silver Slugger Award at outfield | 12 | 1990–1994, 1996–97, 2000–2004 |
- 5-time SF Giants Player of the Year (1998, 2001–2004)
- 3-Time NL Hank Aaron Award winner (2001–02, 2004)
- Listed at #6 on The Sporting News‘ list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranked active player, in 2005.
- Named a finalist to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999, but not elected to the team in the fan balloting.
- Rating of 352 on Baseball-Reference.com’s Hall of Fame monitor (100 is a good HOF candidate); 9th among all hitters, highest among hitters not in HOF yet.
- Only the second player to twice have a single-season slugging percentage over .800, with his record .863 in 2001 and .812 in 2004. Babe Ruth was the other, with .847 in 1920 and .846 in 1921.
- Became the first player in history with more times on base (376) than official at-bats (373) in 2004. This was due to the record number of walks, which count as a time on base and as a plate appearance, but not an at-bat. He had 135 hits, 232 walks, and 9 hit-by-pitches for the 376 number.
- With his father Bobby (332, 461), leads all father-son combinations in combined home runs (1,094) and stolen bases (975), respectively through September 26, 2007.
- Played minor league baseball in both Alaska and Hawaii. In 1983, he played for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks in the Alaska Baseball League, and in 1986, he played for the Hawaii Islanders in the Pacific Coast League.
- Featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He has appeared as the main subject on the cover eight times in total; seven with the Giants and once with the Pirates. He has also appeared in an inset on the cover twice. He was the most recent Pirate player to appear on the cover, until Jason Grilli was featured in SIs edition of July 22, 2013.
