Barry Bonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barry Bonds
Bonds in 2006
Left fielder
Born: (1964-07-24) July 24, 1964 (age 60) Riverside, California, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
May 30, 1986, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last appearance
September 26, 2007, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics
Batting average	.298
Hits	2,935
Home runs	762
Runs batted in	1,996
Stolen bases	514
Teams
As player Pittsburgh Pirates (1986–1992) San Francisco Giants (1993–2007) As coach Miami Marlins (2016)
Career highlights and awards
14× All-Star (1990, 1992–1998, 2000–2004, 2007) 7× NL MVP (1990, 1992, 1993, 2001–2004) 8× Gold Glove Award (1990–1994, 1996–1998) 12× Silver Slugger Award (1990–1994, 1996, 1997, 2000–2004) 3× NL Hank Aaron Award (2001, 2002, 2004) 2× NL batting champion (2002, 2004) 2× NL home run leader (1993, 2001) NL RBI leader (1993) San Francisco Giants No. 25 retired Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame MLB records 762 career home runs 73 home runs, single season 2,558 career bases on balls 232 bases on balls, single season .609 on-base percentage, single season .863 slugging percentage, single season
Medals Men's baseball Representing  United States Amateur World Series Bronze 1984 Cuba Team

Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons. Bonds played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992. Then he joined the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2007. Many people think he is one of the greatest baseball players ever.

Bonds was known as a fantastic all-around player. He won a record seven National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Awards. He also earned 12 Silver Slugger Awards and was chosen for 14 All-Star teams. Barry Bonds holds many MLB hitting records. These include the most career home runs (762). He also hit the most home runs in a single season (73 in 2001). Bonds also holds records for the most walks in a career and a single season.

He led MLB in on-base plus slugging six times. He was also among the top five hitters in 12 of his 17 seasons. For his great defense, he won eight Gold Glove Awards. Bonds also had 514 stolen bases. This made him the first and only MLB player with at least 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases. He is ranked very high in career Wins Above Replacement among all major league players.

Despite his many awards, Bonds' career had some difficult moments. He was part of baseball's steroids discussion. He faced legal issues related to this, but his conviction was later overturned. He was not voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the writers. Some voters believed he used performance-enhancing drugs.

Early Life and College Baseball

Barry Bonds was born in Riverside, California. His father, Bobby Bonds, was also a major league baseball player. Barry grew up in San Carlos and went to Junípero Serra High School. He was excellent at baseball, basketball, and football. In his senior year, he had a .467 batting average. He was named an All-American high school player.

The Giants drafted Bonds in 1982, but they couldn't agree on a contract. So, Bonds decided to go to college instead.

College Career at Arizona State

Bonds attended Arizona State University. He hit .347 with 45 home runs and 175 runs batted in (RBI). In 1984, he batted .360 and stole 30 bases. The next year, he hit 23 home runs with 66 RBIs and a .368 batting average. He was chosen as a Sporting News All-American. He even tied an NCAA record with seven hits in a row in the College World Series.

Bonds graduated from Arizona State in 1986. He earned a degree in criminology.

Professional Baseball Career

Starting in the Minor Leagues

The Pittsburgh Pirates chose Bonds as the sixth overall pick in the 1985 Major League Baseball draft. He played for the Prince William Pirates and the Hawaii Islanders. In 1986, he hit .311 in 44 games for the Islanders.

Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1986–1992)

Bonds made his major league debut on May 30, 1986. In his first year, he led all National League rookies. He had 16 home runs, 48 RBIs, 36 stolen bases, and 65 walks. He played center field at first. Then he moved to left field in 1987.

In his early years, Bonds often batted first in the lineup. He helped the Pirates become a popular team again. In 1987, he hit 25 home runs and stole 32 bases. In 1988, he improved, hitting .283 with 24 home runs.

Bonds won his first MVP Award in 1990. He hit .301 with 33 home runs and 114 RBIs. He also stole 52 bases, joining the 30–30 club (30+ home runs and 30+ stolen bases). He also won his first Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award. The Pirates won their division that year.

In 1991, Bonds continued to play well. He hit 25 homers and drove in 116 runs. He won another Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award. In 1992, Bonds won his second MVP award. He hit .311 with 34 homers and 103 RBIs. He helped the Pirates win their division for the third year in a row. However, the Pirates lost in the playoffs each of those years.

Joining the San Francisco Giants (1993–2007)

Bonds in 1993

In 1993, Bonds left the Pirates to join the San Francisco Giants. He signed a big contract, which was a record at the time. This was special because his father, Bobby Bonds, and his godfather, Willie Mays, also played for the Giants. Bonds wanted to wear number 24, like Mays. But to honor his father, he chose number 25 instead.

Bonds had an amazing 1993 season. He hit .336, led the league with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs. He won his third MVP award in a row.

Continued Success with the Giants

In 1994, a baseball strike shortened the season. Bonds still hit .312 with 37 home runs. In 1995, he hit 33 homers and 104 RBIs.

Bonds on the field

In 1996, Bonds made history. He became the first National League player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. This is called the 40–40 club. His father, Bobby Bonds, almost did it in 1973. Barry also hit his 300th home run that year. He became the fourth player to join the 300 home run, 300 stolen base club.

In 1997, Bonds hit 40 home runs again. He also stole 37 bases. This tied his father for having the most 30–30 seasons (five each).

In 1998, Bonds hit his 400th career home run. He became the first player ever to have 400 home runs and 400 stolen bases. He is still the only player to achieve this. He also won his eighth Gold Glove award.

The 1999 season was tough for Bonds due to injuries. He missed almost two months of play. But he still managed to hit 34 home runs in only 102 games.

In 2000, Bonds had a career-best year for home runs, hitting 49. He also had a very high slugging percentage.

Record-Breaking Seasons (2001-2004)

In 2001, Bonds' hitting became even better. He broke several major league records. He hit his 500th home run on April 17. By the All-Star break, he had 39 home runs, a major league record. He ended the season with a major league record 73 home runs. This broke Mark McGwire's record of 70.

In 2002, Bonds signed a new contract with the Giants. He hit five home runs in the first four games of the season. He won the NL batting title with a career-high .370 average. He also hit his 600th home run on August 9. Bonds set a new record for walks in a season with 198. He also set a record for intentional walks with 68. His on-base percentage was also a major league record at .582.

In the 2002 postseason, Bonds played very well. He hit eight home runs and had 16 RBIs. The Giants reached the 2002 World Series, but they lost to the Anaheim Angels.

In 2003, Bonds played in fewer games due to injuries. But he still hit 45 home runs in only 390 at-bats. He also became the only player in the 500 home run/500 stolen base club. He stole second base on June 23 to reach this milestone.

In 2004, Bonds had one of his best seasons. He hit .362 and won his second National League batting title. He broke his own record for walks with 232. He also broke his on-base percentage record with a .609 average. Bonds passed Willie Mays on the career home run list with his 661st. He then hit his 700th home run on September 17. Bonds won his fourth MVP award in a row, and his seventh overall. No other player has won four MVPs in a row.

Later Seasons (2005-2007)

In 2005, Bonds had a knee injury and needed surgery. He returned late in the season, hitting five home runs in 14 games.

Bonds batting against the Chicago Cubs in 2006

In 2006, Bonds continued his chase for the all-time home run record. On May 7, he hit his 713th home run, getting close to Babe Ruth's record. On May 20, he hit his 714th home run, tying Ruth for second all-time.

A sign counts up to Barry Bonds's 714th home run

Concession stand where home run number 715 was hit

On May 28, 2006, Bonds passed Ruth. He hit his 715th career home run off Colorado Rockies pitcher Byung-hyun Kim. The ball landed in center field.

Bonds in August 2006 with the Giants

On September 22, Bonds tied Hank Aaron's National League career home run record of 733. The next day, he surpassed Aaron for the NL career home run record.

Bonds at the plate against the Rockies in 2007

In 2007, Bonds continued his pursuit of the all-time home run record. On April 3, he hit his 735th home run. The excitement grew as he got closer to Aaron's record. On August 4, Bonds hit his 755th home run, tying Hank Aaron's all-time record.

Bonds's 756th home run ball in the Hall of Fame

On August 7, 2007, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Bonds hit his 756th home run. This broke the all-time career home run record, which Hank Aaron had held for 33 years. After the home run, there was a short video from Hank Aaron congratulating Bonds. Bonds thanked his teammates, family, and his late father. The record-setting ball was later sold at auction. The buyer decided to brand the ball with an asterisk and send it to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Bonds finished the 2007 season with 28 home runs and 66 RBIs. At 43 years old, he still led both leagues in walks.

After Playing Baseball

On September 21, 2007, the San Francisco Giants announced they would not re-sign Bonds. He became a free agent but did not play in 2008 or 2009. If he had returned, he was close to several big milestones. He needed only 65 more hits to reach 3,000.

In 2014, Bonds became a spring training instructor for the Giants. On December 4, 2015, he was named the hitting coach for the Miami Marlins. He left that role in October 2016. In 2017, Bonds rejoined the Giants as a special advisor. On July 8, 2017, he was added to the Giants Wall of Fame.

On February 6, 2018, the Giants announced they would retire his number 25 jersey. This happened on August 11, 2018.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Voting

Bonds was eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for ten years. However, he never received enough votes (75%) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America to be inducted. Some voters did not vote for him due to the discussions around performance-enhancing drugs.

Public Image

During his playing career, some people described Bonds as a serious and focused player. He later said he regretted some parts of his public image. He explained that he felt a lot of pressure to perform when he was a young player.

Bonds said that for a short time, he tried to be more friendly with his Giants teammates. But when he had a slump, his teammates asked him to go back to his intense style. He said he did, and kept that focused approach for the rest of his career.

Personal Life

Barry Bonds has two children, Nikolai and Shikari, from his first marriage. He also has a daughter, Aisha, from his second marriage.

Many of Bonds' family members have been involved in sports. His father, Bobby Bonds, was a professional baseball player. His younger brother, Bobby Bonds Jr., also played professional baseball. His aunt, Rosie Bonds, was a record-holding hurdler and competed in the Olympics. He is also a distant cousin of Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.

Bonds enjoys cycling to stay in shape. He has lost weight from his playing days because of it. He also practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Career Achievements

Barry Bonds's number 25 was retired by the San Francisco Giants in 2018.

When he retired, Barry Bonds held many Major League records. These include:

• Most career home runs (762)
• Most career walks (2,558)
• Most career intentional walks (688)

He was also a leader among active players in RBIs, on-base percentage, and runs. He is second all-time in doubles and slugging percentage.

Bonds is the only member of the 500 home run/500 stolen base club. No other player has even 400 of both. He is also one of only six players in the 40–40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in one season). His father, Bobby, and he are the only father-son duo in the 30–30 club.

Records Held by Barry Bonds

• Most home runs in a single season (73), 2001
• Most home runs in a career (762)
• Most home runs after turning 40 years old (74)
• Most consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs (13), 1992–2004
• Highest slugging percentage in a single season (.863), 2001
• Highest on-base percentage in a single season (.609), 2004
• Most walks in a career (2,558)
• Most walks in a single season (232), 2004
• Most intentional walks in a career (688)
• Most intentional walks in a single season (120), 2004
• Most MVP awards (7)
• Most consecutive MVP awards (4), 2001–2004
• Most National League Player of the Month selections (13)
• Oldest player to win the National League batting title for the first time (age 38 in 2002)
• Most putouts as a left fielder (5,226)

Records Shared by Barry Bonds

• Most consecutive plate appearances with a walk (7)
• Most consecutive plate appearances reaching base in the National League modern era (15)
• Tied with his father, Bobby, for most seasons with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases (5)

Other Accomplishments

Awards and Distinctions

• Five-time SF Giants Player of the Year (1998, 2001–2004)
• Three-time NL Hank Aaron Award winner (2001–02, 2004)
• Ranked #6 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players in 2005.
• Was a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.
• He is the only player in the top ten for plate appearances (12,606) to not get 3,000 hits.
• With his father Bobby, they lead all father-son pairs in combined home runs (1,094) and stolen bases (975).
• Played minor league baseball in both Alaska and Hawaii.
• Featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated eight times.

Images for kids

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  A sign counts up to Barry Bonds's 714th home run

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  Concession stand where home run number 715 was hit

See Also

In Spanish: Barry Bonds para niños