71 Facts About Barry Bonds

1.

Barry Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 2007.

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2.

Barry Bonds is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

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3.

Barry Bonds holds many MLB hitting records, including most career home runs, most home runs in a single season, and most career walks.

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4.

Barry Bonds led MLB in on-base plus slugging six times and placed within the top five hitters in 12 of his 17 qualifying seasons.

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5.

Barry Bonds stole 514 bases, becoming the first and only MLB player to date with at least 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases.

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6.

Barry Bonds is ranked second in career Wins Above Replacement among all major league position players by both Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference.

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7.

Barry Bonds was indicted in 2007 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to a grand jury during the federal government's investigation of BALCO, a manufacturer of an undetectable steroid.

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8.

Barry Bonds was born in Riverside, California to Patricia and former major leaguer Bobby Barry Bonds, and grew up in San Carlos and attended Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football.

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9.

Barry Bonds played on the junior varsity team during his freshman year and on the varsity team for the remainder of his high school career.

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10.

Barry Bonds was a Sporting News All-American selection that year.

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11.

Barry Bonds 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.

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12.

Barry Bonds graduated from Arizona State in 1986 with a degree in criminology.

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13.

Barry Bonds was named ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player; other winners include Dustin Pedroia, Willie Bloomquist, Paul Lo Duca, and Ike Davis.

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14.

Barry Bonds joined the Prince William Pirates of the Carolina League and was named July 1985 Player of the Month for the league.

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15.

Barry Bonds played center field in 1986, but switched to left field with the arrival of centerfielder Andy Van Slyke in 1987.

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16.

Barry Bonds won his first Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award.

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17.

In 1991, Barry Bonds put up great numbers, hitting 25 homers and driving in 116 runs, and obtained another Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.

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18.

Barry Bonds finished second to the Atlanta Braves' Terry Pendleton in the MVP voting.

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19.

Barry Bonds stayed with Pittsburgh and won his second MVP award that season.

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20.

Barry Bonds participated in the final play of Game 7 of the NLCS, whereby he fielded a base hit by Francisco Cabrera and attempted to throw out Sid Bream at home plate.

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21.

Barry Bonds was never well-liked by reporters or fans while in Pittsburgh, despite winning two MVP awards.

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22.

In 1993, Barry Bonds left the Pirates to sign a lucrative free agent contract worth a then-record $43.

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23.

In 1996, Barry Bonds became the first National League player and second major league player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.

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24.

Barry Bonds hit 40 home runs for the second straight year and drove in 101 runs, leading the league in walks again with 145.

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25.

Barry Bonds started off the 1999 season hitting well by batting.

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26.

Barry Bonds added that the decade's second-best player, Craig Biggio, had been closer in production to the decade's 10th-best player than to Bonds.

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27.

In 1999, with statistics through 1997 being considered, Barry Bonds ranked Number 34 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, making him the highest-ranking active player.

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28.

Barry Bonds was omitted from 1999's Major League Baseball All-Century Team, to which Ken Griffey Jr.

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29.

On October 4, by homering off Wilfredo Rodriguez in the 159th game of the season, Barry Bonds tied the previous record of 70 set by Mark McGwire—which McGwire set in the 162nd game in 1998.

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30.

Barry Bonds then hit numbers 71 and 72 the following night off Chan Ho Park.

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31.

Barry Bonds previously bought Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball from 1998.

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32.

Barry Bonds received the Babe Ruth Home Run Award for leading MLB in home runs that season.

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33.

Barry Bonds re-signed with the Giants for a five-year, $90 million contract in January 2002.

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34.

Barry Bonds hit five home runs in the Giants' first four games of the season, tying Lou Brock's 35-year record for most home runs after four games.

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35.

Barry Bonds broke Ted Williams' major league record for on-base average with.

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36.

Barry Bonds hit his 600th home run, less than a year and a half after hitting his 500th.

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37.

Barry Bonds hit 45 home runs in 373 at-bats, and struck out just 41 times, putting himself in elite company, as few major leaguers have ever had more home runs than strikeouts in a season.

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38.

The 40-year-old Barry Bonds broke Willie Stargell's 25-year record as the oldest player to win a Most Valuable Player Award .

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39.

Barry Bonds clarified that he was a fan and admirer of Bonds and avoided the controversy regarding whether the record should be denoted with an asterisk for Bonds's alleged steroid usage.

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40.

Barry Bonds felt recognition and respect for the award was something to be determined by the fans.

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41.

In 2006, Barry Bonds earned $20 million, the fourth-highest salary in baseball.

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42.

Since this was an interleague game at an American League stadium, Barry Bonds was batting as the designated hitter in the lineup for the Giants.

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43.

Barry Bonds was quoted after the game as being "glad it's over with" and stated that more attention could be focused on Albert Pujols, who was on a very rapid home run pace in early 2006.

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44.

In 2006, Barry Bonds recorded his lowest slugging percentage since 1991 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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45.

Barry Bonds resumed his march to the all-time record early in the 2007 season.

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46.

Barry Bonds hit a pitch from Chris Young of the San Diego Padres just over the wall to the left of straight-away center field for career home run 735.

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47.

Barry Bonds hit a Tim Wakefield knuckleball just over the low fence into the Giant's bullpen in right field.

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48.

Barry Bonds went 3-for-3 with two home runs, six RBIs, and a walk on that day.

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49.

Barry Bonds greeted his son, Nikolai, with an extended bear hug after crossing home plate.

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50.

Barry Bonds greeted his teammates and then his wife, Liz Watson, and daughter Aisha Lynn behind the backstop.

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51.

Ironically, given the cloud of suspicion that surrounded Barry Bonds, the tying home run was hit off a pitcher who had been suspended by baseball in 2005 for steroid use.

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52.

Barry Bonds was walked in his next at-bat and eventually scored on a fielder's choice.

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53.

Barry Bonds said that it was not the time to retire, but he noted that he was not in shape to play immediately if an interested club called him.

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54.

In May 2015, Barry Bonds filed a grievance against Major League Baseball through the players' union arguing that the league colluded in not signing him after the 2007 season.

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55.

Barry Bonds attributed it to a response to the pressure he felt to perform as a young player with the Pirates.

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56.

Shortly thereafter, Barry Bonds says, in the midst of a slump, the same group of teammates pleaded that he revert, having seemingly lost his competitive edge, and causing the team to lose more.

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57.

Barry Bonds says he complied, maintaining that familiar standoffish edge the rest of his playing career.

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58.

Barry Bonds waved a finger in Beaton's face and shoved him in the chest, after which members of the team's coaching staff and front office interceded.

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59.

Since 2003, Barry Bonds has been a key figure in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative scandal.

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60.

The indictment alleges that Barry Bonds lied while under oath about his alleged use of steroids.

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61.

Barry Bonds declared his innocence, attributing his changed physique and increased power to a strict regimen of bodybuilding, diet, and legitimate supplements.

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62.

Later reports on Barry Bonds's leaked grand-jury testimony contend that he admitted to unknowingly using "the cream" and "the clear".

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63.

Barry Bonds was tried in the U S District Court for the Northern District of California.

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64.

Barry Bonds received two years of probation and was ordered to perform 250 hours of community service.

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65.

In 2003, Barry Bonds withdrew from the MLB Players Association licensing agreement because he felt independent marketing deals would be more lucrative for him.

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66.

Barry Bonds is the first player in the 30-year history of the licensing program not to sign.

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67.

The book alleges Barry Bonds used stanozolol and a host of other steroids, and is perhaps most responsible for the change in public opinion regarding Barry Bonds's steroid use.

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68.

Barry Bonds met Susann Margreth Branco, the mother of his first two children, in Montreal, Quebec, in August 1987.

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69.

The divorce was a media affair because Barry Bonds had his Swedish spouse sign a prenuptial agreement in which she "waived her right to a share of his present and future earnings" and which was upheld.

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70.

Barry Bonds's paternal aunt, Rosie Bonds, is a former American record holder in the 80 meter hurdles, and competed in the 1964 Olympics.

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71.

An avid cyclist, Barry Bonds chose the activity to be a primary means of keeping in shape and great passion since his playing career.

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