The MLB’s all-time home run king, Barry Bonds, has destroyed the record books as it pertains to offensive productivity over his career. His 762 home runs are more than any other player in MLB history. Some choose to belittle his greatness because of PED accusations that tainted the end of his unprecedented career.
For a five-year period with San Francisco pitchers were so afraid to throw to Bonds that intentional walks were pretty much the norm and drew boos from the crowd — when his team was on the road!
Naturally, Bonds had been kept out of Cooperstown simply for being the best player associated with PED use.
Back in 2022, MLBbro.com documented an opinion piece on baseball’s attempts to not only blackball Bonds from the Hall of Fame, but every home run discussion going forward…
The legend, who won two MVPs with the Pittsburgh Pirates and five more with the San Francisco Giants, will sadly be defined by his allegations of steroid use that some use to tarnish the superstar status he attained with the San Francisco Giants. Baseball fans, analysts and some MLB players forget (or choose to ignore) that Barry Bonds was one of the influential superstars in Pittsburgh Pirates history!
Barry Bonds Will Be Inducted Into Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame
Despite Bonds’ inability to gain enough votes for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (75 percent within 10 years on the ballot), the Pittsburgh Pirates superstar will be inducted into the team Hall of Fame on August 24th.
The Pirates drafted Bonds with the sixth pick of the 1985 MLB Draft and the next seven years were filled with awards, stellar play and championship contention for Pittsburgh.
Barry Bonds Stats With Pittsburgh Pirates:
A hitting slash of .275/.380/.503 that adds to the OPS+ advanced stat of 147. He’s the only player in franchise history with two MVP awards. He was named to two All-Star teams, won two Silver Slugger awards, three Gold Gloves and is ranked 5th on the Pirates franchise list in homers with 176.
Bonds is the only player in franchise history to have at least 175 home runs and 200 stolen bases.
The Pittsburgh Pirates also won three straight NL East titles in Bonds’ final three years with an organization that has never been the same since he left. Let’s not forget his 1992 NL Championship series matchup with the Atlanta Braves. It was classic, even though his team came out on the losing end.
Pittsburgh Pirates HOF Induction Another Step In Redemption Road For Bonds
It’s a start for Barry Bonds’ road to redemption and the Pirates get credit for looking at his accomplishments instead of past scandal.
“As an organization, we are proud to add three significant members to the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “Included in this year’s class is a two-time MVP award-winner in Barry, a two-time Manager-of-the-Year-winner in Jim and a two-time World Series champion with the Pirates in Manny. All three inductees are very deserving of this prestigious recognition. We look forward to celebrating their induction with our fans and sharing their stories with generations to come.”
Barry Bonds was very appreciative when he shared his feelings on the induction.
Bonds will be celebrated with former Pirates player, Manny Sanguillen and his old manager Jim Leyland, with whom Bonds shared had good and bad moments.
Will Barry Bonds Ever Get Call To Cooperstown?
The PED era has soiled the illustrious careers of many of MLB’s all-time greats.
The hypocrisy has always been sickening as there are steroids users right now sitting in the Hall of Fame.
Managers and a commissioner in Bud Selig, who oversaw the era, turned the other cheek and then received Hall of Fame honors.
Guys who couldn’t shine Barry Bonds’ shoes are getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame. How ironic and wrong is it that MLB’s home run and hits kings (Pete Rose) are both excluded from the Hall of Fame?
Rose admitted to gambling on baseball decades ago and has also said he won’t stop enjoying a bet here and there. He was banned for life by now-deceased Major League Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti in 1989. Debates continue to rage about whether or not Rose should get his day in Cooperstown for all of the great moments he brought the game, but commissioners since Giamatti refuse to go against his final wishes.
At least the city of Pittsburgh won’t act as if Bonds and his 762 home runs don’t exist and embrace his legacy in baseball history.
