Barry Bonds

Barry Lamar Bonds is a retired professional baseball left fielder who spent 22 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Among 12 of his 17 qualifying seasons, the seven-time National League MVP had excellent hitting ability and was always in the top five hitters.

Early Life, Family, and Education

Barry Bonds is the son of Patricia Howard and Bobby Bonds and was born in Riverside, California. Bobby, Bobby’s father, is a Major League Baseball legend.

Bobby and Rick, his two brothers, and Cheryl, his sister, all grew up in San Carlos.

While attending Junipero Serra High School, Barry participated in baseball, basketball, and football. He was a member of his high school’s junior and senior squads.

He was picked in the 1982 MLB draft by the San Francisco Giants, who were interested in him.

However, the deal could not be reached since Bonds’ demand of $75,000 was not met. As a result, Bonds chose to pursue his education further and enrolled at Arizona State University.

 

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College Career

Two years later, his average batting average had risen to.368 and he had hit 23 home runs with 66 RBIs. Sporting News named him an All-American based on these numbers.

In his second year of college, Barry tied for the NCAA record with seven consecutive hits in the College World Series.

Despite his outstanding on-field performance, his teammates disliked him due to his nasty and self-centered attitude.

He was a member of the Alaska Goldpanners of the amateur Alaska Baseball League throughout his undergraduate time. He also won the ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player award.

Professional Career

On May 30, 1986, Bonds made his Major League Baseball debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He began his career in the center field position and moved to left field a year later.

With 25 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and 59 RBIs in his second season, Bonds began to entice supporters to the club.

He became a regular member of the main line-up in 1989. With 19 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 14 outfield assists, he concluded the season with the second-best record in the league.

In 1990, he won his first MVP award, along with the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. He hit.301 with 33 home runs and 114 RBIs in the National League East title-winning season.

In 1992, Barry won his second MVP title after hitting.311 with 34 home runs.

In 1993, Bonds signed a six-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for a then-record $43.75 million.

It’s the same club where his father and godfather both played for the first seven years of their careers. Willie Mays played in the Major League Baseball for 22 years.

Bonds was named MVP after hitting.336 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs in his first season with the new team.

Later in 1996, he became the first National League player and the second MLB player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.

In the 9th inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in May 1998, Bonds got an international walk with the bases loaded and two outs.

Bonds became the first player to hit 400 home runs and steal 400 bases in the same season. Elbow problems and a damaged bicep tendon limited his 1999 season.

Record breaker

Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001, putting his name in the big league record book.

By the All-Star break, he had hit 39 home runs, becoming the first player in MLB history to do it. A.863 slugging percentage was another milestone. The 73rd home run ball he hit was sold for $450,000.

The Last Season

Bonds signed a one-year, $15.8 million contract with the Giants after testing positive for amphetamines in January 2007.

He hit his 756th home run against the Washington Nationals in August 2007, breaking Hank Aaron’s all-time career home run record.

President George W. Bush complimented him on the achievement as well.

Bond’s 756th home run ball went for $752,467 at auction.

Bonds had 28 home runs, 66 RBIs, and a.276 batting average in his final season.

Controversies

Bonds have been linked to the use of performance-enhancing substances during games.

His trainer, a member of the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO), was charged with distributing steroids to athletes, so he had to stand in front of a jury.

Bonds, on the other hand, said that he used “the cream” and “the clear” medications without realizing it.

Despite this, the scandal’s defendants were not required to release the names of athletes who used performance-enhancing medications.

Obstruction of justice

Barry was convicted guilty of obstruction of justice in December 2011 and sentenced to 30 days of home detention.

The incident occurred during the BALCO inquiry when Barry was prohibited from testifying in front of a grand jury in 2003.

Awards and Achievements

The three-time Major League Player of the Year has been a 14-time MLB All-Star. At outfield, he has eight Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and twelve Silver Slugger Awards.

In addition, the seven-time Baseball America All-Star has three times been named Baseball America Major League Player of the Year.

In 2001, Bonds was awarded the Babe Ruth Home Run Award. For the past ten seasons, he has led the National League in on-base percentage and on-base plus slugging.

Two times, the two-time batting champion has led the league in home runs.

He also held other baseball records, including the most home runs in a single season (73), the most home runs in a career (762), and many others.

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Net Worth

During the peak of his career, from 2002 to 2006, Barry made $18-22 million each year. By playing for the Giants, he earned nearly $188 million in his career.

Throughout his career, he has been the highest-paid baseball player numerous times.

In the year 2000, Barry paid $5.3 million for a mansion in Beverly Park, Beverly Hills. In 2014, he sold it for $22 million. He has also owned additional properties. Barry has also made significant stock and bond investments.

Wife and Children

In 1988, Barry married Susann Margreth Branco. The couple split in 1994 after having two children, Nikolai and Shikari.

As part of Susann’s right to share his current and future earnings, Bonds was required to pay her $20,000 per month in child support and $10,000 in spousal support.

Nikolai Bonds, Bonds’ son, worked as a batboy for the Giants and sat in the dugout with his father during his father’s games there.

 

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According to rumors, Barry had a relationship with Kimberly Bell between 1994 and 2003.

In addition, in 1998, Bonds married Liz Watson. The couple lived in Los Altos Hills, California, and had a daughter named Aisha.

Watson and Barry, on the other hand, divorced in 2010 in an uncontested divorce that took place without the involvement of the courts.

 

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Body Measurements

Barry stands at a height of 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 84 kg.

Social Media Presence

Facebook handle (Barry Bonds): 123k Followers
Instagram handle (@blbonds25): 128k Followers
Twitter handle (@BarryBonds): 62.1k Followers

FAQ’s

Quick Facts