Nineteen years ago, Barry Bonds cemented his legacy as a “should be” baseball Hall of Famer. Throughout his career, Bonds had always shown his immense baseball talent. As the son of former baseball great, Bobby Bonds, Barry had to prove to the world that he was no “nepo baby”.

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1985. He spent one season in the minor leagues before making his Major League debut on May 30, 1986, a game that he went 0-5 at the plate. On June 4, just five days after first taking the field for the Pirates, Bonds hit his first career home run. Twenty-one years later, as a member of the San Francisco Giants, he would hit his last.

Chasing History

I often think of the spectacle that once was baseball. The epic staredown between the pitcher and the batter… No intentional walks. Just one man’s best, mano-a-mano against another man’s best. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chasing Roger Maris’ single-season home run record (61) in 1998, seemed like the greatest thing that I had ever seen, and would never see again…

Until Barry Bonds dethroned McGwire (70) and shattered his single-season home run record just two years later, blasting 73 homers. Surely nobody could top that performance. Bonds said hypothetically, “Hold my beer,” and chased another man’s record, “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron.

Henry “Hank” Aaron

Aaron was a 25-time MLB All-Star for the Atlanta Braves. He won three Gold Gloves and two National League (NL) batting titles. The 1957 NL MVP is the all-time leader in runs batted in (RBIs) with 2,297 and 6,856 total bases, but he was best known for breaking Babe Ruth‘s all-time home run record (714) on April 8, 1974.

Aaron played at a time when some people did not want to see a black man beat Ruth’s record. On his way to surpassing Ruth, he received hate mail and many death threats. Aaron continued to carry himself with class and dignity, despite the negativity and hatred from fans. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs.

Bonds’ Legacy

Bonds’ career is often split into two eras: Early in his career, he was considered an elite “five-tool” player. He was a human Swiss Army knife, a super-athletic leftfielder, who possessed both power and blazing speed, while also being elite defender, winning eight Gold Gloves and three MVPs from 1986-1999.

The latter years of his career, Bonds was in his late 30s and bulked up to become a power hitter, better known for putting up video game numbers at the plate than the quick footed five-tool icon he once was. Bonds took home four consecutive NL Most Valuable Player awards from 2001-2004, giving him a record seven MVPs. Nobody else in MLB history has won more than three.

This era of his career is often marked with an asterisk for his rumored use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Though he never officially failed a drug test, the swirling rumors of steroid use have been enough to keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

There is no argument that Bonds is one of the greatest baseball players of all-time. Some, like myself, consider him to be the best ever. He has accomplished more than most Hall of Famers in his 22-year career. Besides smashing 73 single season dingers, he finished his career with 762 career homers.

He is the only player in baseball history to reach 500 home runs and 500 stolen bases (514). Bonds is also the all-time leader in career walks, with 2,558 free bases, including 688 intentional walks, a result of how much opposing pitchers feared him at the plate.

Bonds Makes History… Again.

On this day, August 7, 2007, as a member of the San Francisco Giants, in the bottom of the fifth inning, Bonds faced a full-count (3 balls, 2 strikes) against Washington Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik. With one swing of his bat, Bonds blasted Bacsik‘s 84 mph fastball high and deep to right center field, recording his 756th career home run, breaking Hank Aaron’s MLB home run record… a record that stood for 33 years, now belongs to Bonds.

Bonds’ record-breaking round-tripper might be the greatest moment in baseball history. He finished his Hall of Fame-worthy career with 762 four-baggers, but the moment will forever be clouded by controversy. Did he, or didn’t he use steroids? Either way, people tuned in, night after night to watch. Let’s face it, “chicks dig the long ball” and Barry Bonds (like Pete Rose) belongs in the Hall of Fame. Period.