Barry Bonds

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Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is a former professional baseball outfielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds spent his career with two teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants. He is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Early Life

Barry Bonds was born in Riverside, California, to Bobby Bonds, a former MLB player, and Patricia Howard. He grew up in a baseball environment, which significantly influenced his career path. Bonds attended Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football.

College Career

Bonds attended Arizona State University (ASU), where he played college baseball for the Sun Devils. During his time at ASU, Bonds was a standout player, earning All-American honors.

Professional Career

Pittsburgh Pirates

Bonds was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the 6th overall pick in the 1985 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut on May 30, 1986. During his tenure with the Pirates, Bonds won two National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards (1990, 1992) and led the team to three straight NL East division titles (1990-1992).

San Francisco Giants

In 1993, Bonds signed with the San Francisco Giants, where he played until his retirement in 2007. With the Giants, Bonds broke numerous records, including Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, finishing his career with 762 home runs. He won a record seven NL MVP awards and was a 14-time All-Star. Despite his achievements, Bonds' career was marred by allegations of steroid use.

Controversies

Bonds became a central figure in baseball's steroid scandal. In 2007, he was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to a grand jury during the federal government's investigation of BALCO, a laboratory linked to steroid distribution. Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice in 2011, but the conviction was overturned in 2015.

Legacy

Bonds' legacy is complex due to his career achievements and the steroid allegations. He holds many MLB records, including the most home runs in a single season (73 in 2001) and most career walks. However, his association with steroids has overshadowed these accomplishments for some fans and analysts.

Post-Retirement

Since retiring, Bonds has occasionally returned to baseball as a hitting coach and special advisor. He was inducted into the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame and had his number 25 retired by the team.

See Also

• Hank Aaron
• Mark McGwire
• Steroid use in baseball