Even before he came to the Giants, Barry Bonds had extensive ties to the Bay Area. He went to schools on the peninsula through high school, his father, Bobby Bonds, and godfather, Willie Mays, both played for the Giants. His cousin, Reggie Jackson, played for the A’s. Barry had been an outstanding player with the Pittsburgh Pirates and he was signed by the Giants in late 1992 before the sale by Bob Lurie to a new ownership group was completed. Bonds soon showed why the Giants wanted him, leading them as they won a franchise-record 103 games in 1993. Bonds was named the player of the decade in the 1990s by the sporting news for his hitting, base stealing, and fielding. In the next decade, he set both season and career home run records, setting the season record of 73 in 2001 and a career record of 762. Pitchers responded by walking him more and more frequently, with an incredible 232 in 2004, far eclipsing all previous marks. In some games, Bonds might get only one good pitch to hit but he would be waiting for it. He posted seasonal batting averages of .370 and .362 in that period, the highest of his career. Bonds has been quoted as saying “I love the city of San Francisco and to me, that’s my Hall of Fame.”

Inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Narrative by Glenn Dickey