Barry Bonds

Achievements

In 2000, Bonds' teammate Shawon Dunston told Sports Illustrated (June 5 issue), "He's not going to hit 70 homers, but he believes he can. That's frightening." The next year, Bonds set the single-season home run record, hitting 73 to break Mark McGwire's 70-homer mark set in 1998. Some analysts consider Bonds's 2001 performance among the greatest hitting seasons in history. Besides the home run record, he set single-season marks for bases on balls with 177 (topping Ruth's 170 in 1923) and slugging percentage with .863 (beating Ruth's .847 in 1920). Bonds also tied the National League record for most extra base hits in a season (107, also accomplished by Chuck Klein in 1930). In 2002, opposing pitchers refused to give him as many balls to hit, one reason he did not repeat his 73-homer feat. Partly because pitchers tried to "pitch around" him whenever possible, he bettered his own record for walks with 198, which contributed greatly to a .582 on-base percentage, breaking Williams' 1941 record of .551. He also won the National League batting title with a .370 average, becoming the oldest player to win the honor for the first time. In 2004, he won his second batting title with a .362 average. He also broke two of his own records: OPS, with 1.422, and on-base percentage with .609 -- the only time a player has bettered .600 over an entire season.

Related Topics:
Shawon Dunston - Sports Illustrated - June 5 - 73 - Mark McGwire - 1998 - 2001 - 1923 - 1920 - National League - Chuck Klein

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Bonds has been voted the National League's Most Valuable Player seven times, in 1990, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. He is the first player in MLB history to be MVP in four, or even three consecutive years, and no other player has won the award more than three times. He was second in the voting for that award twice: in 1991 to Terry Pendleton of the Atlanta Braves, and in 2000 to then-teammate Jeff Kent. During the 2002 season, Bonds became the fourth man to hit 600 career home runs, as well set the record for most home runs in hit in a single post-season (8). The Giants would lose the World Series that year to the former Anaheim Angels, four games to three games.

Related Topics:
Most Valuable Player - 1990 - 1992 - 1993 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 1991 - Terry Pendleton - Atlanta Braves - 2000 - Jeff Kent

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Bonds has won eight Gold Glove awards as an outfielder, which is the third most ever for that position. He has been named to 13 National League All-Star teams: 1990, 1992-1998, 2000-2004.

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Bonds became the first ever 400-400 player (400 home runs and 400 stolen bases) on August 23, 1998, when he hit home run number 400 off of Florida's Kirt Ojala. He stole his 400th base on July 26, 1997 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Candlestick Park. On June 23, 2003, Bonds recorded his 500th stolen base in the eleventh inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Pacific Bell Park (now SBC Park). Bonds later scored the winning run. By chance, his ailing father Bobby was in attendance that night. With 633 career home runs at the time, Bonds became the first 500-500 player in baseball history, already the only member of the 400-400 club. In addition, in 1996 Bonds became the second of the three current members of the so called 40-40 club: 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in one season. The other two members are José Canseco and Alex Rodriguez.

Related Topics:
Home run - Stolen base - August 23 - 1998 - Florida's - Kirt Ojala - July 26 - 1997 - Pittsburgh Pirates - Candlestick Park - June 23 - 2003 - Los Angeles Dodgers - SBC Park - 1996 - 40-40 - José Canseco - Alex Rodriguez

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Bonds is among the power hitters who "crowd the plate": standing in such a way that his body is almost over the plate (and thus close to the strike zone). Because of Bonds and others like Mo Vaughn, in 2001 the MLB instructed umpires to call a slightly different strike zone, calling more high inside pitches strikes. The new regulations also banned hitters from using hard protective gear apart from helmets (e.g., hard elbow or chest guards), which was letting them get closer to the plate.

Related Topics:
Strike zone - Mo Vaughn - MLB

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On April 12, 2004, Bonds hit his 660th home run, tying him with his godfather Willie Mays for 3rd on the all-time career home run list in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the Giants' home, SBC Park. Larry Ellison (not the CEO of Oracle Corporation) caught the home run and returned it to Barry. He hit his 661st home run the next day, April 13, at the same venue placing him in outright third behind Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755). Ellison also caught number 661, but kept it for himself with Barry's blessing. (Ellison was in a kayak in McCovey Cove, an arm of San Francisco Bay that lies behind the right-field stands at SBC Park, so this wasn't quite the amazing coincidence it appears at first sight.)

Related Topics:
April 12 - 2004 - Willie Mays - Milwaukee Brewers - SBC Park - Larry Ellison - April 13 - Babe Ruth - Hank Aaron - San Francisco Bay

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On July 4, 2004, Bonds passed Rickey Henderson to take the lead in career walks, with his 2191st walk. Later in 2004, he broke his own single-season record for walks, becoming the first player with over 200 in a season and ending the season with 232. His total of 232 walks was almost 100 more than the next closest leader, Lance Berkman. Included in Bonds' 2004 total were 120 intentional walks, the most issued since MLB began recording them in 1954.

Related Topics:
July 4 - 2004 - Rickey Henderson - Lance Berkman - Intentional walk

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Bonds also has the 2nd and 3rd highest single-season intentional walk totals, with 68 in 2002 and 61 in 2003. He has been the league leader in the category for 13 of the past 14 seasons.

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Bonds holds almost every Major League Baseball record in existence for intentional walk with four in a nine-inning game (2004), 120 in a season (2004) and 604 in his career (more than the next two players on the all-time list, Hank Aaron and Willie McCovey, combined). Bonds, a prolific home run hitter, is an easy choice for the intentional walk. In the first month of the 2004 baseball season, Bonds drew 43 walks, 22 of them intentional. He broke his previous record of 68 intentional walks, set in 2002, on July 10, 2004 in his last appearance before the All-Star break. On May 28, 1998, Bonds became one of only four players in Major League history to be intentionally walked with the bases loaded, when the Arizona Diamondbacks elected to give up a run and face catcher Brent Mayne instead.

Related Topics:
Intentional walk - 2004 - Hank Aaron - Willie McCovey - Home run - 2002 - July 10 - All-Star - May 28 - 1998

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On September 17, 2004 Bonds hit his 700th home run off San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy in San Francisco and became only the third man to achieve the 700 home run plateau.

Related Topics:
September 17 - 2004 - San Diego Padres - Jake Peavy

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