Angels, Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Indians, Rangers, White Sox, Yankees
Position
Right Field
Bobby Bonds and son Barry share the record with 5 seasons of 30 homers and 30 steals; Bobby was first to total at least 300 homers & 400 steals in a career.
After his first 10 years in the big leagues, Bobby Bonds was on a path to Cooperstown
Bobby Bonds began his big league career with the Giants in 1968. For the next decade he was marched toward Cooperstown.
In 1969 Bonds established himself as one of the game’s bright young stars. The right fielder led the NL with 120 runs scored. He slugged 32 homers, stole 45 bases, drove in 9
After his first 10 years in the big leagues, Bobby Bonds was on a path to Cooperstown
Bobby Bonds began his big league career with the Giants in 1968. For the next decade he was marched toward Cooperstown.
In 1969 Bonds established himself as one of the game’s bright young stars. The right fielder led the NL with 120 runs scored. He slugged 32 homers, stole 45 bases, drove in 90 runs and tallied a 131 OPS+. Bonds followed that up with a 200-hit campaign in ’70 when he slugged .504.
An All Star for the first time in ’71, Bonds smacked 32 homers with 102 RBI while scoring 110 runs. After a down year in ’72, Bonds rebounded in ’73 to come within one home run of becoming baseball’s first 40-homer/40-steal man. He led the NL in both runs scored (131) and total bases (341). Defensively he earned his second Gold Glove to give him a career-best 7.8 WAR.
Though he received his third Gold Glove in ’74, his numbers dipped across the board. Bonds’ statistical decline and problems with alcohol led to an offseason trade for the Yankees’ Bobby Murcer.
Bonds returned to All Star form in New York, recording his third 30-homer/30-steal campaign. In December, 1975 the Yankees sent him to the Angels. His second year with the Halos was one of his finest. Bonds scored 103 runs, hit 37 homers, tallied 308 total bases, drove in 115 runs, and stole 41 bags.
After his two years in Anaheim, Bonds was a veteran of 10 MLB seasons. His 50.3 WAR in his first decade of service was historically great among right fielders. Before Bonds, only five men at his position recorded a higher WAR in their first 10 years. Hank Aaron (73.9), Reggie Jackson (53.7), Paul Waner (53.3), Elmer Flick (52.3), and Mel Ott (52.2) are all in the Hall of Fame.
Despite his performance, the Angels dealt him to the White Sox. Splitting between Chicago and the Rangers in ’78, Bonds enjoyed the last of his 30/30 seasons.
In his final three big league seasons, Bonds played for the Indians, Cardinals, and Cubs before retiring in 1981. The three-time All Star and three-time Gold Glove winner finished his career as the only player with at least 300 homers and 400 steals. Today he’s joined only by his son Barry.
The elder Bonds had nine seasons with at least 25 homers, eight years with at least 80 RBI, and nine campaigns with an OPS of at least 120. Eleven times he swiped at least 25 bags, highlighted by three seasons of 40+ steals.
Though his career falls short of Cooperstown, Bobby Bonds remains one of the game’s great talents.
In the collection is this index card signed in spring training by Bobby on March 30, 1973. Bonds was about to embark on a career year. He posted career-highs in homers, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, runs and total bases. In the latter two categories he led the league. By the time the season ended he had a career-best 7.8 WAR.
In '74 Bobby Bonds was traded for Bobby Murcer in the first straight swap of $100K players
On October 22, 1974, Yankees general manager Gabe Paul engineered the game’s first swap of $100,000 players. The deal was a one-for-one trade of Bobby Bonds for Bobby Murcer.
On many levels, the deal made sense.
Bobby Bonds had his career year in 1973. The 27-year old outfielder came within on
Bobby Bonds had his career year in 1973. The 27-year old outfielder came within one home run of becoming baseball’s first 40-homer/40-steal man. His 131 runs and 341 total bases led the NL; his 7.8 WAR was a career best. The Giants star earned a Gold Glove and finished third in MVP balloting.
He followed it up with a disappointing year in ’74.
Meanwhile in New York, Murcer stood as the highest-paid player in Yankee franchise history. From ’71-’73, he had a 160 OPS+ and averaged 6.6 WAR per season. Then in ’74 he slipped to a 106 OPS+ and a 1.1 WAR.
GM Paul figured a change of scenery might benefit both talented performers. Baseball’s first trade of $100,000 men was done.
Murcer never again regained form. After leaving San Francisco Bonds played for 7 teams in as many seasons before retiring in 1981.
Shown here is a Bobby Murcer autographed Strat-O-Matic card from 1978. Bucknell University math major Hal Richman originated the Strat-O-Matic game in 1961. Advertised in Sports Illustrated and sold out of Richman’s basement, Strat-O-Matic gave its players the ability to make managerial decisions based on MLB statistics.
From 1974-1981 Bobby Bonds played for eight big league franchises
Despite his immense skills as a ball player, Bobby Bonds was one of the most well-traveled players of his era.
The outfielder started out with great stability, playing his first 7 seasons in San Francisco. His final year with the Giants came in his third Gold Glove season of 1974. From there he boun
From 1974-1981 Bobby Bonds played for eight big league franchises
Despite his immense skills as a ball player, Bobby Bonds was one of the most well-traveled players of his era.
The outfielder started out with great stability, playing his first 7 seasons in San Francisco. His final year with the Giants came in his third Gold Glove season of 1974. From there he bounced around.
After a year with the Yankees and two with the Angels, Bonds spent 1978 with the White Sox and the Rangers. Then it was on to Cleveland in ’79, St. Louis in ’80 and a final big league season with the Cubs in ’81.
In the collection is this letter dated December 19, 1977. Written on White Sox letterhead, it is authored by Chicago owner and Hall of Famer Bill Veeck two weeks after acquiring Bonds in a six-player deal. Veeck has high praise for Bonds.
“Yes, we feel very good about the acquisition of Bobby Bonds. Anytime you can get a complete player, such as he is, it gives one the feeling of a job well accomplished. We are looking forward to Bobby playing a vital role with the White Sox.”
Veeck had every reason to feel optimistic. The year before, Bonds was terrific with 37 homers, 41 stolen bases, 115 RBI and a .520 slugging percentage.
Two months after the trade Bonds caused a two-car accident and was arrested for drunk driving. His sentence was three years of probation.
Bonds’ stay in the Windy City was brief; the Sox dealt him in May after just 26 games.
Bobby and Barry Bonds are the only players to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in 5 seasons
Over 200 big league players have sons who also played the game at the highest level. Bobby and Barry Bonds stand together as perhaps the greatest father/son duo the game has ever known.
They combined to his 1,094 homers, steal 975 bases, and score 3,485 runs, tops among father/son pairs. Bobby and B
Bobby and Barry Bonds are the only players to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in 5 seasons
Over 200 big league players have sons who also played the game at the highest level. Bobby and Barry Bonds stand together as perhaps the greatest father/son duo the game has ever known.
They combined to his 1,094 homers, steal 975 bases, and score 3,485 runs, tops among father/son pairs. Bobby and Barry are the only two players in big league history to record at least 300 homers and 400 stolen bases. The record for most 30-homer/30-steal seasons is 5, done by just two players – Bobby and Barry.
They combined to make 17 All Star Games, and win 11 Gold Gloves. Neither man earned a World Series ring.
When Dusty Baker got his first managerial job in San Francisco, he hired old friend Bobby as a coach in 1993. It was also Barry’s first year with the Giants. They suited up together until 1996. Barry went on to break the single-season and career home run marks. Bobby passed away at age 57 in 2003.
Shown here is a Barry’s contract with the Autographed Ball Company. Signed on May 13, 1988, the deal allows the company to put Bonds’ signature on stamped autographed team baseballs. For his work Bonds received one penny per ball sold.
Production isn’t enough for a contract Imagine the salary a free agent could demand coming off of an All-Star year in which he led the league in walks and on-base percentage while slugging 28 homers. Teams would line up for his services, hoping to add that rare combination of offense to their lineup. There was one such a free agent available in the off-season of 2008, but nobody signed him that winter. In fact he never played another inning in the major leagues. Such is the life when you’re Barry Lamar Bonds. Stories abound about of his black lounge chair and extra locker in his corner of the clubhouse at Pac Bell Park. His trial for obstruction and lying to a grand jury started last week with an admission of taking steroids and a far-fetched defense of never knowingly doing so. With his prickly personality, and prima donna attitude, Bonds can be a tough guy to like. He was no fan of the media. And as it turns out, he wasn’t always a fan of official scorers either. The early days of the defensive shift During his playing days, Bonds pulled the ball with such consistency that teams employed a defensive shift. The […]
(Editors’ note: Mike Piazza was inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 24, 2016.) Can the game’s story be complete without a plaque of the baseball’s all-time home run leader? Doesn’t the man with the most Cy Young Awards deserve induction? How about the catcher with the most career homers? All have been on the ballot, yet none is enshrined. The allegations pointed toward Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are well-documented. The case for Mike Piazza remains less clear. Certainly his numbers are certainly Cooperstown-worthy. Amassed in any other era, his 427 homers and .308 lifetime average would be enough to garner the catcher a bronze plaque. Piazza’s six seasons with at least 100 runs batted in, 12 all-star appearances, and ten Silver Slugger awards certainly seem Cooperstown-worthy. In today’s Hall of Fame voting process, however, numbers aren’t enough. That’s where hypocrisy begins to creep in. During the steroid era, the Baseball Writers concerned themselves only with on-field performance. Seven times they voted prickly Barry Bonds the MVP; seven times they cast enough votes for Roger Clemens to receive the Cy Young Award. No one cared then that the players’ statistics might have been aided by performance enhancing drugs. When those same two players were on the Hall of Fame […]
Baseball was certainly asleep on steroids for years, but those players with HOF stats who we know cheated with steroids were adults who made the decision to cheat. Maybe they get in 50 years from now but not now. I don’t miss them. I was/am a Pete Rose fan, and there is no evidence that he cheated on the field. The rule about betting on baseball is posted in every locker room in professional baseball. Pete flaunted that rule, and if he’s apologetic now, it is not apparent to me. 4256 is a huge number and will likely not be broken. I am sad Pete is not in the HOF, but his failure is completely self inflicted. Very sad but deserved.
Baseball was certainly asleep on steroids for years, but those players with HOF stats who we know cheated with steroids were adults who made the decision to cheat. Maybe they get in 50 years from now but not now. I don’t miss them. I was/am a Pete Rose fan, and there is no evidence that he cheated on the field. The rule about betting on baseball is posted in every locker room in professional baseball. Pete flaunted that rule, and if he’s apologetic now, it is not apparent to me. 4256 is a huge number and will likely not be broken. I am sad Pete is not in the HOF, but his failure is completely self inflicted. Very sad but deserved.