WHY I THINK BOBBY BONDS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK BOBBY BONDS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Bobby Bonds, the father of Barry Bonds, was among the best baseball players of his day and an unusual combination of speed and power. When he first came up with the Giants in 1968, people saw his skill and advertised Bonds as the next Willie Mays. In 1978, he joined Mays as the second player ever to be in the 30-30 club in successive seasons. Bonds was a 30-30 man five times. Bobby Bonds could also field, winning three Gold Glove awards. He started his career with the Giants in 1968, belting a mammoth grand slam in his MLB debut and batted .254 in 81 games. Bonds batted .259 in the summer of 1969 and led the NL in runs scored. He also led in strikeouts for the first time, and he would pace his league twice more. Bonds batted .302 and had his first 100 RBI season in 1970 and hit .288 in 1971 before dropping a bit to .259 in 1972. Bonds had his best year in 1973, batting .283 with 39 home runs and 43 steals, just missing out as the first 40-40 man in baseball history. He led the NL in total bases and runs scored, finished third as the NL MVP, and was the MVP of the all-star game. Bonds returned in 1974 to bat .256 and was traded to the Yankees for Bobby Murcer when he teed off owner Horace Stoneham and batted .270 with them in 1975. He was traded to the California Angels after 1975 and batted .265 in 99 games for the Halos in 1976. In 1977 Bonds batted .264 with 41 steals and set Angels' single season records for home runs, total bases, RBI’s, and extra-base hits. He batted .267 with 30-30 numbers again in 1978 for the White Sox and Rangers and hit .275 for the Indians in 1979. Bonds slumped very, very badly in 86 games for the Cardinals in 1980 and retired after batting only .215 in 45 games in 1981 with the Cubs. He went from the top of the baseball world to oblivion in a heartbeat, a fact that overshadowed his true greatness and likely ruined his chances for the Hall of Fame. Had he retired after the 1979 season, he probably would have made it. Bobby Bonds was a great slugger, an incredible base thief, and had one of the great rightfield arms in MLB history. He was a consummate five tool player for a lot of his career. He deserves an honorable spot in Cooperstown. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games career: 1,849 season high: 160 in 1973

At Bats career: 7,043 season high: 663 in 1970

Hits career: 1,886 season high: 200 in 1970

Doubles career: 302 season high: 36 in 1970

Triples career: 66 season high: 10 in 1970

Home Runs career: 332 season high: 39 in 1973

Runs career: 1,258 season high: 134 in 1970 led NL: 120 in 1969, 131 in 1973

Runs Batted In career: 1,024 season high: 115 in 1977

Stolen Bases career: 461 season high: 48 in 1970

Walks career: 914 season high: 95 in 1974

Strikeouts career: 1,757 season high: 189 in 1970 led NL: 187 in 1969, 189 in 1970, 148 in 1973 

Batting Average career: .268 season high: .302 in 1970

On Base Percentage career: .353 season high: .375 in 1970 and 1975

Slugging Percentage career: .471 season high: .530 in 1973

Total Bases career: 3,316 season high: 341 in 1973 led NL: 341 in 1973

Sacrifice Hits career: 16 season high: 4 in 1979

Fielding Percentage career: .977 season high: .994 in 1971 led AL RF: .996 in 1971

Double Plays career: 40 season high: 7 in 1970 led NL RF: 7 in 1970, 3 in 1972, 5 in 1973 led AL RF: 6 in 1978

Putouts career: 3,659 season high: 350 in 1973 led NL RF: 299 in 1972, 347 in 1973 led AL RF: 279 in 1977

Assists career: 128 season high: 16 in 1978 

DID YOU KNOW?

-was a three time all-star (1971, 1973, and 1975) and the all-star MVP in 1973 with a homer

-hit 35 leadoff home runs, which was the most ever until Rickey Henderson hit his 36th in 1989 

-scored over 100 runs six times 

-set the MLB record with 11 leadoff homers in 1973, and was named the NL Sporting News Player of the Year 

-had a record five 30-30 years, and was the first ever to have more than two in an entire career 

-finished 30th in the NL MVP voting in both 1969 and 1975, finished fourth in 1971, and was 16th in the 1977 AL MVP polls 

-led the NL in stolen base percentage (.9184) in 1969 

-led NL rightfielders in games in 1972 (141) 

-batted .250 with a pair of walks in the 1971 NLCS, which was his only postseason action 

-was named the AL Player of the Week on September 21, 1975 

-had over 300 total bases four times and slugged over .500 five times 

-hit over 20 doubles in a season nine times and 19 once 

-finished second in the league in runs scored from 1970 through 1972 

-also played 64 games in leftfield, 296 in centerfield, 81 as a DH, 39 as a pinch hitter, and 15 as a pinch runner 

-among MLB rightfielders, ranks 29th in career games, 14th in double plays, 26th in putouts, and 45th in assists