Barry Bonds turns 48 today.

Ten Notes on Barry Bonds.

1- I have been watching baseball since 1967- Barry Bonds is the most gifted baseball player I have ever seen. Being able to watch him day in and day out with the Pirates for 7 years. What a talent. What great abilities he had. He did it all in Pittsburgh- expect perform in the playoffs. It wasn’t like he had average playoffs those 3 years he stunk the joint out. He was worthless when the pressure was on and you could just look at him and know- he’s not going to get a hit.

2- Bonds was by all accounts a jerk from day 1. He came in with an attitude and a chip on his shoulder and it never left. I have a couple of theories why- 1- he was the son of Bobby Bonds and the Godson of Willie Mays.  As the great song “Willie, Mickey and the Duke” said ” and Bobby Bonds can play for everyone” I know at the end of his life they were singing Bobby’s praises but Bobby wasn’t an easy man to get along with. Extremely talented like his son. In his last 8 seasons he played for 8 different teams. Even when he would have a good year he would still get traded. He wasn’t a guy you wanted on your team or a guy you won with. 2- I think Barry being the son of a star player felt entitled. 3- He was the godson of the great Willie Mays. Willie Mays as it goes- started out a very likeable young man who became embittered as he grew older. [the opposite I guess is Frank Robinson who as a ballplayer was reportedly a difficult person but has with age grown much nicer as a person- Willie I understand is in person not a joy to be around..so it goes.

3- Barry Bonds never seemed to enjoy playing. He was a great talent, he had unbelievably great seasons, historical seasons but I never saw a great joy there. Watching say George Brett or Kirby Puckett those guys loved baseball. I think with Barry it was something he was great at. Just because you are great at something doesn’t mean you necessarily love it.

4- Should Barry be in the Hall of Fame? He was a Hall of Famer before he started juicing. The juicing just took him up another few levels. I think eventually and it may be many years from now, after these players have passed on but they will finally go in. Having said that I hope they make Barry wait a long time. It will be interesting to see how the vote goes when he comes up.

5-7 MVP Awards,  14 time all-star, 8 time Gold Glove Award winner {lets remember though he had NO arm. }

6- In Pittsburgh the comparison between Bonds and the Great Roberto Clemente has always been a popular one. Bonds has the greater numbers. If I had a team I’d want Clemente on it, not Bonds.

7- Sid Bream. The last moment of Bonds career in Pittsburgh. The Sid Slides play. If that were Clemente in the outfield Bream wouldn’t have even rounded third base on that play. If he had tried to score he would have been gunned out. Sid Bream ran like a 90 year old great -grandma.  Bonds threw a baseball like a 90 year old grandma.  Everyone knew it. They sent Sid home on that play because they knew Bonds has a candy arm. That sums up his career to me. When the money was on the table-Mr June wasn’t there.

8- To me and I think to many the all time single season home run champ is still Roger Maris with 61 home runs in 1961 and the all-time home run champion is Henry Aaron with 755. I don’t recognize the totals of Sosa.McGwire or Bonds as being legit.

9-I know people’s bodies change over the years but the Barry Bonds that came up with the Pirates in 1986…even the one who left Pittsburgh in 1992 looks nothing like the Barry Bonds who was shattering home run records. JUICED.

10. There are two athletes who seem to me to be the most unloved great players- Bonds and basketball’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Jabbar was one of the all-time greats. He was tremendous.  Everyone admired Jabbar and his game. I know of no one who ever said “Jabbar he’s my favorite player” Jabbar was a sullen man who seemed to have no joy at what he was great at either. He treated it like Bonds did- another day at the job. I think Jabbar is a pretty highly intelligent person though. Maybe that is just how he was. I do not think Bonds is all that smart. In all the interviews I’ve heard him do over the years he never struck me as…intelligent. Just a self-centered jerk. I will give this to Bonds he was never a phony. He came into the league a difficult person and he left a difficult person. He never played nice for anyone.

The Barry Bonds Rookie Card