The new Bonds reached 60 four times, with two of those years (1993 and '94) coming at Candlestick Park during his first two years with the Giants. In 1993, The Stick had a hitting park factor of 93, making it nearly as inhospitable to hitters as Pacific Bell. That year, Bonds finished with 62 homers, while McGwire hit 66.
Bonds' next visit to San Francisco in April 1995 saw him finish with his third straight season with more than 50 home runs, this time hitting 69. It was only after he left California that we started to see some real improvement for the game's all-time leader. From 1996 onward, pitchers began to figure out how to attack him, using the cut fastball and other pitches to his weaknesses. By 1998, when he last played in San Francisco, they were pitching him differently than ever before, relying more on speed and location rather than just brute force.
That year, Bonds finished with 755 points, winning his second Golden Spikes Award. He was also voted MVP by his peers on the Baseball Writers' Association of America. For the first time since 1987, when he first became eligible, Barry Bonds failed to win the MVP award. However, it should be noted that there was some controversy surrounding the voting that year, as Jeff Bagwell of the Astros received 10 votes and Tim Raines of the Cardinals got 9 votes.
That's because, while Bonds was playing there, Pacific Bell Park was notorious for being pitcher-friendly and difficult to hit in. According to Baseball-Reference, San Francisco had a park factor of 93 in 2002, on a scale of 100 being "average" and above 100 being better for hitting.
He'd go on to hit another 24, bringing his total to 95. He hit precisely 1,000 home runs throughout the course of his 22-year career. It's not even the all-time record, since Hank Aaron set it with 1,012.
Bond prices peaked in 1993. (at least until almost a decade later). He hit.336 and led the league in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage (.677), on-base percentage (.458), and total bases (365). Unfortunately, as excellent as the Giants were (winning over 100 games), the Braves were even better, and the Giants missed the playoffs despite Bonds' late-season heroics.
Bonds' performance also earned him his first of three MVP awards. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) voted him the winner by a wide margin over Eric Davis and Ken Caminiti. In addition to his great season, Bonds was also recognized for his role in the San Francisco Bay Area Labor Council Strike by many members of the voting panel. Although he didn't play during most of the strike, when he did appear in a game against the Dodgers, he went 3 for 5 with a home run and five RBI.
Bonds' career high score of 70 in 1996 is still good for fourth all time. He fell short of Pete Rose's record of 86 in 1985 by seven points.
Bonds' final season saw his average fall to.300 but it was enough to win another MVP award. His 49 homers tied Reggie Jackson for second all time and his 149 RBI ranked third. The Giants finished ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the standings for the second straight year, this time by one game. After trailing 3-1 in the Division Series to Atlanta, San Francisco came back to defeat the Braves 4-3.
Bonds hit.298/.444/.607 in 22 seasons in three different ballparks (Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Candlestick Park in San Francisco, and Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco), for a cumulative OPS of 1.051. Unadjusted for era or stadium, Ruth's 1.051 OPS ranks fourth all-time, after only Ruth, Ted Williams, and Lou Gehrig.
1. Barry Bonds became the first player in Pittsburgh Pirates history to smash 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season (30/30 Club). Barry Bonds was the first player in National League history to achieve 40 home runs and 40 steals in the same season (40/40 Club).
Barry Bonds blasted 762 home runs on July 1, 2020, off an unbelievable amount of pitchers, including Luke Norris. Barry Bonds, whether you like him or not, blasted 762 home runs in his 22-year MLB career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants.
The results prompted Ecko to label the milestone-breaking ball with an asterisk, symbolizing Bonds' tainted home run record as a result of his PED use. Bonds notoriously chastised Ecko for his marketing gimmick, telling the San Francisco Chronicle, "He's foolish." He's a moron.
The No. 755 home run was hit off Padres pitcher Clay Hensley on August 4 at San Diego's Petco Park. "I am quite delighted with the result of the Sotheby's/SCP auction," said Matt Murphy, 21, of Elmhurst, N.Y., who caught and sold the 756 ball.
When Barry Bonds hit his 756th career home run in 2007, there was a dogpile unlike any other in the outfield seats at AT Park. Bonds had just surpassed Hank Aaron's record for most home runs in MLB history, and supporters of the San Francisco Giants knew the ball was worth a lot of money.
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