Biography of Barry Bonds

He has become one of baseball's most dangerous hitters and is one of the best overall players in the modern era of the game. As he closes in on the all-time home run title, currently held by Hank Aaron, injury and controversy have stood in his way during this latter part of his career.

Bonds was born on July 24, 1964, in Riverside, Calif. The son of Hall of Fame player Bobby Bonds, Barry was a baseball star in high school and was also very good at basketball and football. After he graduated he was immediately drafted by the Giants. But he chose not to play right away, instead opting for a college education. He attended Arizona State University and earned his degree in criminal justice while playing ball for the school's team, the Sun Devils.

After he graduated college, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 where he would play until becoming a free agent in 1993. The Giants came calling once again, and Bonds signed with the team. Now playing where his father and godfather (baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays) played, Bonds has honed his skills and become a consistent force in the game.

His numbers say it all. Eight Gold Glove awards. 13-time All-Star. Seven-time Most Valuable Player, four of them consecutive. During the 1996 season he became only the third member of the 40-40 club, having at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases. Bonds is also the only member of the 500-500 club, with 500 long balls and 500 stolen bases. In 2004 he was walked an astounding 232 times, 120 of them intentional, making him the first player ever to surpass the 200 mark in a single season. The feat helped him take over first place on the all-time list.

When it comes to home runs, Bonds broke the single season record of 70 in 2001, set by Mark McGwire in 1998, going yard an unfathomable 73 times. He is only the fourth player to join the "600 Club," the elite group of only four players in the sport's history to hit over 600 home runs. On top of that, he is only the third player to enter the "700 Club," behind only Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).

After the 2004 season he was within striking distance of Aaron's 755, sitting pretty at 703. Needing only 53 to break the record isn't something impossible to accomplish by the end of the 2005 season, but at training camp Bonds announced that he would require surgery on one of his knees. The operation could possibly be season ending. Two months later he went under the knife again. It was his third surgery on the knee since March, and over the summer he kept the media and fans updated on his state of rehab through messages on his website. As of late August, Bonds was taking batting practice and optimistic speculation has been that he could possibly return at some point in September.

Prior to the 2005 campaign, Bonds was mired in accusations that he took steroids. He vehemently denied the allegations until finally admitting that he had unknowingly taken two substances that he believed weren't performance enhancing drugs banned by Major League Baseball. This ongoing scandal involves several players (including Bonds) and the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), and it has even reached the United States Senate. The steroid controversy began when Bonds' trainer, Greg F. Anderson, was indicted for allegedly supplying steroids to athletes.

It is as yet unknown what the 2006 season will bring for Bonds. It is the final year of his contract with the Giants, and speculation has it that he might be a better fit in the American League as a designated hitter. Both his age coupled with the risk of everyday play on his surgically repaired knee have led to this one theory about his future. His 2004 salary, despite sitting out the season, is $22 million and he is due to make another $18 million in 2005. The team may opt to trade him to free up salary if he cannot play in the outfield regularly because of the knee.