SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Some weighty roster decisions will be included in the Giants' cargo next week when they travel to the Bay Area for their final Spring Training exhibition games.
From the lineup to the bench, roles are likely to stay open for competition when the Giants play their Triple-A Sacramento affiliate in the state capital on March 24. The three-game Bay Bridge Series against the Oakland A's, set for March 25-27, also is likely to serve as a proving ground for players whose immediate future hangs in the balance.
Front and center among the unresolved issues is center field. The range of scenarios that appeared possible when camp opened remain intact. Rookie Steven Duggar could win the job outright, or the left-handed-hitting Duggar might platoon with Austin Jackson, a right-handed hitter. Sending Duggar back to Sacramento for more seasoning is another possibility.
Optioning Duggar would open a second backup spot for what's expected to be a five-man outfield contingent. Manager Bruce Bochy has emphasized that the club will not carry six outfielders on the 25-man Opening Day roster.
San Francisco also must select a utility infielder from among a crowd of candidates.
As part of February's Spring Training preview, MLB.com took an early guess at what the Opening Day roster will look like. Here's a second attempt.
Catcher (2): Buster Posey, Nick Hundley
No need for changes here, though if either player is sidelined, the Giants know that they can call upon Trevor Brown for help.
First base (1): Brandon Belt
Belt looks assertive both at the plate and in the field, demonstrating his full recovery from the concussion that sidelined him for the final 51 games of the 2017 season.
Second base (1): Joe Panik
Panik's solid Cactus League performance prompted Bochy to assign him leadoff duties, at least against right-handed starters.
Third base (1): Evan Longoria
San Francisco wants Longoria in there when it counts, which explains his infrequent Cactus League appearances, as the club ensures that his left foot and heel are sufficiently whole before he plays regularly.
Shortstop (1): Brandon Crawford
Crawford looks ready to capture his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award.
Utility (4): Mac Williamson, Gregor Blanco, Kelby Tomlinson, Pablo Sandoval
If Williamson continues to hit, he'll unseat Gorkys Hernandez, who was a 25-man finalist in the first forecast. So was Tomlinson, who can't afford to relax lest he be supplanted by Chase d'Arnaud or Josh Rutledge.
Outfield (3): Hunter Pence, Jackson, Andrew McCutchen
This assumes that the Giants decide to give Duggar regular activity at Triple-A until he matures a little more offensively. Once that happens, Duggar will become San Francisco's center fielder, quite possibly for a long time. Jackson then would become a super sub, receiving ample playing time in left and right field to relieve Pence and McCutchen, respectively.
Starting pitchers (5): Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Chris Stratton, Ty Blach
The only possible surprise would be to install Blach temporarily as the fourth starter. That would give him three April appearances against the Dodgers, a team he's comfortable facing. But Stratton may have clinched the No. 4 spot with his strong spring.
Relievers (7): Sam Dyson, Cory Gearrin, Derek Law, Josh Osich, Hunter Strickland, Tony Watson, Mark Melancon
Watson, acquired since the original roster prediction was made, is a lock to make the team. He also would be likely to serve as a co-closer with Dyson if Melancon, who admitted feeling mild discomfort in his surgically repaired right forearm, needs a break or is sidelined. Steven Okert was on the original list but has been optioned to the Minors.
Source: MLB | Chris Haft | March 15th, 2018
]]>The number will be retired on Aug. 11, 2018, when the Giants host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bonds spent 15 of his 22 major league seasons with San Francisco; the other seven were with Pittsburgh. He currently serves as a special adviser for the Giants.
"I'm both honored and humbled that the Giants are going to retire my number this season," the 53-year-old Bonds said in a statement. "As I've always said, the Giants and Giants fans, are a part of my family. Growing up, Candlestick Park was my home away from home, and it is where my dad [Bobby Bonds] and godfather Willie [Mays] played.
"For me to have played on the same field as them, wear the same uniform and now have my number retired, joining Willie and the other Giants legends is extremely special. Number 25 has meant a lot to me throughout my career and it is even more special that I got to share that with my dad."
Bobby Bonds also wore No. 25 with the Giants.
Barry Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP and 14-time All-Star selection whose career was tainted by the league's steroids scandal, finished his career with an MLB-record 762 home runs. He broke Hank Aaron's home run record with No. 756 on Aug. 7, 2007.
Bonds will be the sixth member of the San Francisco Giants to have his number retired -- joining Mays (No. 24), Orlando Cepeda (30), Juan Marichal (27), Willie McCovey (44) and Gaylord Perry (36). He is the 12th player in franchise history, including the New York Giants, to earn the honor.
Source: ESPN | February 6th, 2018
]]>Ah yes, the bat flip. Throughout baseball's glorious history, we have witnessed some truly epic tosses of the lumber.
MLB Network aired "The Top 50 Bat Flips of All Time" on Sunday, and we rounded up some of our favorite bat flips of all time.
Josh Donaldson's green and gold walk-off
When All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson was sporting the green and gold in Oakland, he was behind a masterful walk-off win against the Phillies that resulted in a memorable flip of the bat.
On Sept. 21, 2014, the A's and the Phillies were all tied up, 6-6 … until the bottom of the 10th inning. That's when the All-Star third baseman, Donaldson blasted a game-winning, two-run homer and effortlessly flipped his bat:
He's a natural.
Barry Bonds' 70th home run
Barry Bonds is synonymous with hitting balls over the fence. But maybe his name belongs in the bat flip conversation, too. When he hit his 70th home run of the 2001 season (tying Mark McGwire's 1998 season record), he didn't leave us disappointed:
Textbook.
Jose Bautista's bat flip around the world
During the bottom of the 7th inning of 2015's American League Division Series Game 5, the Blue Jays and Rangers were tied, 3-3. Then, this happened:
Jose Bautista gifted us with a bat flip we will never forget. And "MLB Tonight" even had a Statcast segment on it, because why not?
Bryce Harper's hair and bat flip
We all know Bryce Harper is talented on the field, and we all know he also has luscious locks he can work with to add a little extra "something" to his outings.
During Game 2 of the National League Division Series in 2017, Harper hammered a two-run bomb into the atmosphere (or right-field upper deck) against the Cubs. And, well:
We got a bat flip and a hair flip.
Yasiel Puig … being Yasiel Puig
Last season, Dodgers slugger Yasiel Puig, of course, gave us bat flips aplenty.
But during last season's Game 2 of the NLDS against the D-backs, he gave us one on A SINGLE:
That's one way to protect on a 1-2 pitch.
Wladimir Balentien's WBC bat flip
Remember the whirlwind of the World Baseball Classic? It was the perfect primer to get us prepared for 2017, especially due tothe performance of Wladimir Balentien.
The outfielder, representing The Netherlands, launched a monster homer against Puerto Rico during the WBC Semifinals. Then, he presented us with a bat flip that had a lot of emotion and chest bumping behind it:
That'll pump you up.
Tom Lawless, Game 4 walk off
Let's take a trip down memory lane.
The Twins and the Cardinals were battling it out in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series. During the bottom of the fourth, Tom Lawless stepped up to the plate and launched a three-run homer to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead … and us an epic bat flip:
The Cardinals went on to win 7-2.
Billy Butler vs. the Indians
Back in July of 2016, then-Oakland A Billy Butler launched anenormous home run against the Indians. It was his fourth bomb of the season, and he made this one count:
Butler knew this baby was gone the moment he made contact: The line drive cleared the wall (by a lot) and tied the game.
Pitchers who rake (with bonus Vin Scully)
This bat flip had every element a true baseball fan could crave. Not only did Dodgers pitcher Hung-Chih Kuo hit his first home run of his Major League career, he bat flipped and he had Vin Scully narrating it.
That was his only career home run, and he certainly made it count.
Cody Ross' walk-off sacrifice fly
Back in April of 2013, Cody Ross hit a sacrifice fly against the Rockies in the bottom of the 10th inning. A.J. Pollock tagged up from third to get the 3-2 win, and then … well, Ross' bat flip will make you react out loud:
Beautiful.
Source: MLB | Jessica Kleinschmidt | January 21, 2018
2,000+ lot auction open for bidding on May 1, at www.GoldinAuctions.com
RUNNEMEDE, NJ – MAY 1, 2017 – Baseball and sports memorabilia are all about the numbers as collectors crave artifacts from the most iconic moments in which legendary players reached lofty plateaus. Although many have been lost to history, one such item that has not headlines the 2017 Goldin Auctions Spring Auction. The historic #716 is up for bids as Barry Bonds has consigned his full uniform and the bat he used to join Hank Aaron as the only player to hit 716 career home runs. Seventy-five (70) premium lots, including the Bonds #716 collection will be sold at a live auction on May 20 at the NYY Steakhouse in New York City. The corresponding online auction at www.GoldinAuctions.com,, opens on May 1 with 2,000+ additional lots and closes on June 3.
The lot includes the complete jersey, pants, socks, bat, cleats, wrist bands and batting gloves worn by Bonds on June 5, 2006, when he hit career home run 716 off Marlins pitcher Brian Moehler in a 14-2 Giants win.
This collection represents the highest “home run total” uniform and bat ever offered for public sale by any baseball player. In fact, it is the only certified game used bat attributed to a home run 700 or higher has ever been offered for sale. The lot comes with personally signed letters of authenticity from Barry Bonds as well as MLB Authenticated and Barry Bonds holograms to ensure its provenance.
“In more than 30 years I have never seen a finer and more complete collection of memorabilia representing an historic moment,” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions. “As a student of the game, and arguably the greatest player ever, Barry was keenly aware of the history he was making and took great pride in chronicling it and saving historic mementos from his journey. This rare museum-quality collection will make a great centerpiece to a collection.”
The key item in the lot is the bat Bonds used to hit his historic 716th home run. The model 25BONDS2K1 Sam Bat shows great game use with several distinct ball marks with visible white leather ball scuffs. Bonds signed the barrel in silver pen adding “6-5-06 #716”.
Bonds also set aside everything he wore that night including his home cream Giants uniform with his name signed in silver pen with the inscription “6-5-06 #716” in the number 5. The jersey shows light wear with several small pine tar stains and scuffing. The matching cream color pants have the Majestic label sewn inside the waistband with “25 37-48 37 OB” in black chain stitching on a white strip tag. A Bonds number “25” patch is affixed to the left of the label. “6-5-06 #716” is hand written in black marker on the waist band. The pants have some light wear with a few pine tar stains and light scuffing.
Also included are Bonds’ Fila game-worn orange and black cleats featuring a special “BONDS 25 2006” logo on their tongues and the Bonds 25 logo on the back of each shoe where each has been marked in silver marker “6-5-06 #716” to identify them as the shoes he wore that night. The cleats show moderate wear with the expected scuffs and turf stains from game use, and even some San Francisco turf clinging to the cleats. The lot also includes the two Franklin batting gloves and Fila wristbands he wore in the game. The gloves are each marked in silver marker “6-5-06 #716” and the wrist bands have the Bonds 25 patches affixed. A lot of three Rawlings Official Major League baseballs which were used in the game are included with each marked in blue ballpoint “6-5-06 #716”.
Barry Bonds is undeniably one of the greatest players in baseball history. During a 22-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants he earned a record seven N.L. MVP Awards. The 14-time All-Star and 8-time Gold Glove winner is baseball’s all-time home run leader with 762 and the single-season home run record holder with 73 in 2001. He was a 4-time member of the 30-30 club and one of just four players in the 40-40 club. His 1,996 career RBI’s are fifth all-time and his 2,558 walks and 688 intentional walks are first all-time.
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Last week, the Giants announced that they were bringing franchise legend Barry Bonds back to the Bay as special advisor to the CEO.
As part of his new job, Bonds will be working with San Francisco's hitters -- and really, what better way to learn than by watching Barry Bonds? So, during the team's batting practice session on Sunday morning, Bonds stepped into the cage and proceeded to launch dingers like it's 2001:
Barry Bonds is out here hitting homers ... pic.twitter.com/e1Clvd8HQ3
— Alex Pavlovic (@AlexPavlovic) March 26, 2017
Source: MLB.com | Chris Landers | March 26, 2017
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Source: SF Giants News Release
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No one in the history of Major League Baseball has hit more home runs than Barry Bonds, and no one has been as feared at the plate as the man who was walked 2,558 times.
These stats, and others, have the former Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants great slotted at No. 2 in our list of the 50 top processional athletes to come out of Arizona State.
Bonds' time in the desert was both successful and controversial - perhaps a precursor to his professional career.
While hitting at a .347 average with 45 home runs and 175 RBI in three seasons with the Sun Devils, Bonds certainly drew his fair share of criticism. There was a pine tar incident, petty theft accusations, and missed curfews.
Oh, and a nearly unanimous team-wide vote to kick Bonds off the baseball team.
Despite their problems, Bonds and the maroon and gold went on to play in two College World Series in his time with the team.
He was then selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1985 MLB Draft, making his major league debut one year later with Pittsburgh. He would go on to play seven seasons with the Pirates before becoming a free agent and choosing to spend the rest of his career with San Francisco.
The top moment of his professional career came there, when he broke the all-time career home run record that was previously held by Hank Aaron. Amidst accusations of steroid use, Bonds jacked his 756th career homer on August 7, 2007.
The 2007 campaign was his last as a player. Today, Bonds appropriately serves as a hitting coach for the Miami Marlins.
Source:
Connor Pelton | www.houseofsparky.com | August 23, 2016
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In honor of the Father's Day holiday, let's look at the best father-son combinations in baseball history. There are many of them -- over 200, in fact -- but some clearly stand above the rest. Here are the five best father-son combinations in MLB history, with an honorable mention thrown in for good measure.
1. Bobby and Barry Bonds
By any objective measure, Barry Bonds was one of the most devastating hitters in baseball history. He is the all-time home run king with 762 homers, and he retired as a career .298/.444/.607 (182 OPS+) hitter. Barry won seven MVP awards and retired with +162.4 WAR, fourth most in history. Only Babe Ruth (+183.6), Cy Young (+168.4), and Walter Johnson (+165.6) are ahead of him.
Bobby had himself a fine career as well. As an outfielder with eight teams, mostly the Giants, he hit .268/.353/.471 (129 OPS+) with 332 career home runs in parts of 14 seasons from 1968-81. He was a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove award winner. Bobby and Barry Bonds have combined for 1,094 home runs and +220.1 WAR in 4,834 games.
2. Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr.
Back in 1990, the Griffeys became the first father and son to play in an MLB game together when they suited up for the Mariners. A few weeks later, they hit back-to-back home runs.
Ken Jr. was elected to the Hall of Fame this past offseason after retiring with 630 home runs, an MVP award, and 13 All-Star Game selections. Junior spent a decade as the best and most exciting player in the game.
Ken Sr. played 19 seasons from 1973-91, mostly with the Reds, and was a three-time All-Star. The Griffeys combined to appear in 2,768 games and hit 782 home runs. They finished with +118.0 WAR.
3. Sandy Alomar Sr. and Sandy Alomar Jr. and Roberto Alomar
Although he was a career .245/.290/.288 (69 OPS+) hitter, Sandy Sr. spent parts of 15 seasons in the big leagues and did go to an All-Star game. His oldest son, Sandy Jr., played 20 season from 1988-2007. He was a six-time All-Star and the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year.
Roberto, of course, is a Hall of Famer who retired as a career .300/.371/.443 (116 OPS+) hitter with 2,724 hits. He went to 12 All-Star Games and finished in the top six of the MVP voting four times. The Alomars combined for +91.1 WAR in 5,237 games.
4. Felipe and Moises Alou
Felipe is known for being the first Dominican-born manager in history, but he was a heck of a ballplayer too. With six teams from 1958-74, Alou hit .286 with 206 homers and was a three-time All-Star. He led the league in hits in both 1966 and 1968.
Moises played for seven teams from 1990-2008 and was a six-time All-Star with two top three finishes in the MVP voting. He had a reputation for being one of the best run-producers in baseball for a long time. The Alous combined to hit 538 homers with +81.9 WAR in 4,024 games.
5. Ray Boone, Bob Boone, Aaron and Bret Boone
The Boones are a three-generation baseball family. Ray was a two-time All-Star who played from 1948-60. He led the league with 116 RBI in 1955. His son Bob was a four-time All-Star and a seven-time Gold Glover. He played from 1972-90.
Bret was the first of Bob's children to reach MLB. He played with five teams from 1992-2005, most notably the Mariners. Bret was a three-time All-Star who finished third in the 2001 MVP voting, the year he swatted 37 home runs and led the league with 141 RBI. Aaron played with six teams from 1997-09. He went to one All-Star Game and hit one very memorable home run.
The four Boones combined for a ridiculous 6,569 games played in the big leagues. They finished with +89.2 WAR. How long until the first fourth generation Boone reaches the show?
Honorable Mention: Cecil and Prince Fielder.
The Fielders join Bobby and Barry Bonds as the only father-son combinations with 300 home runs each. Prince hit his 300th dinger last summer. He's a six-time All-Star with 316 homers to his name, and, of course, he's still an active player with the Rangers.
Cecil played 13 seasons total in MLB; he played from 1985-88, went to Japan for two years, then returned to play in the show from 1990-98. He was a three-time All-Star who twice finished second in the MVP voting. Cecil led MLB in homers three times (1990-91) and RBI three times (1990-92). The Fielders have hit 635 homers with +40.8 WAR and counting.
Among the other notable father-son combinations are the Ripkens (Cal Sr., Cal Jr. and Billy), the Gwynns (Tony Sr. and Jr.), the Berras (Yogi and Dale), the Sislers (George, Dave and Dick), the Stottlemyers (Mel Sr., Mel Jr. and Todd), and the three-generations of Bells (Gus, Buddy, David and Mike).
Clearly, the Bonds and Griffeys are head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. They been the best father-son combinations in history by no small margin.
Source
Mike Axisa | cbssports.com | June 19, 2016
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The Giants also played a video featuring some of Bonds' most memorable home runs. So why not even more of a feting?
Via the AP, here's what Bonds said:
"My boss is Jeffrey (Loria) now. I want to respect him and want to respect the Marlins. We're here to play the Giants and put on a good performance. It's more respectful to the Miami fans and Miami people and if the Giants want to do something at a later date with me in the right uniform, I think that's more appropriate."
Source
Dayn Perry | cbssports.com | April 23, 2016
]]>Those who watched him play will always remember his presence at the plate, and understand that the chances of ever seeing someone like Bonds again are incredibly unlikely. His most famous accomplishments are undoubtedly the all-time home run record, as well as the single-season home run record; however, he has another that's criminally underreported and just as astonishing.
In 2004, three years after Bonds hit 73 home runs, he was walked 232 times, with 120 coming intentionally (both of which are single-season records). However, that's not what the focus of this article is; it's the fact that in 2004, he reached base 376 times, but only had 373 official at-bats. In the history of Major League Baseball, he's the only player to ever do so, and no one else has even come close.
This top 10 comprises five seasons from Bonds, three from Ted Williams, and one each from Babe Ruth and John McGraw (special thanks to BtBs contributing editor Spencer Bingol for putting this together). Other than Bonds himself, and ignoring McGraw for a moment whose included season came before the modern era of baseball, Williams has come the closest to safely reaching base more times than he had official at bats, and he didn't really come close at all. No one has even eclipsed the .900 mark other than Bonds, and he only was able to do it once.
Bonds' home run records may ultimately fall, as there are more than a few players in the game today that might have a legitimate shot, but it's nearly impossible to imagine someone reaching base more times than they had at-bats. Despite an age with sluggers such as Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and many others, they simply don't strike the same sense of fear into their opponents that Bonds did.
In 2014, Stanton's most recent full-season, he was walked 94 times, with 24 of them coming intentionally. As for Harper and Trout, their best years in terms of total walks came in 2015 (124/15), and 2013 (110/10), respectively; but neither one was within 100 walks of Bonds' 2004 season. Of course, equaling or besting Bonds' record is more than just about walks, but it's safe to say that it's an important factor.
Each member of the list above walked at least 119 times. Even in Williams' historic 1941 season, in which he hit .406, he only mustered a ratio of .735 (335 times safely reaching base vs. 456 at-bats). Of course, that's nothing to scoff at, as Williams produced the fourth best value of anyone in the modern era, but even that didn't come close to Bonds (1.008).
With all the records in baseball, this is truly one of the most ignored. When the discussion of "most unbreakable records" pops up, the most frequently referenced are Bonds' home run totals, Nolan Ryan's 5,714 strikeouts, Cy Young's win-loss record, Cal Ripken's consecutive game's played streak, and Joe DiMaggio's 56-hit game streak. While each of those could undoubtedly remain standing until our sun has depleted its core and eventually turns into a white dwarf, it's time we start recognizing Bonds' 2004 record-setting season. It's not as easy to remember as the various accomplishments mentioned above, but it's worthy of being in the conversation as one of baseball's most illustrious and unbreakable records.
Source
Matt Goldman | beyondtheboxscore.com | March 18, 2016
]]>Wait a second, the 51-year-old Bonds beat the Giancarlo Stanton? The same player who has 64 home runs in just 219 games the past two seasons and was the runner-up for the 2014 National League Most Valuable Player award? Apparently so.
Unfortunately, Mish was not able to get video of the derby.
Mish also tweeted about Bonds' reaction to winning the competition:
Bonds hit 762 home runs in his 22-year MLB career—and it appears as though he might be able to hit a few more if he got into the lineup this season.
Source
Kyle Newport | bleacherreport.com | March 16, 2016
]]>For 10 years, Gill served as an usher at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., the spring training home of the Marlins. But his love for baseball extended all the way back into the early 50s, where he attended his first game at the Polo Grounds in New York. Hill latched on to the Giants and continued supporting them even after they moved to San Francisco in 1957. And it was through that loyalty to the Giants that an appreciation for Bonds was born.
According to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post, Gill was absolutely thrilled when he learned that Bonds was joining the Marlins as hitting coach. Though he obviously did not intend to intrude on Bonds or interfere with his preparation, he felt this would be his chance to finally meet him and get him to autograph a few of the items he'd collected over the years.
Sadly, that meeting never took place. On Feb. 2, Gill died at the age of 74 after suffering a heart attack. His loss left a major void in his family, one that can never be completely filled. His loss also leaves a major void at Marlins camp, where he was well liked by those who worked with him. But thanks to Bonds, at least some of that void was filled this week when he took time to meet with Gill's family.
The meeting was quite an event for everybody involved. All Gill's wife Susan and the rest of the family had hoped for was an autograph or two to fullfill to his final wish. Instead, they were invited to Roger Dean Stadium where the Marlins unveiled a special plaque in Gill's honor.
Team President David Samson came by. And former manager Jack McKeon, and trainer Sean Cunningham, and former traveling secretary Bill Beck and others, all sharing their favorite Roger story while standing in the spot where Gill worked every day during spring training.
“I always called him ‘Tony’ because I thought he looked like (former baseball manager) Tony LaRussa,’’ McKeon told the family.
The Marlins aren't always viewed in the brightest light, but they got this one right. Little did the family know though that the best was yet to come.
A short time after the unveiling, Marlins traveling secretary Manny Colon showed up and apologized to the family because he'd been unable to secure Bonds' autograph.
Then, Colon looked over Susan’s shoulders. “Oh,” he said, “here he comes now.”
The ladies turned around and saw Barry Bonds approaching them. He smiled as he walked through the gate — Roger Gill’s gate — and gave them each a hug. Susan and her two daughters were nearly speechless. Tears flowed from their eyes.
“Hey, you’re going to get all of us crying,” Bonds said with a grin as he held Susan. “This is baseball. There’s no crying in baseball. This is a happy occasion. We are here to celebrate the memory of your husband. I hear he was a great guy.’’
Bonds spoke to the family for 15 minutes, signed some photographs and baseballs, and even took time to tickle 2-year-old Mia Baumer, Gill’s granddaughter.
An autograph would have meant the world to Gill's family, but Bonds and the Marlins gave them something much greater. They gave them a memory their husband, father and grandfather would have cherished, while giving them another reason to smile when they reflect on his life.
That's as good as it gets, really. But there's a lot more to this story too, all of which is chronicled by the Palm Beach Post. That includes how Susan Gill got the ultimate closure and her husband got the last laugh after she teased him that Bonds would never stop to give him an autograph.
Source
Mark Townsend | sports.yahoo.com | March 9, 2016
]]>Bonds was named to nine all-star games and won three MVP awards under Baker’s watch, and helped lead the Giants to the 2002 World Series. Baker won three National League Manager of the Year awards while managing Bonds, of whom he has spoken highly this spring, in particular his vision and patience at the plate.
“Similar to myself, I know he could (coach), just like I always knew I could, but I never thought about being a coach,” Baker said. “Some people, that’s their life-long destination or goal. But it wasn’t his, and like I said, it wasn’t mine, either. It was the last thing on our minds probably. He can be as good as he wants to be.”
Source
Chelsea Janes | washingtonpost.com | March 4, 2016
]]>Get my one of a kind memorabilia here!
But they’re counting on the influence of Bonds and new manager Don Mattingly to turn things around at the plate. Bonds is baseball’s all-time home run and walks leader, and Mattingly was an All-Star hitter in his playing prime.
That brand new coaching staff will get down to business Friday when pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Jupiter. Hitters are scheduled to show up next Tuesday for the first full-squad workout.
What impact Bonds, who has never coached before, will have is anyone’s guess.
“It’s hard to quantify,” said Michael Hill, Marlins president of baseball operations. “We’re talking about one of the greatest hitters of all time. He has an unbelievable baseball hitting mind. He sees stuff that ordinary hitters don’t see.”
Said reserve outfielder/infielder Derek Dietrich: “You can’t help but be excited, just to be able to talk to him and soak up the knowledge. As a left-handed power hitter, I couldn’t ask for any more, personally.”
Even Dee Gordon is excited, even though he knows Bonds probably won’t be able to help him hit for more power, or draw more walks.
Although Gordon won the batting title last season, he hit only four home runs — half of his career total in the majors.
“If you bring up Barry Bonds and you bring up Dee Gordon, that’s pretty much an oxymoron,” Gordon said, laughing.But Gordon said he still think Bonds will bring improvement, and with Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, in particular, due to their similarities as long-ball threats.
“I think for our best player, which is Giancarlo, he’s going to help him reach his full potential, if he hasn’t reached it already,” Gordon said. “But I think he can help him become an even better superstar and the pressures that come with it. To be honest, I’m not a superstar, and probably never will be. So I don’t have to handle those pressures that Giancarlo has to handle.”
Gordon said he has only set eyes on Bonds twice before, once a few years ago when he was with the Dodgers and at the 2004 All-Star Game in Houston when he shagged fly balls while Bonds was hitting during the Home Run Derby.
“I tried to rob his homer in the Home Run Derby,” said Gordon, who was a youngster at the time. “I tried. It didn’t work. He hit it too far and too high. It went a few rows back, but it felt close for a kid.”
Bonds won’t be swinging a bat for the Marlins.
But Yelich and others feel he can make a major difference in helping them improve as hitters, though not to his level.
“He can’t hit for any of us, obviously,” Yelich said. “And yet his talent is what it is. He’s going to help us with approach and pitcher tendencies, with his insight in the game, with situational hitting, stuff like that. Just to have him around will be cool, and I’m looking forward to getting to work with him.”
Source
Clark Spencer | miamiherald.com | February 15, 2016
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article60562246.html
]]>Rodriguez has 687 career bombs. Ruth is at 714. Last season, Rodriguez clubbed 33 homers in 151 games. At age 40, it's possible A-Rod could slow down.
Check our my gear and memorabilia!
But after a full season of getting used to being the Yankees' designated hitter, combined with manager Joe Girardi managing Rodriguez's playing time, it's conceivable that the Miami native could be every bit as productive as he was in 2015.
Recently, in a report from Newsday's Steven Marcus, Rodriguez explained what he thinks about the possibility of catching Ruth.
"When I first grew up, I thought about Babe Ruth, I thought Jackie Robinson, I thought about Roberto Clemente,'' Rodriguez said, according. "Those are all like iconic names that you just kind of dream about. No matter what the numbers say, there is no comparison. There is only one Babe Ruth.''
Rodriguez also addressed possibly catching all-time home run king Barry Bonds, according to the report. Last season, Bonds reportedly said Rodriguez told him he wanted to break his career mark of 762 home runs. The two worked together in the offseason leading up to the 2015 season.
"We always like to joke around,'' Rodriguez said, according to the report. "I wouldn't look too much into that.''
Source
Brendan Kuty | nj.com | February 1, 2016
http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2016/02/yankees_alex_rodriguez_talks_chasing_babe_ruth_bar.html
]]>MIAMI – The Miami Marlins today announced that they have finalized Don Mattingly’s 2016 coaching staff, naming five new coaches and returning four coaches from 2015. Tim Wallach has been named bench coach, Juan Nieves has been named pitching coach and Barry Bonds has been named hitting coach, joining Frank Menechino, who returns as the team’s assistant hitting coach. Also returning from the 2015 staff are first base/infield coach Perry Hill, third base coach Lenny Harris and bullpen coach Reid Cornelius. In addition, the Marlins have named Brian Schneider as the team’s catching coach and Lorenzo Bundy as the team’s outfield/base running coach. The announcement was made by Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill.
Wallach was the Dodgers’ bench coach under Mattingly the past two seasons after three seasons as the Dodgers’ hitting coach. During his ML career, he was a five-time All-Star, playing 17 seasons as a third baseman in the Majors with Montreal (1980-92), the Dodgers (1993-96) and the Angels (1996). In addition, Wallach won three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards. His coaching career began in 1997 and includes stints as a minor league manager, including being named the 2009 PCL Manager of the Year, a college coach, and minor league hitting coach.
Nieves recently served as the pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox from 2013 until May of 2015, joining the Red Sox after 14 seasons as a coach in the Chicago White Sox organization, including as the White Sox bullpen coach from 2008-2012. He began his coaching career in 1992 in the Yankees organization, following three seasons (1986-88) as a Major League pitcher with Milwaukee. On April 15, 1987 at Baltimore, Nieves became the first Brewers’ pitcher and the first Puerto Rican to throw a no-hitter.
Bonds, who is starting his first stint as a Major League coach, is Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader with 762 career home runs. A seven-time MVP, Bonds played 22 seasons in the Majors making the All-Star team 14 times, while winning 12 Silver Slugger Awards and eight Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. In addition, Bonds won the NL Hank Aaron Awards three times, led the Majors in home runs three times, including setting the single-season record with 73 in 2001, was a two-time batting champion (2002, 2004) and led the NL in slugging percentage seven times. Bonds began his ML career with Pittsburgh in 1986, before joining the Giants in 1993 and played his final season in 2007, ending his playing days with the fourth-best career OPS in ML history after leading the NL in OPS nine times.
Schneider joins the Marlins Major League coaching staff after two seasons as the manager at Single-A Jupiter, his first coaching stint. A former catcher, he played in the Majors for 13 seasons with the Expos/Nationals (2000-07), Mets (2008-09) and Phillies (2010-12).
Bundy served as the Dodgers’ third base coach for the 2014-15 seasons following three seasons as the organization’s Triple-A manager. Honored as the PCL’s Manager of the Year in 2012, Bundy has managed 12 seasons in the minors in the Expos (1990-94), Marlins (1997) and Dodgers (2007-08, 2010-13) organizations and has had four different stints as a Major League coach. He played eight minor league seasons, from 1981-89, in the Texas, Pittsburgh, and Montreal organizations.
Additional information on the 2016 Marlins is available on the team’s official website, www.marlins.com.
]]>Former Giant slugger, 50, is prepared to give back to the community what he learned at an early age.
Barry Bonds remembers fondly the times in his childhood when his father Bobby and godfather Willie Mays would step in the batting cage and demonstrate the proper way to hit a baseball.
Nearly a decade removed from his prolific playing career that included seven MVP awards and a record 762 career home runs, it is safe to say that Bonds took full advantage of being born into baseball royalty.
Now 50, Bonds is ready to give back by sharing his vast knowledge and experience with kids who may not have grown up with an All-Star father or Hall of Fame godfather to show them the ropes.
Next month, Bonds will conduct a three-day baseball skills camp from June 22 to June 24 at College of Marin in Kentfield in collaboration with longtime friend and college roommate Charles Scott, a local legend in Marin.
Scott, who followed an outstanding high school career at Terra Linda in the 80s with a stint alongside Bonds at Arizona State, is the founder and director of Future Prospects Baseball Academy, which has three facilities throughout the state and 16 different travel teams that serve kids from elementary school through college.
“I was raised here, I was an MLB player here, I have great friends here with baseball backgrounds and knowledge, and we want to give that back to the Bay Area,” said Bonds in an interview at the Future Prospects facility in San Rafael, where he regularly works out.
Bonds and Scott said they both came up with the idea to do the camp together, but they wanted to make sure it would provide good value for those who pay the $600 fee. The camp will be capped at 60 kids, ages 10-14.
Bonds will be present and in uniform for the entirety of the camp, which Scott called “unprecedented.” Citing his pre-existing chemistry with Scott, Bonds ensured that the two will be on the same page and run the camp smoothly throughout.
They added that although they will provide campers with invaluable lessons and baseball skills, their primary focus is to provide kids with an enjoyable experience.
“Barry makes the game fun. He is a normal person who likes to laugh and have fun and joke around, and he loves kids just like the rest of us,” Scott said.
Bonds and Scott said they are glad that they can do camps like this now while they are still in shape.
“We’re not two old guys sitting on a bucket just telling you what to do,” Scott said.
“I like showing how to do things, because that’s what my dad did for me. We can still show you, but you better take advantage of me now, because pretty soon I’m going to be on that bucket,” Bonds joked.
Moving forward, Bonds and Scott said they would love to be able to hold similar camps throughout the Bay Area, but they wanted to start out small to ensure the camp would be of high quality.
“This is where we’re starting. If we bring value to the table, then the kids will tell their friends and the program will expand itself,” Bonds said.
The camp will run each day from 10 am to 3 pm at the College of Marin baseball field. In addition to Bonds and Scott, the camp will include up to eight more Future Prospects coaches, all of whom have professional experience or training.
Scott said he is currently in the process of spreading the word about the camp, and he expects the limited spots to fill quickly.
Though the future may hold more camps that feature the all-time great, Scott is focused on presenting the current opportunity for local youth to learn from one of the best to ever play.
“I’m blessed to have such a good friend that will help,” Scott said. “Superstars don’t do what he’s doing.”
For more information or to register, call Future Prospects Baseball at (415) 459-4109 or visit futureprospectsbaseball.com. Registration is online only.
Source
Jake Thomer | marinscope.com | June 3, 2015
]]>
Barry Bonds has helped Alex Rodriguez get back in the swing after missing a season.Barry Bonds has helped Alex Rodriguez get back in the swing after missing a season.
Barry Bonds said in February that Alex Rodriguez wants his home run record.
“He was funny,” Bonds told The Chronicle at the time. “He said, ‘I want to take your record.’ I said, ‘That’s OK. If that’s what you want to do, we’ve got a lot of work to do.’ I was excited he wanted to do it.”
Little did we know that A-Rod was serious. Little did we know he’d have 11 home runs in the Yankees’ first 49 games, that he’d be succeeding and playing regularly, that he’d be playing at all.
Will he catch Bonds? His chances probably are as good as his odds of getting into the Hall of Fame, and we’re familiar with those chances. But at least it’s a question worth examining. It wasn’t in spring training.
Rodriguez turns 40 in two months. He has 665 home runs. He’s on target for 36 this year. He’s signed through 2017. Averaging 36 the rest of his contract would leave him at 762.
Bonds’ record: 762.
Ridiculous, right? A-Rod can’t expect to keep up the pace, not when other ballplayers his age are five or 10 years removed from retirement, not when he’s coming off hip surgeries. Right? He’d be 42 at the end of his contract. Bonds’ age in his final year. Bonds hit 28 homers that season, and he didn’t benefit from the designated-hitter rule.
Rodriguez has made just three starts in the field, two at third base and one at first. His other 40 starts were at DH, hardly a grind, even for someone approaching 40. It’s four pinch-hit appearances a day. It’s less of an injury risk. Less fatigue. Less wear and tear. Bonds got to DH just 39 times in his career.
Last month, ESPN cited a projection system (ZiPS), which gave A-Rod a 3 percent chance to catch Bonds. Before the season, it was less than 1 percent. By calculating a 30-homer, 500-at-bat 2015 season into the mix, he’d have a 20 percent chance to catch Bonds.
Suddenly, it’s a conversation.
Meantime, the RBI race already ended. A-Rod’s sacrifice fly Thursday at the Coliseum gave him 1,996 RBIs, matching Bonds on the all-time list. Hank Aaron leads with 2,297.
“Barry is a great guy and a true professor of the game of baseball,” Rodriguez said after Thursday’s game. “One of the great minds out there right now, one of the smartest guys I’ve ever talked to. Loves the game, extremely passionate about the game. It was fun for me to work with a professor like Barry.”
Bonds worked with A-Rod for several days in the offseason at San Rafael’s Future Prospects facility. Coming off his season-long drug suspension, A-Rod has no problem acknowledging he was tutored by someone else linked to performance-enhancing drugs. Not when Bonds helped him regain his swing and confidence.
“You say the same thing about (Lou) Gehrig and (Babe) Ruth, and Barry’s the same thing, one of the greats,’’ Rodriguez said. “This is kind of special because he’s also a friend.”
And a target.
Bonds and Giants: The Giants still haven’t made Bonds a special assistant, though there was talk of an arrangement consummating shortly after the season opened. It would seem his collusion case against Major League Baseball — arguing that owners acted in concert to avoid signing him in 2008 — might be delaying things, but Giants CEO Larry Baer said the case has “zero to do with it.”
Bonds would be doing work on and off the field, including with sponsors, and perhaps make public appearances. As far as talks with Bonds about the new gig, Baer said, “We’ll pick it up.”
Meantime, Bonds is hosting a three-day camp for kids next month, partnering with Future Prospects founder Charles Scott, his friend and former teammate/roommate at Arizona State. According to a news release, “This is the first time Bonds has ever shared his baseball expertise in a setting like this.”
The cost: $1,600.
Not Robby: Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson said he gets tons of autograph requests — for Robby Thompson, the former Giants second baseman.
“I get 100 Robby Thompson baseball cards a year,” Thomson said. “And people yell all the time, ‘Loved you in San Francisco.’”
Would Thompson ever get confused for Thomson, like maybe in Thomson’s native Canada?
“I seriously doubt it,” Thomson said.
Thompson, working for the Indians as special assistant to the GM, will represent them at the June 8 draft.
Source
John Shea | sfgate.com | May 31, 2015
]]>He whipped out his cell phone and took a selfie.
"Why not? That's the way of the new world, right?" Bonds joked.
Other than it taking several tries to get the focus just right, the seven-time MVP had a smooth night at the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. Bonds' induction class included his former manager, Dusty Baker, as well as Olympic skier Jonny Moseley, golf champion Roger Maltbie and the late Warriors owner, Franklin Mieuli.
Bonds, looking sleek now that he's an avid cyclist, had no desire to talk about what his Bay Area honor might mean for that other Hall of Fame -- the one in Cooperstown. The all-time home run leader has never come close to induction there because voters have avoided any player under the cloud of steroids.
Asked about being omitted from the Baseball Hall of Fame, Bonds smiled.
"If I sat up here and I talked about it, it's me against ... how many of you guys in here?" At this point, Bonds scanned all the notebooks, microphones and TV cameras surrounding him.
"So the story can come out every way it can. See, I learned that lesson about staying out of those conversations and enjoying what's in front of me."
Instead, the 14-time All-Star focused on an induction that cemented his place as a Bay Area sports family. Barry said his father, Bobby Bonds -- also a former Giants All-Star outfielder -- would have been "elated."
"I try to explain to people: My family -- counting Willie (Mays) as my godfather because we've always considered Willie family -- we've been entertaining the Bay Area since 1958," he said. "My father came along to entertain it, and I came back to entertain."
Baker, too, professed an appreciation for local sports history, having studied the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame plaques that are on display at San Francisco International Airport.
"The first thing that went through my mind was: 'Man, I'm going to walk through the airport and see me,' " Baker said before the ceremony at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. "I'd always stopped and read about Joe 'The Jet' Perry and Y.A. Tittle ... It's just hard to see yourself in the same light as those guys."
Baker was the Giants manager for 10 seasons starting in 1993. The team went 840-715 (.540) during his tenure in San Francisco and won the National League pennant in 2002.
Mieuli, one of the most colorful franchise owners in Bay Area history, was 89 when died in 2010. He is best known as the principal owner of the Warriors from 1962-86, presiding over 10 playoff appearances and the team's lone NBA title in 1975.
Mieuli was popular with fans in part because of his eccentric personality. He sported a bushy beard and war a deerstalker cap ("That little Sherlock Holmes cap," as Baker called it). Al Attles, the coach of those '75 champions, was on-hand Monday in Mieuli's honor.
"I couldn't be happier," Attles said. "He was an outstanding owner, but the most important thing is that he was a much better person.
"I think fans connected with him because, in my mind, he considered himself one of the people. He cared about the team. He cared about the players. He would do anything to make them happy."
Maltbie reached the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame after a challenging start as a golfer. At James Lick High in San Jose, he had a hard time beating one of his school mates, future PGA player Forrest Fezler.
"This guy was two years older and he beat me. Every. Single. Day," Maltbie said. "And I guess I'm just wired in a way that I was going to keep trying and trying and trying until I beat him. I mean, I worked harder because of him."
Maltbie grew up to capture five wins on the PGA Tour. His triumphs include the 1976 Memorial Tournament, in which he defeated Hale Irwin on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff. In all, Maltbie had 55 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including fourth in the 1987 Masters -- his best finish at a major. He enjoyed a second career as a fun-loving reporter and analyst for NBC Sports.
Moseley, the youngest of the crowd by far -- he was born in 1975 -- was still old enough to look back at a lasting legacy. He grew up in Tiburon and won a gold medal in the men's mogul at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.
In doing so, Moseley used his signature move -- the 360 mute-grab -- a trick he borrowed from the snowboarding crowd. Though Moseley met with some resistance with some of his flash, that trick and others like it have become commonplace among mogul skiers.
"I do feel like I did leave my mark," Moseley said. "I kind of hung it out there. ... That's what I get credit for, and I'll take it."
Source
Daniel Brown | San Jose Mercury News Sports | May 11, 2105
http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_28096094/bonds-joins-bay-area-hall-passes-cooperstown-talk
]]>Partnering with Future Prospects Instructional Baseball in Marin, Bonds will run a three-day camp June 22-24 with Future Prospects founder Charles Scott, his friend and former teammate/roommate at Arizona State.
It’s for kids 10 to 14 at the College of Marin in Kentfield and costs $600. Bonds will be instructing at the camp the entire time.
In a news release, Scott said, “Barry’s knowledge of the game is unmatched, and we are so excited to partner with him and be able to share his expertise with youth baseball. . . . I can’t imagine a better way for Barry to get involved with youth baseball than by providing local kids with personalized instruction. I know I speak for both of us when I say that we are beyond excited to be able to offer this opportunity.”
Scott played in the minors for nine seasons and scouted for the Rays, Diamondbacks and Nationals. At the Future Prospects facility in San Rafael, Bonds worked with major-leaguers over the winter, including Alex Rodriguez.
According to release, the camp is “an innovative and personalized baseball camp focusing on the development and growth of fundamental hitting, fielding, throwing, position play and running skills. This is the first time Bonds has ever shared his baseball expertise in a setting like this.”
Source
John Shea | SFGATE | May 7, 2015
http://www.sfgate.com/giants/shea/article/Barry-Bonds-to-run-his-own-kids-baseball-camp-6249649.php
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