Today in Sports History: September 17

In 2004, San Francisco Giants outfielder, Barry Bonds hit his 700th career Major League Baseball home run off of San Diego Padre’s pitcher Jake Peavy. 

Bonds was drafted in 1985 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round as the No. 6 overall pick. He played with the Pirates from 1986 until 1992, where he was then traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1993 and played until 2007. 

Throughout his 22-year career, Bonds played 2,986 games, 8,847 At-Bats, 2,935 hits, and 2,227 Runs. He also had 1,996 Runners Batted In, 762 Home Runs, and 514 Stolen Bases. His batting average was .298 and his on-base plus slugging percentage was 1.051. 

Bond was a spectacular player and exceptional hitter. He was a 14-time National League (NL) All-Star, 12-time NL Silver Slugger recipient, eight-time Rawlings NL Gold Glove recipient, and seven-time NL Most Valuable Player (MVP). 

He participated in the Home Run Derby six times but only won once in 1996. He was named the MLB Players Choice NL Outstanding Player five times, Baseball America Major League Player of the Year three times, and MLB Players Choice Player of the Year twice. 

He also won the NL Hank Aaron Award in 2001, 2002, and 2004 for the best overall offensive performance within the National League. 

Once retired after the 2007 season, Bonds’s jersey number, 25, was retired in 2018 with the San Francisco Giants to join 12 other players to receive this honor. 

Unfortunately, Bonds did not get voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as his 10-year door closed on the ballot at 66 percent. While he cannot be voted into the Hall of Fame by the writers, the Today’s Game Committee can vote him in and will consider other players who fell off the original Hall of Fame ballot. 

He will get the chance to get voted in by the Today’s Game Committee this December for the 2023 enshrinement and next December of 2024, for the 2025 enshrinement. He will need 75 percent (12 out of 16 votes) to get enshrined into the Hall of Fame. 

Bonds currently works in the front office of the San Francisco Giants as a Special Advisor to the CEO, representing the organization at different events in California. He also attends Spring Training camp in Arizona to work with the organization’s younger players.