Barry Bonds

American left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1986–1992) and San Francisco Giants (1993–2007). He received a record seven NL MVP awards, eight Gold Glove awards, a record 12 Silver Slugger awards, and 14 All-Star selections. He is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He is the son of another remarkable baseball player, Bobby Bonds.

Most notably, through 2005, Barry Bonds has hit 708 home runs, nearly tying Babe Ruth's record (714). Bonds’ stellar record is not admired by everyone. He has been embroiled in a debate over whether the illegal use of steroids enhanced his show-stopping performance at bat. Nevertheless, he has been named Most Valuable Player seven times, won eight Golden Glove awards and led his team to the 2002 World Series, where the Giants were defeated in the seventh game. In 2001 he set the record for number of home runs in a season (73). He has played in 12 All-Star games. According to one writer, the combination of power and speed that he displays has only been seen in the performance of his godfather Willie Mays.

The oldest of four children, Bonds was drafted into pro baseball in 1982 but opted to complete college first. He began his major league career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986. A 6'2" (1.88 m) left-handed slugger, he opted to sign with the San Francisco Giants in 1993. Since then he has established new records, in 2001 breaking two of Babe Ruth's records, one for most walks and the other for the highest slugging percentage in one season. The following year, he broke Ted Williams' single-season record for percentage of time on- base and at the same time established a new record for number of walks in a season. He broke his own record in 2004 with 232 walks for the season.

Health and other problems have beset the slugger. In 1999 he was treated for knee injuries and other problems.