Major League Baseball has recently acknowledged Black History Month but in extending their recognition of the history, they have chosen Barry Bonds.
The fourteen-time All-Star and seven-time MVP, Bonds, had an incredible career but it was shadowed negatively by his involvement during the “steroid era”.
Bonds was the multiple record-setter of the league, including 762 career home runs and seventy-three home runs in a single season. However, his name was reflected during the substance abuse era, which has permanently altered and divided the community and experts’ opinions while considering such icons and their stats.
Barry Bonds had one of the best offensive careers in history. He hit a record 762 home runs and compiled a 1.051 OPS over 22 seasons.
Bonds won an unprecedented 7 NL MVPs to go along with 12 Silver Sluggers and 8 Gold Glove Awards. Bonds was a 14-time All-Star who led the league… pic.twitter.com/UQfaocPbbM
— MLB (@MLB) February 11, 2024
The MLB, from their official account, shared this post on Platform X, formerly Twitter, stating, “Barry Bonds had one of the best offensive careers in history. He hit a record 762 home runs and compiled a 1.051 OPS over 22 seasons.
Bonds won an unprecedented 7 NL MVPs to go along with 12 Silver Sluggers and 8 Gold Glove Awards. Bonds was a 14-time All-Star who led the league in on-base percentage 10 times and slugging percentage 7 times.
His family ties in baseball are strong. Barry’s father is 3-time All-Star Bobby Bonds, while his cousin is Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and his godfather is Hall of Famer Willie Mays. #BlackHistoryMonth”
Bonds played with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986–1992, then joined the San Francisco Giants and played with them from 1993–2007. He was one of the most prominent players in Major League Baseball and achieved great heights during his active career.
He was involved in the performance-enhancing substances scandal, which caused controversy to resurface in his bright career. His selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame was also halted because of that and some of the voters of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed that their vote did not go to him due to his involvement.
Barry, admittedly, treated the press like dirt. That is why he's not in the Hall. MLB didn't start testing until the 2003 season. Most of his accomplishments occurred before that. 60-80% of players were juiced back then. Many of them are in the Hall. Piazza? Why not Barry?
— Gerald McGovern (@gmcgovern128) February 11, 2024
@MLB got balls of steal posting this and not placing the greatest baseball player ever in the Hall of Fame. Baseball Hall of Fame is a joke till Bonds is in it https://t.co/NAtCkcbCtj pic.twitter.com/8nfRvJoHDn
— Ethantaj (@Ethantaj_49ers) February 11, 2024
Have no problem using Barry Bonds for clicks but won’t put him in your museum https://t.co/E9icDg6I0N
— Candlestick Will (@CandlestickWill) February 11, 2024
I really don’t think celebrating a cheater does anything to celebrate black history. There are so many other athletes the MLB can acknowledge who didn’t cheat. https://t.co/q2hA57ixwp
— Caleb McDonald (@McD7575) February 12, 2024
happy black history month to the man we’ve blacklisted from the hall of fame because we made him the face of an entire generation of steroid usage while honoring his peers 🙂👍 https://t.co/i6tOUb5y7v
— kero kero muttniko (@muttnik) February 11, 2024
Celebrating a man you won't put in the hall of fame is wild. https://t.co/GSQf5fzGzS
— Parrish Mitchell (@pmidnight16) February 11, 2024
And yet the idiots over at @officialBBWAA still dont put him in the hall https://t.co/tKtPtgwxlm
— whit 🇺🇸⚾️ (@whit_y0) February 11, 2024
Barry Bonds is a top ten player in baseball history. And he should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. And the fact that he's not?
Is an absolute disgrace.
— Empire Of Lies (@berningman16) February 11, 2024
Everyone taking the time to call Bonds a cheater is pathetic. The league was basically screwed if not for the steroid era and Bonds was part of the majority of players using them. Even if you only consider his days on the Pirates, he is one of the best players of his time.
— Mantis Toboggan (@BerpDerp17) February 11, 2024
Surely he’s in the HOF with these accolades!
— Curtis (@curtafi24) February 11, 2024
The baseball community gave their opinions on the post as well. However, many of them believed that Bonds deserved to be in the Hall of Fame.
