Making a case for Barry Bonds in the MLB Hall of Fame
Even the slightest muttering of a possible Barry Bonds Cooperstown induction ceremony sends fans and analysts alike into a bitter frenzy. Fortunately for those in favor, I'm here to silence those bitter voices with cold hard facts based on merit. For those who oppose his induction, hear me out while I dress your big pink elephant in the room with sunglasses and a funny hat. That's because, after this piece, nobody will be able to ignore the synonymity of Barry Bonds and baseball's most coveted achievement in Cooperstown's Hall of Fame.
The question of "how good was he really" will be put to rest once and for all. The numbers show not only that he belongs, but also that he is among the top five best hitters of all time. With a focus on sheer merited ability, here is the case for Barry Bonds in the MLB Hall of Fame. We're going to detail all the statistics unaffected by PED's. Let's start with the seemingly forgotten factors behind his mind-boggling numbers that remain unmatched to this day.
Consistent batting average
Another pink elephant that Bonds' Cooperstown deniers refuse to acknowledge is his consistent batting average. You could certainly make a case (within reason) for his home run totals. However, his batting average statline of .370/.341/.362 from the age of 37-39 and his lifetime .298 average are undeniable. PED's can't be substituted for hand-eye coordination and turning on a pitch. It still takes the same natural ability of squaring up a round ball and a round bat that PED's have no influence over. Over the course of his 21-year career, Bonds batted .291 or higher 14 times. Hall of Fame opposers will have a difficult time explaining those statistics away with steroid-use.
Legendary plate discipline
No hitter was more meticulously robotic in his plate discipline than Barry Bonds. The fact that he walked 368 times more than any player in baseball history with an eye-popping 2,558, speaks volumes of his unparalleled eye at the plate. It was almost as if his knowledge of the strike zone was digitally engrained into his mental psyche with automatic sensors. You had better odds at stealing honey from a bear while he was holding the honeypot than getting Bonds to chase outside the zone.
Career strikeout numbers
A further attestation to his Cooperstown-worthy talents is his natural ability to consistently square up balls as his astonishingly miniscule strikeout numbers indicate. His lifetime strikeout of 1,539 through 22 seasons comes out to an average of 69 strikeouts per season. Not only is that Hall of Fame material. That tells you how frequently the ball was jumping off his bat.
The fear factor
The walk numbers alone resoundingly declare him the most feared hitter in baseball history. Before you write me off, let's lay this to rest by simplifying it. Gaguing how feared a hitter is can be found in the amount of times pitchers refuse to face him. To substantiate this, in addition to being the all-time leader in walks, he also possesses the all-time record for intentional walks with 688. If you require further proof that no hitter is more feared, look no further than the bases-loaded walk below.
: @MLBVault)#OTD in 1998, Barry Bonds drew an intentional walk ... With the bases loaded. 🤷♂️
(🎥: @MLBVault) https://t.co/IBCX7FQdGc
"In 1998, Barry Bonds drew an intentional walk... with the bases loaded" - @ the Score
Bear in mind, this is the cleanup hitter being walked with the bases loaded to face Brent Mayne, who was no slouch either, hitting near the .300 mark at this point in the 98' season.
Hall snubs, Gold Gloves, and the legend of Barry Bonds
Before his mid-30s, Bonds, as a member of both the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations, was also one of the most elite fielders in the game. Yet, somehow his eight career Gold Gloves have been all but forgotten. Let's stroll down Memory Lane.
09/13/1990: 8-time Gold Glover Barry Bonds made this home run-robbing catch! He also went 4-for-4 with 2 SB and went on to win his 1st (of 7) MVP Award.
@BarryBonds @HistoryPirates @1992Pirates @PGH_Sports_Date @1990sBaseball @Gregg_Jefferies @AmazinShea baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN1… https://t.co/hArlMmKHg3
"09/13/1990: 8-time Gold Glover Barry Bonds made this home run-robbing catch! He also went 4-for-4 with 2 SB and went on to win his 1st (of 7) MVP Award." - @ Brad B
This is but one of the numerous instances where he displayed his elite glove on the field. PED's didn't help him make this or any of the other highlight-worthy plays throughout his career.
Let me be clear that I do not condone any behavior involving illicit drugs to gain the upper hand in any competition. But the Hall of Fame is an organization designed to enshrine the greatest players in MLB history, and Barry Bonds is certainly that. As far as hitters and all-around players are concerned, he ranks in the top five, and that's a conservative estimate. You could easily make the argument for the greatest hitter and all-around player that ever lived much easier than the contrary PED case. A player who was lucky to see even a single pitch in the strike zone throughout the course of a game and still make the most of it is certainly worthy of baseball's most coveted destination in Cooperstown. Yet, the name of the only member of the 500 home run/500 stolen base club remains excluded from the halls of baseball's most legendary status.