Saturday, May 17, 2014

#711-712 In Action Bobby Bonds

Combines Speed and Power unlike no one else did in 1971….HOF material if he could have hit for a higher average and skills not tailed off in his last 2 playing years…may have also suffered from playing at Candlestick swirling winds and poor conditions….tore up AAA Phoenix in 1968…Mid season call up and promptly hit a grand slam in first game and jelled well into the lineup… First full season, 1969 he socked 32 homers and led the NL in runs scored, making the bay area fans forget the decline of Jim Hart, the advancing age of Mays, and departure of Orlando Cepeda…mostly played leadoff which affected RBI total…Set records for leadoff home runs in a season and a career….Never achieved the first 40 hrs 40 SB mark but came as close as one can get with by hitting 39 HRs and swiping 43 bases in 1973…3 times all star and gold glove award winner…and 3 time most strikeouts…After seven years in Giant orange was traded to the Yankees….with this started a highly transitory career where Bonds averages a different club per season in his remaining seven years…best year in that time was 1977 for California Angels when he logged in 115 RBI’s..decline came quickly after trade to St Louis…finished off career in 1981 appearing 45 games for the hapless Chicago Cubs…worked as coach from 1984-1987….He and Barry hold virtually all offensive records by father-son duo in post steroid world….Died in 2003 not living to see Barry’s record....Career numbers, 7043 ABs, 332 HRS, 1024 RBIs, .268 AVG.




In Action Photo:  not much can be determined other than cream color uniform of the opposition is the San Diego Padres. Artificial turf is indicative of Candlestick Park... It looks like Bobby is laughing at himself for fouling off a pitch off that he could have driven into the construction zone of Candlestick Park.



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