"Now Batting #25 Bobby Bonds........" Most people know he is the famous father of minor league slugger Bobby Bonds Jr.
What do you expect for me to say you weren't thinking that name either were you lol unlike his father the Bobby Jr didn't pan out to become like his dad or brother but its his dad the Senior one is whom we are featuring in this piece. Bobby played mainly for the Giants during the early part of the 1970s & was suppose to be the replacement for a man who was later known to his other son's godfather Willie Mays. But the "Say Hey" Kid proved that he wasn't done until he felt the game was the best of him which was in 1973 ending his career with the Mets in the 1973 World Series. Bobby had a few good years when was with Giants being almost a 30/30 threat every year that includes how a rained out home run prevented him from being MLBs first 40/40 man before another player by the name of Jose Canseco later formed the standard which his son Barry accomplished as well during his career that season Bobby had 39 home runs & 43 steals during the 1973 season. Here are some more interesting things about Bobby that most people seemed to overlook besides what I mentioned he almost accomplished in the 1973 season.
Bobby at the end of the 1974 season was traded to the New York Yankees who were tired of having to deal with another member of this bat set line-up Bobby Murcer which I will discuss more ultimately when he comes up in a future piece so basically the headline was Bobby was traded for Bobby cause the Yankees wanted a lead off batter that would do something someone else would do later on the next decade of the 1980s. (Yes I am talking about Rickey Henderson folks). Bobby was elected as a starter for the All-Star game in 1975 played in Milwaukee. What is interesting is Bobby never played a single game with the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium meanwhile they played their home games for the 1974 & 1975 season at Shea Stadium home of the Mets. Reason & I am sure Bo knows that I am right again with my Cha-Ching moment here is that Yankee Stadium was still under renovation construction cause it was completed until 1976 in time for the All-Star game to be featured there for the 1977 Season by then Bobby had moved on to Angels whom acquired his services for the 1976 Season for Mickey Rivers.
Another thing is Donruss back in 1981 predicted that Bobby would have broken Hank Aaron's record for career Home Runs as you can see if you can read it says he slugged 986 Home Runs. They later corrected it by saying Bobby hit 326.
Heck if Bobby was able to do that then there would be no doubt the old saying like Father like son when it comes to hitting home runs would we speculated Bobby was on the juice too who knows.
As I mentioned before Bobby was sent to the Angels later he played for the Chicago White Sox,Texas Rangers,Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, then finally calling it a career with the Chicago Cubs in 1981. He later was a batting coach for the Indians who I remembered hitting fungos in the outfield during one dreadful foggy game to see if it was possible to play in it before he moved on in 1993 to reunited to coach his son Barry upon his arrival to Giants & stayed coaching up until the 1996 season.
Now comes my point does Bobby deserve to be honored is this set answer is yes & Upper Deck pictured him with the correct team the Giants which as I mentioned before he was a threat of being a 30/30 player that's my take on Bobby what do you think does he or doesn't he next up in the line up is another Bobby this one is a real Grich if ya catch my drift until then I am reminded what Rogers Hornsby once said about signing autographs "Any ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist."
