Barry Bonds remains one of Major League Baseball’s most controversial figures.
Known for setting the single-season and career home run records, his achievements are often shadowed by allegations of steroid use, casting doubt on his Hall of Fame eligibility.
However, Bonds received a form of recognition this week when his former team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, announced they would induct him into their Hall of Fame class of 2024.
He will be honored alongside his former manager Jim Leyland and teammate Manny Sanguillen.
Bonds spent the first seven years of his MLB career with the Pirates, from 1986 to 1992, a period during which the team became a powerhouse in the National League, making three consecutive NLCS appearances. Though they never clinched a World Series berth, Bonds was a key player, winning two MVP awards and posting impressive stats including a .275 batting average, 176 home runs, and 556 RBIs. In his last three seasons with the team, he consistently hit over 25 home runs and drove in at least 100 runs each year.
Reacting to his upcoming induction, Bonds expressed his gratitude and nostalgia: “That is awesome,” he remarked. “That’s where my career started. That’s who drafted me… Couldn’t have had a better starting point. We built a bond, and there’s no way it’s ever going to be broken.”
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The announcement has stirred a mixed reaction online. Some fans in Pittsburgh celebrate his impact on the franchise, which has struggled since his departure, praising him as “the greatest player of all-time.” Others, particularly baseball purists, remain critical of his alleged steroid use, with one commenting, “Pre-juice… The only HoF class he’ll ever be part of.”
Regardless of the mixed opinions, Barry Bonds is set to be immortalized in the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame.
