Bobby Bonds
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Bobby Lee Bonds (March 15, 1946 - August 23, 2003) was a Major League Baseball right fielder from 1968 to 1981. He was the father of Barry Bonds. He died of complications from lung cancer and a brain tumor.
Over a 14-season career, Bonds played for eight different teams, but played more than one season for only two teams, the San Francisco Giants in seven seasons and the California Angels in two seasons (with Yankees, White Sox, Rangers, Indians, and Cardinals, one each). He batted and threw right-handed.
Bonds was remarkable during his era for his combination of power and speed, but also for his propensity to strike out. He was a five-time member of the 30-30 club, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a three-time All-Star (winning the All Star Game MVP award in 1973). In 1973, he placed third in the National League MVP award voting. In 1971, he placed fourth.
In 1970 he set a Major League record with 187 strikeouts, and broke his own record a year later with 189. That record lasted until 2004, when Adam Dunn broke it by striking out 195 times.
When Bonds retired, he was third in lifetime strikeouts with 1,757, behind Willie Stargell's 1,912 and Reggie Jackson's 1,810. Bonds was the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to surpass both 300 home runs and 400 stolen bases. His son Barry Bonds is the only other player to accomplish this feat.
Bonds is sixth on the career list of home runs for the Giants franchise with 186.
He hit a grand slam in his first major league game, June 25, 1968, becoming only the second man to do so (the first being Bill Duggleby in 1898.)
Born in Riverside, California, Bonds signed with the Giants in 1964 out of high school. As a player, coach, scout and front-office employee, he was with the franchise for 23 seasons.
Bonds' brother Robert played in the National Football League and his sister Rosie was an Olympic sprinter.
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Categories: 1971 National League All-Stars | 1973 National League All-Stars | 1975 American League All-Stars | California Angels players | Chicago Cubs players | Chicago White Sox players | Cleveland Indians players | New York Yankees players | San Francisco Giants players | St. Louis Cardinals players | Texas Rangers players | Major league right fielders | African American athletes | 1946 births | 2003 deaths