Retired Major League Baseball player Barry Bonds is opening up about his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The club honored Bonds Saturday, placing him in the Pirates Hall of Fame. Bonds brought excitement and success to the Steel City, and the retired player is grateful for his time there.
“It was fun,” Bonds said, per ESPN. “Those were good times. I can’t thank you guys enough. This is a great honor. It’s a great journey for me.”
Bonds is a member of the Pirates Hall, but not the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The legendary player turned into a controversial figure, following the steroids scandal in MLB that plagued the game in the late 1990s and 2000s. Many believe Bonds has been denied admittance to Cooperstown in light of that scandal. The former Pirate spoke about that on Saturday bluntly.
“I don’t have to worry about those things no more in my life,” Bonds added. “[I want to] hang around my grandchildren and my children. Those hopes [of making the Hall of Fame], I don’t have them anymore. I hope to breathe tomorrow [and see] if I can make it to 61.”
Bonds played in Pittsburgh from 1986 through 1992. He helped the Bucs reach the National League Championship Series in his final season, but the club lost to the Atlanta Braves in heartbreaking fashion. Bonds left to go to San Francisco for the remainder of his career, and the Pirates have never truly recovered from that campaign.
Pirates had some truly special seasons with Barry Bonds
Bonds remains one of the best players to ever suit up for the Pirates, despite being gone for more than 30 years. The retired MLB player is in the top 10 in stolen bases for the franchise, as well as home runs. He hit 762 career home runs in a lengthy baseball career.
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Bonds helped the Bucs win three straight division titles in the National League from 1990-1992. The club has never been able to accomplish that since. The franchise had 20 consecutive losing seasons after Bonds left in 1992. The team also has never been able to return to the NLCS in the handful of playoff appearances it has made since.
The Pirates seem headed toward more rocky shoals. The club imploded in August, losing 10 games in a row at one point. That losing streak dashed the hopes of a once promising season, with rookie ace Paul Skenes. Heading into Sunday’s action, the Pirates hold a 61-68 record.
Many Pirates fans certainly wish Bonds had never left Pittsburgh.