Barry Bonds's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Barry Bonds.

Barry Bonds, a former MLB left fielder, played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1992) and San Francisco Giants (1993-2007). Widely regarded as one of baseball's all-time greats, he holds numerous records. His career is also marked by controversy surrounding allegations of performance-enhancing drug use.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1901: Nap Lajoie Receives Intentional Walk

In 1901, Nap Lajoie received an intentional walk with the bases loaded, a rare baseball occurrence.

1928: Del Bissonette Receives Intentional Walk

In 1928, Del Bissonette received an intentional walk with the bases loaded, a rare baseball occurrence.

1931: MVP award creation

The MVP award was first given in 1931.

1943: Josh Gibson's slugging percentage

In 1943, Josh Gibson had a .868 slugging percentage.

1944: Bill Nicholson Receives Intentional Walk

In 1944, Bill Nicholson received an intentional walk with the bases loaded, a rare baseball occurrence.

1969: Willie McCovey's intentional walks

In 1969, Willie McCovey had 45 intentional walks, a Major League record at the time, which was later surpassed by Barry Bonds.

1979: Willie Stargell's MVP award

In 1979, Willie Stargell, at 39 years and 8 months, was named National League co-MVP with Keith Hernandez.

1979: Pirates Last Postseason Berth

In 1979, the Pirates last postseason berth had been in 1979 when they won the World Series.

July 1985: Named Player of the Month

In July 1985, Barry Bonds was named Player of the Month for the Carolina League while playing for the Prince William Pirates.

1985: College Baseball Stats

In 1985, while playing baseball at Arizona State University, Barry Bonds hit 23 home runs with 66 RBI and had a .368 batting average. He was a Sporting News All-American selection.

1986: Graduates from Arizona State University

In 1986, Barry Bonds graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in criminology and was named ASU On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player.

1986: Start of Today's Game Committee Eligibility

In 1986, players who lost ballot eligibility while still having made notable contributions to baseball were eligible for the Hall of Fame's Today's Game Committee.

1988: José Canseco's 40-40 Season

In 1988, José Canseco achieved a 40-40 season.

1990: Wins First MVP Award

In 1990, Barry Bonds won his first MVP Award, hitting .301 with 33 home runs and 114 RBI. He also won his first Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award, and the Pirates reached the postseason for the first time since 1979.

1991: Another Great Season

In 1991, Barry Bonds had another great season, batting .292 with 25 homers and 116 RBIs. He won another Gold Glove and Silver Slugger but finished second in MVP voting.

1993: Wins Second Consecutive MVP Award

In 1993, Barry Bonds hit .336 with 46 home runs and 123 RBI, leading the NL and winning his second consecutive MVP award. The Giants won 103 games but missed the playoffs.

1996: Joined 40-40 Club

In 1996, Barry Bonds became one of only six baseball players to ever be in the 40-40 club, achieving 42 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season.

1996: 40-40 Season

In 1996, Barry Bonds became the first National League player and second major league player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season, achieving a 40-40 season.

1996: Named to All-Time College World Series Team

In 1996, Barry Bonds was named to the All-Time College World Series Team, recognizing his performance during his college career.

1997: Statistics Considered

In 1997, the statistics were considered in order to rank Barry Bonds among greatest baseball players by 1999.

May 28, 1998: Intentional Walk with Bases Loaded

On May 28, 1998, Barry Bonds became the fifth player in baseball history to be given an intentional walk with the bases loaded during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

1998: Alex Rodriguez's 40-40 Season

In 1998, Alex Rodriguez achieved a 40-40 season.

1998: Mark McGwire sets home run record

In 1998, Mark McGwire set the previous record of 70 home runs in the 162nd game of the season. Bonds would later tie and break this record in 2001.

1999: Omission from All-Century Team

In 1999, Barry Bonds was not selected for Major League Baseball's All-Century Team, while Ken Griffey Jr. was chosen instead. This led to discussions about Bonds's appreciation and his standing among the greatest players.

1999: Ranked Among Greatest Players

In 1999, considering statistics through 1997, Barry Bonds was ranked Number 34 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, making him the highest-ranking active player.

2000: Career Bests in Slugging Percentage and Home Runs

In 2000, Barry Bonds achieved career bests up to that point, with a .306 batting average, .688 slugging percentage, and 49 home runs in 143 games. He also led the league with 117 walks.

2001: Sets Single Season Home Run Record

In 2001, Barry Bonds set the record for the most home runs in a single season with 73, establishing a significant MLB record.

2001: Record-Breaking Offensive Production

In 2001, Barry Bonds's offensive production reached unprecedented levels, breaking personal and major league records. He hit 28 home runs in the Giants' first 50 games, including 17 in May, and hit his 500th home run on April 17 against Terry Adams of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also had 39 home runs by the All-Star break, a major league record 177 walks, and a .515 on-base average. Bonds' slugging percentage (.863) was the fifth-highest in MLB history.

2003: Joins 500 Home Run/500 Stolen Base Club

In 2003, Barry Bonds played in 130 games and hit 45 home runs with a .341 batting average. On June 23, 2003, Bonds became the only member of the career 500 home run/500 stolen base club by stealing second base off pitcher Éric Gagné against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He scored the game-winning run later that inning.

2004: Record-Breaking Season and MVP Award

In 2004, Barry Bonds had one of his best seasons, hitting .362, breaking his own record with 232 walks, and slugging .812. He hit his 661st home run on April 13, passing Willie Mays on the career home run list, and his 700th on September 17. Bonds won his fourth consecutive and seventh overall MVP award. On July 4, he tied and passed Rickey Henderson's career bases on balls record with his 2,190th and 2,191st career walks.

2005: Bonds ranked 6th in Sporting News list

In 2005, Barry Bonds was ranked 6th in The Sporting News list, following Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Hank Aaron.

2005: Return from injury

In 2005, Barry Bonds's salary was $22 million. After enduring a knee injury, multiple surgeries, and rehabilitation, Bonds was activated on September 12 and started in left field. He hit home runs in four consecutive games from September 18 to 21, finishing with a .286 average, five homers and 10 RBI in 14 games.

2006: Alfonso Soriano's 40-40 Season

In 2006, Alfonso Soriano achieved a 40-40 season.

2006: Ties Babe Ruth for second all-time

On May 20, 2006, Barry Bonds hit his 714th career home run against the Oakland Athletics, tying Babe Ruth for second all-time. Bonds mentioned that more attention could be focused on Albert Pujols.

2006: Surpasses Aaron for NL career home run record

On September 23, 2006, Barry Bonds surpassed Hank Aaron for the National League career home run record. Bonds hit his last home run of 2006 in that game. Bonds also recorded his lowest slugging percentage since 1991.

September 26, 2007: Led Active Players in Multiple Stats

By September 26, 2007, Barry Bonds led all active Major League players in RBI (1,996), on-base percentage (.444), runs (2,227), games (2,986), extra-base hits (1,440), at-bats per home run (12.92), and total bases (5,976) at the time of his retirement.

2007: Bonds' 2007 Season Statistics

In the 2007 season, Barry Bonds, at age 43, concluded with a .276 batting average, 28 home runs, and 66 RBI in 126 games and 340 at-bats. He also led both leagues in walks with 132 in 2007.

2013: Hall of Fame Vote Percentage in 2013

In 2013, Barry Bonds received 36.2% of the votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, falling short of the 75% needed for induction.

April 22, 2015: Conviction Overturned on Appeal

On April 22, 2015, an 11-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit voted 10–1 that Barry Bonds' testimony was not obstruction, overturning his conviction.

2015: Exonerated on Appeal

In 2015, Barry Bonds was exonerated on appeal regarding his 2011 conviction of obstruction of justice.

2015: Conviction Overturned by Full Appeals Court

In 2015, Barry Bonds' appeal was reheard by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit en banc, which voted 10–1 to overturn his conviction.

2016: End of Today's Game Committee Eligibility

In 2016, the end of the period of eligibility for players who lost ballot eligibility while still having made notable contributions to baseball were eligible for the Hall of Fame's Today's Game Committee.

July 8, 2017: Bonds Added to Giants Wall of Fame

On July 8, 2017, Barry Bonds was added to the San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame.

February 6, 2018: Giants Announce Retirement of Bonds' Jersey

On February 6, 2018, the San Francisco Giants announced their intention to retire Barry Bonds' number 25 jersey.

August 11, 2018: Jersey Number Retired

On August 11, 2018, Barry Bonds' number 25 jersey was officially retired by the San Francisco Giants.

December 2022: Hall of Fame Today's Game Committee Vote

In December 2022, the Hall of Fame's Today's Game Committee considered Barry Bonds, but he received fewer than four of the twelve votes required for induction.

2022: Final Hall of Fame Vote Percentage

In 2022, Barry Bonds' final year of eligibility for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he received 66% of the votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), falling short of the 75% needed for induction. He appeared on 260 of 394 ballots.