in full Barry Lamar Bonds
born July 24, 1964, Riverside, Calif.
U.S. baseball player.
Bonds was a college All-American at Arizona State University. A left-handed power hitter and a superb base stealer, he played outfield for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1985–92) and the San Francisco Giants (from 1993). By the early 21st century, he had earned eight Gold Glove awards for fielding and had been named Most Valuable Player six times. In 2001 he hit 73 home runs, breaking Mark McGwire 's single-season record of 70; that year he also had 177 walks to top Babe Ruth 's record (170). His father, Bobby Bonds (1946–2003), was also an outstanding professional baseball player.