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Posted: 09.24.07 @ 11 a.m.
Giants Release Bonds

 

The San Francisco Giants released home run king Barry Bonds Friday.

"There's no question about what Barry has meant to this organization and to our success over the past 15 years. He is the greatest player of his generation and one of the very best of all time," said Giants Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean in a statement. "Barry has been the cornerstone of our franchise and his amazing contributions will be sorely missed."

He will conclude his 15-year career with the Giants at this weekend's final series in Los Angeles.

From hitting a home run in his first at bat as a Giant at Candlestick Park in 1993 to becoming the game's all-time home run leader on August 7, the future Hall of Famer has delivered many indelible moments over his 15 seasons with his boyhood team. Bonds won five of his unprecedented seven MVPs with San Francisco, while helping the club produce one of its most successful runs in franchise history from 1997-2004 that included three National League West titles and the 2002 National League pennant.

One of the greatest players to ever play the game, the 13-time All-Star, 8-time Gold Glove winner, two-time winner of the National League batting title and lone member of baseball's 500 homer-500 steal club holds Major League Baseball's all-time records for home runs (762) and walks (2,558). Bonds also ranks among the game's best for RBI (tied for second - 1,996), extra-base hits (second - 1,440), runs (third - 2,227), total bases (fourth - 5,976), on-base percentage (sixth - .444), slugging percentage (sixth - .607), doubles (14th - 601) and stolen bases (32nd - 514).

Bonds' impressive resume also includes baseball's single-season records for home runs (73 in 2001), walks (232 in 2004), intentional walks (120 in 2004), on-base percentage (.609 in 2004), slugging percentage (,863 in 2001), home run ratio (6.52 in 2001) and home run percentage (12.06 in 2004). The 43-year old also holds Major League career records with 13-consecutive 30-home run seasons and 14 campaigns with 100-or-more walks.

Having grown up in the clubhouse at Candlestick Park as he accompanied his father the late Giant Bobby Bonds, it's only fitting that younger Bonds dominates both the Giants franchise and San Francisco-era record books. He has established virtually every San Francisco-era offensive standard, holding the records for average (.312), home runs (586), RBI (1,440), runs (1,555), doubles (381) and is tied for first with his father with 263 stolen bases. Only his godfather Willie Mays has more home runs in a Giants uniform, clubbing 646 in both New York and San Francisco.

The eight-time Gold Glove winner is also fourth in franchise history with 1,975 games (third in SF annals), fifth with 6,260 at-bats (third for SF), third with 1,555 runs, fifth with 1,951 hits (third with SF), third with 381 doubles, third with 1,440 RBI, first with 1,947 walks, tied for ninth with 263 stolen bases and third with 4,172 total bases (second for SF).

Many of AT&T Park's defining moments in its eight-year history have included Bonds' milestone home runs. The slugger clubbed the team's first clout in the inaugural game April 11, 2000, while adding his 500th career blast in 2001. He became the single-season home run champion in 2001 with his 71st, 72nd and 73rd roundtrippers coming on the Shores of McCovey Cove. Bonds connected for his 600th home run August 9, 2002 off his former team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The two greatest Giants of all-time, Bonds and Mays, were tied at third on the all-time home run list when Bonds drilled his 660th clout during the 2004 home opener. He also added his 700th blast later that season off San Diego's Jake Peavy and surpassed Babe Ruth for second on the all-time list May 28, 2006 off Colorado's Byung-Hyun Kim. The new home run king reached the pinnacle of power on August 7, 2007 when he clubbed a solo, one-out clout off Washington's Mike Bacsik.

 
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