BARRY BONDS HALL OF FAME SPEECH

Commissioner John “Stray” Corrado’s Introduction Speech for Barry Bonds:

Barry Lamar Bonds, born in Riverside, California & born with his fathers’ ability to have excellent baseball’s skills; His father Bobby would play in the Majors from 1968-1981. His father played with the great Willie Mays, who also happens to be Barry’s godfather. Barry would make his own mark in Baseball, starting at Arizona State University, which led to him having a storied MLB Baseball Career with the Pittsburgh Pirates & the same franchise that his father & Godfather played for, in the San Francisco Giants. Barry was drafted by the Mohawk Valley Rangers, 6th overall in the Mid-West Baseball League’s inaugural 1997 season.

Barry would go on to play for Mohawk Valley until January 2000, when he was traded to the Tempe Tempers. He would win his first World Series ring with the Tempers in 2001. He was traded to the Kentucky Head Hunters after the 2001 season, in which he would return to the World Series for another ring. The Chicago Mobsters would acquire him with Derek Jeter (the MWBL’s all-time hits leader) in a monster deal, he would make two more World Series appearances with Chicago in 2005 & 2008.

Bonds was a 8-time MWBL All-Star (6-time starter), winning three Most Valuable Player season awards; twice in the National League in 2002 & 2003 for Kentucky, while winning another MVP award with Chicago in 2005. He would win his lone Gold Glove in 1999.

At the time of his retirement, only one MWBL player had more Home Runs than Barry did, and that was Alex Rodriguez, who by the way, is still playing. Alex was on top with 479 HR after 2008, with Barry trailing by only 21 HR’s at 458. Barry would have 6 individual seasons of hitting 40 or more HR’s, 50 or more (three times), would hit more than 60 HR’s twice (one of only two players to do so, Sammy Sosa the other) — with 68 and 62. Bonds’ 68 HR’s ranks only behind Mark McGwire’s 73 HR’s (in 2000) & Sosa’s 70 HR’s (in 1999); The 60-HR individual season mark has been accomplished only 7 times.

Barry would finish 5th all-time in HR’s (458), averaging a MWBL best 38.2 HR’s a season. Barry also finished with 1,225 RBI (19th all-time) – averaging 102.1 per season, leading all retired players with that clip. At short glance, 1,562 career hits does not sound like a lot, but when considering that he only played 12 seasons — 12 seasons, by the way, where the opposition rather walk him than face his wrath, that is quite an accomplishment. His 1,459 walks, easily ranks at the top, averaging an astounding 121.6 per season (another league record). He has scored 1,421 times (6th all-time), while his 118.4 runs per season is also tops in that department; He had 8 seasons with 100+ runs, 7 of those 8 seasons, with 130-or-more runs. His 192 runs for the Kentucky Head Hunters in 2003 is also a league record.

Barry Bonds finished his brilliant career with a career .297 batting average, and with league records of a .453 On-Base Percentage & .632 Slugging Percentage — making him the all-time leader with a 1.085 OPS (On-Base + Slugging). He also owns the single-season marks in each category, a .556 OBP with Kentucky (2003) & a .827 SLG & 1.367 OPS in 2005 for Chicago. To put it in perspective, Babe Ruth only had one OPS season bigger than Bonds’ 2005 season, and his career best in OBP was .545 in 1923 for the Yankees. Bonds was walked 205 times in 2003, and appears four times in the top 10 single-season walks category.

Bonds was known for his power & getting on base — but he was also blessed early on in his career with speed on the base paths. Barry would accumulate 173 stolen bases in his career, with an excellent steals success rate of 80%; He also made the “30/30 Club” three consecutive seasons from 1997-1999, all with Mohawk Valley.

Bonds may be, up to this point, the most gifted player to ever put on a MWBL uniform, with no further introduction, ladies & gentleman, Mr. Barry Bonds… [Clapping].

Barry Bonds Speech:

Thank you, Commissioner Corrado, and thank you to the fans that drove the distance for this big day. I don’t even know where to start really, it’s a bit overwhelming. It seems like yesterday, when I was just a kid in the backyard, and my father was throwing a Wiffle Ball, under-hand to me. I loved the game the moment I knew what Baseball was, and I remember seeing my dad being in a big league uniform, watching him on TV, or in the stands, or myself, being out on the field as a youngster with other Major League players that were playing with my father at the time — and it was there, that I said to myself… This is what I want to do for a living, it don’t get better than this.

I played the game with the same intensity my whole career, as a high school player, my days as a Sun Devil, and I carried that intensity & dedication into my MWBL career. I feel that maybe due to the intensity that I brought onto the field, that sometimes I may have not known how to turn off that intensity towards the reporters in the locker room, and for that, I will apologize that you took it the wrong way, but I will not apologize for the intensity that I brought to the diamond. I do thank all the writers, and owners that have voted me in today — it is truly a great honor.

I want to take this time to thank the four organizations that I have played for in the Mid-West Baseball League. First to the Mohawk Valley Rangers, by making me the 6th overall pick, I’m sure the five organizations that passed me up, had me in their nightmares for many nights [laughter, pause]… It was such a fun time, to put on that new MWBL uniform for the very first time, I was young, excited, and was thankful that they gave me that start to my career; Of course, when I think of my time in Mohawk Valley, my three consecutive 30/30 club seasons come straight to mind — boy, do I wish I can run like that again [some laughter]…

I still miss the game [Bonds showing emotions now]

To the Tempe Tempers for acquiring me in January of 2000, where Chris Douglas told me that day, he would make me a champion, and we accomplished that in the 2001 MWBL World Series, by overcoming a 2-0 series deficit to the Severn Express — I only wished that I played better in both those series for Tempe, especially that first series against Severn in 2000.

Most players don’t get the chance to play in three consecutive World Series, and some players never get a chance to even play in a World Series, I happened to play in three straight World Series, my third consecutive season was now as a Kentucky Head Hunter. The 2003 MWBL Season, may be my most well-rounded season in my entire MWBL career, I still can’t believe that I crossed that plate 192 times [shaking head in disbelief]… and that I was walked 205 times. Did I enjoy getting walked? No, who does? With all those walks, I still managed to collect 180 something hits, and 52 HR’s, all while hitting .371 — I am proud of that season, and our 2002 World Championship, that’s how I’ll remember Kentucky.

A week before Christmas 2004, I was in shock when I was traded to Chicago, packaged together with Derek Jeter of all people as well. Let me tell you, it was a great honor to be a teammate with Derek from 2002 to the end of my career, Derek had a nice calming effect on me, he played well above his years, his professionalism is off the charts… I can’t wait until the day that he is inducted into this great collection of all-time greats, that the MWBL Hall of Fame has put together, I’ll be waiting here for you, buddy.

I do wish that I played better with the Mobsters, I am proud to have reached 62 home runs at the age of 41, despite what the nay-Sayers want to say how I was to accomplish it. 2005 was probably my last great hurrah in the MWBL, and to get a couple more shots at a World Series ring certainly didn’t hurt. Stray built a winning tradition in Chicago, and I was really happy to wear a Mobsters uniform at some point in my career, even if it was at the twilight of my career.

I am thankful to be inducted with a great group of names in Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson & Steve Cutler, thanks to all of my family that has been supportive through my ups & downs. Thanks to my dad that shared this great game with me, I know you are excited up there — I miss you…. And thanks to everyone for this amazing day, Thank you!

[Bonds walks away with arms in the air, Applause]