Say what you will about Barry Bonds and his allegedly steroid-ridden career, but the man is working hard to restore his image.  It’s one thing to speak out against a horrible act like the Bryan Stow beating.  Any athlete or celebrity with a microphone in their face could talk about how horrible it is for a group of fans to beat another fan for supporting a rival team, but Bonds has remained committed to helping the Stow family.  After visiting Stow in the hospital and giving his children a scholarship to attend college, even the biggest Bonds haters would be stretching to say everything he has done is an act.

In what must be about step five of the Barry Bonds Image Restoration Project, Bonds recently appeared in a public service announcement with the Stow family.  Whether he has been completely sincere or not, Barry has certainly done a great deal to raise money for a tragic cause.  Check out the PSA, as shared by Sportress of Blogitude:

[Read more...]

Barry Bonds was known as a surly, rude, and irritable player during his career. It was so bad that even his own teammates supposedly wanted him to get hit by pitches. But Bonds seems to have changed since he’s retired. We’ve heard many media members and people say that he’s mellowed out and become a nicer guy, and that seemed to be confirmed when we heard he went to visit Bryan Stow’s family in the hospital shortly after the beating.

Now we’re learning another detail that makes Bonds look even better.

In an interview with NBC LA, the lawyer representing the Stow family in their suit against the Dodgers says the family plans to give back donations if they win the suit. Attorney Thomas Girardi also revealed that the family plans on keeping one gift: a college scholarship donated by Barry Bonds for Stow’s children. Girardi told LBS he wasn’t sure how much the donation involved, but that he knows Bonds set up the scholarships for the children.

Stow is a single father of two children and Bonds already reportedly gave them a signed glove and bat in the hospital. Now he’s paying for them to attend college? He sure has changed, and he is making some great use of his time while he awaits a hearing in his perjury trial. Well done Barry, very well done.

Thanks to Josina Anderson for the tip

We’ve done so much Barry Bonds bashing over the years here at LBS, it’s only fair to point out when the seemingly heartless man actually does something positive. NBC Bay Area reported Wednesday afternoon that Bonds actually visited Bryan Stow in the hospital. Stow you’ll recall is the Giants fan who was attacked by savage Dodger fans on Opening Day and ended up in a medically-induced coma because of his injuries.

The spokeswoman for Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, Rosa Saca, said Bonds came to the hospital last Friday and met with the family. NBC Bay Area reported that “Bonds also spent an hour in Stow’s room and left a signed baseball bat for Stow’s children.”

We had heard that Bonds has mellowed since retiring and actually become a much nicer person. This report would confirm that, and it certainly is a commendable gesture by Bonds. And while we’re on the subject of Barry’s compassion, he actually wasn’t that rude on his voicemails to Kimberly Bell as the courts would have you believe. Maybe he’s not so bad these days after all.