Barry Bonds may never make it into the Hall of Fame because of his link to performance-enhancing drugs, but that won’t stop the San Francisco Giants from honoring him as a franchise icon.
The Giants announced on Tuesday that they will retire Bonds’ No. 25 jersey during a ceremony on Aug. 11.
August 11, 2018#Bonds25 | #ForeverGiant | #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/0h1iLELzMl
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) February 6, 2018
Bonds released a statement thanking the team.
Bonds: "I’m both honored and humbled that the Giants are going to retire my number this season. As I’ve always said, the Giants and Giants fans, are a part of my family. Growing up, Candlestick Park was my home away from home, and it is where my dad and godfather Willie played."
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) February 6, 2018
"For me to have played on the same field as them, wear the same uniform and now have my number retired, joining Willie and other Giants legends is extremely special. No. 25 has meant a lot to me (in) my career, and it is even more special that I got to share that with my dad."
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) February 6, 2018
There’s no denying that Bonds is one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history — with or without steroids. Even if some of today’s superstars are unwilling to recognize Bonds’ single-season record of 73 home runs, he’ll always have a special place among Giants fans.
