Barry Bonds is slamming it this year. One more home run to tie Hank Aaron’s home run record. I’m a diehard Marlins fan, so hopefully Barry won’t tie or break the record against my favorite team (especially since Sergio Mitre is a starting pitcher in my Fantasy Team). Otherwise, I’m one in the minority that really wants to see Bonds break the record. All steriod issues aside, records are made to be broken ans what athletes care to do with their bodies is their own business. Who knows how long Bond’s record will last with Alex Rodriguez as the next contender for the record as long as he stays healthy.

Despite all the controversy surrounding steroid use and despite Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s recent rants and apology on his blog (http://38pitches.com/), there is no denying that Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants is one of the greatest sluggers of all time. Barry Bonds is a 7-time MVP and is 2nd in Major League history with 734 career home runs, owns baseball’s single-season records for home runs (73 in 2001), walks (232 in ‘04), intentional walks (120 in ‘04), on-base pct. (.609 in ‘04), slugging pct. (.863 in ‘01), HR ratio (6.52 in ‘01) and HR pct. (12.06 in ‘04). Barry Bonds has won an unprecedented 7 National League Most Valuable Player Awards (1990, ‘92, ‘93, 2001, ‘02, ‘03 and ‘04), no other player has won more than three. Bonds is currently chasing Hank Aaron’s MLB record 755 career home runs and has racked up an impressive 11 home runs so far in the 2007 season, second only to powerhouse Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees who has hit 15 thus far.

Barry Bonds was a 1st round draft pick (6th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1985 and has been one of the most charismatic and exciting players to emerge in the last half century. Currently in his 22nd year of MLB service, long after many players would have retired, Barry Bonds is still one of the most formiddable sluggers carrying a .329 batting average into the month of May with a .529 on base percentage. Barry’s reputation has many major league managers intentionally walking him this season which accounts for his league leading 35 walks. Highlights of his career include 73 home runs in the 2001 season while carrying a .328 batting average, and an astounding .370 batting average in the following 2002 season.

Off the field, Barry Bond’s is equally a Giant for his work with The United Way of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bonds Family Foundation (founded by Barry Bonds and his father, the late Bobby Bonds, former Giants’s great and hitting coach) encourages, promotes and funds programs designed to improve educational achievements, standard of living and quality of life conditions for African-American youth within Bay Area community. Barry often visits with critically ill children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, has met with group of 50 children from Major League Baseball’s “Buses for Baseball” program in dugout at AT&T Park each of last 2 seasons and also lent his support to Tsunami victims by donating “experience” package for Giants online auction to benefit victims. Barry’s history of giving back to the community he lives and works in has more than certainly destined him for future inclusion into the Hall of Fame.