Today is February 5th, 2025. Otherwise known as 2.5.25. Also known as Barry Bonds Day. The SF Giants are celebrating one of the greatest to ever wear a Giants uniform today so we at Around the Foghorn will do the same. And yes, this was intentionally published at 02:25 PST.
Last year, on February 4th, 2024 (2.4.24), it was Willie Mays Day because, of course, Mays' number in his career was 24. It turned out to be fitting that the day was celebrated for Willie since he passed away a few months later in June at the age of 93.
Celebrating SF Giants legend Barry Bonds on 2/5/25
Now, a year later it feels right that we can celebrate Barry Bonds on a day with just about as many 2's and 5's in it as possible. If any of you are around on February 5th, 2525, be sure to remind the youngsters that there was a time when Barry Bonds walked the Earth and was the most dominant player in baseball.
Bonds had such a legendary career that words almost do not do it justice. He holds the record for most career home runs with 762, won seven National League MVP Awards, made it to 14 All-Star Games, and won eight Gold Glove Awards. The list could go on and on rattling off his accolades, but Bonds was so much more than numbers on a page.
He was arguably the most intelligent hitter in the game along with being the most powerful. He could outsmart a pitcher as gifted as Greg Maddux and go toe-to-toe with the best closer in the game at the time in Eric Gagné and come out on top.
Peers who played with him regularly say he was the best player they ever saw play the game, and while he had a big head (both figuratively and literally after all of the steroid use), he could always back up that arrogance with his excellence on the field.
It is funny how a player's number will stick with us throughout like. I cannot see the number 24 without thinking about Mays and the same can be said about Bonds and the number 25. Then again, I will also see the number 59 and think of Forever Giants Andrew Suárez and Guillermo Mota so maybe the number fascination is a whole separate issue.
But when a player dominates the game the way Mays and Bonds did, we remember the number they wore on their back. That is the mark of a great player. So, let's all remember Bonds' greatness on this hallowed date of 2/5/25 and feel fortunate that we got to see some, or all, of his greatness with the Giants.