IS Bobby Bonds a HOF ?

[NOMAR22]

Was gifted with rare combination of power and speed. 1st 3-time 30/30 guy (Mays had done it twice). Ended up doing it 6 times. Only 2 players have stolen 400 bases and hit 300 HR, and both are named Bonds. Was a star who redefined the role of leadoff man.

G AB R H 2B 3B HRS RBIS SB CS AVG OBP
14 Seasons 1,849 7043 1,248 1886 302 66 332 1024 461 169 .268 .353

SLG TB BB SO
.471 3,316 914 1,757

[NeverJustAGame]

Bobby Bonds was a great player and is "close" to Hall of Fame status.

[jalbright]

My own review of Bobby Bonds' qualifications is as follows:

serious drawbacks:
only an all-star 3 times
only 6 black ink points (319th best all time among hitters)
low HOF standards score
None of his 10 most similar players are in the HOF (though Dick Allen is one of them)
MVP award shares is 227th, not nearly good enough

somewhat negative
his 94 win shares in his best 3 seasons is 20th best among RF listed in the BJHA

modest positives
132 gray ink points is 126th best all-time. Since there are only about 140 MLB position players in the Hall, and some are catchers, shortstops and second basemen, this is a marginal HOF accomplishment for an outfielder at best
302 career win shares 167th best among all players but 24th best among RF in the BJHA

significant positive
149 win shares in his best five consecutive seasons is 12th best among a tough RF crowd in the BJHA

Overall, I just don't think the overall picture is enough for Bobby Bonds.

Jim Albright

[Naliamegod]

Bobby Bonds was a one of a kind player, who is extremely underrated but sadly just falls short of the HoF.

[538280]

I made an extremely lengthy post a long time ago and why Bobby Bonds is a HOF caliber player, but sadly can't find it. I think it may have been in the now deleted BBF HOF Discussion thread.

Anyway, my general position on Bonds is that he lasted long enough to be a good player, was one of the greatest power/speed men of all time, a great leadoff man and changed the position for years to come, and had awesome power too.

Lou Brock was a player we elected into our Hall, but Bonds was a loose contemporary and much, much better leadoff man and a much more valuable overall player with his fielding and power also entered into it.

Brock, of course,has credentials outside of his value but Bonds really does too. Bobby was the best power/speed man in baseball history (in terms of equal representation from HR and SB. His son and Rickey Henderson are ahead on power/speed number, but Barry's number comes mostly from HRs and Rickey's from SBs. Bobby's number comes from just about equal parts each and that, IMO, makes him the best power/speed man in history). He was also an innovator who redefined the leadoff position.

[KCGHOST]

His RCAA is just 315 whichis good, but quite in HoF territory for an HoFer. His career ended somewhat early. If he had had a productive decline he might have squeezed out enough productivity to get in. Instead he was gone after his age 35 season. His career was as productive as Sammy Sosa who also fell off the table in his mid 30's. The big difference was Bonds had his best 5 years from ages 23-27, while Sosa's didn't start until age 29.

[bigtrain]

Just like Tony Oliva, Bobby Bonds is a good example of a player who falls just on the other side of the line. (Even though personally I would like to see Oliva in the hall.)

[DoubleX]

Hall of Fame talent, not quite a Hall of Fame career though.

[1905 Giants]

Positive:
300/300 Club
73% Stolen Base Percentage
OPS+130
Only 107 GDP
Twice in the top 5 in At-Bats per Homerun
Twice led league in Runs
81st in career homeruns
9 times led in Power/Speed Number
Almost 2000 hits in only 14 seasons


Negative:
3 times led in strikeouts (including 189 and 187)
11th in career strikeouts
.268 Batting Average

Overall good player, I'd probably vote for him, but definitely not a top-tier guy, but probably overall better than Brock

[538280]

I may agree with others in terms of sheer value in the career Bobby may fall just short of the HOF, but he is extremely close even there. But, he was the best power/speed man in baseball history, and he was an innovator of the game.

I just think looking at his statistics he's really quite an amazing type player, the type that, at least to me, makes me go "WOW!" every time I look at it. You can almost tell just by looking at the pure statistics he was a great, great talent and an electric player.

Re: The strikeouts-Bonds was a leadoff man for most of his career, and batting in that position an out is an out is an out. Of course he didn't always leadoff an inning, but at least one of his PAs a game did, and that makes his strikeouts have less impact. Strikeouts are barely worse than other outs anyway. In fact, as a leadoff man I'd sometimes rather have the guy strike out than make an other out because in general SOs make the pitcher throw more pitches.

[leecemark]

--Bonds probably should have been a leadoff man most of his career, but he was often the biggest power threat on his team and hit in the middle of the order after being traded from the Giants.

[digglahhh]

There's a decent chance he'll win entry on BBF through the Hall of Corrections Polls, he's on my ballot.

However, I don't know if I'd actually support him. There are more spots in that poll than there are guys on the outside who I would truly support.

[Chisox]

It doesn't matter how many times I make my rankings, Bobby Bonds ALWAYS seems to hold down the fence, but sneaks in for me.
(That is, around the 15th best RF of all-time.)