The San Francisco Giants have announced that the number 25 jersey will no longer be awarded. The jersey belonged to the home run king Barry Bonds for over 14 years. In a ceremony before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the 11th. August in AT&T Park, Bonds’ number is officially withdrawn from circulation.
“Since Bond’s last match at MLB in 2007, no Giants player has worn this jersey number,”said Giants CEO Laurence M. Baer:”It’s time to officially stop forgiving his number in his honour. We want to honor him not only as the best player of his generation, but also as one of the best players ever to wear a Giants uniform.”
Bonds himself was honored by the Giants’ decision:”The Giants and their fans are part of my family. When I grew up, Candlestick Park was my home. Playing in the same stadium for the same team as my godfather Willie Mays and my father Bobby was always something special for me. The number 25 meant a lot to me throughout my entire career, especially since my father was wearing it,”said Bonds.
Barry Bonds debuted for Pittsburgh Pirates at MLB in 1986 and won the MVP Award twice with Pirates. In 1992, he signed a seven-year contract with the Giants, which he extended for a further five years in 2002. With the Giants, Bonds broke the record for career homeruns (762) and home runs in a single season (73). His records were set at the height of doping in the MLB.
Barry Bonds is currently working as a consultant for the Giants.
This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.