Barry may not get into the Hall, but he will get a statue at Oracle

The award Barry Bonds and his supporters would prefer is a bust that sits in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Which, if he gets—and that remains a question—will not arrive for some time. 

So Bonds, for a while, will have to be satisfied with another piece of equipment, a statue at his long-time place of employment, Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Larry Baer, the Giants' President and CEO, was asked about adding Bonds' statue to the five already outside the ballpark. “Barry is certainly deserving of a statue,” said Baer. “And I would say he is next up.”

Those already in place are five former Giants who also are in the Hall of Fame—Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, and Orlando Cepeda. 

Bonds unquestionably hit more home runs than any major leaguer in history, a total of 762, the majority while wearing the uniform of the San Francisco Giants.

That made him a beloved figure in the Bay Area, but because of the unending reports that he was the beneficiary of drug use that aided his performance, he was equally disliked away from Northern California. Bonds ’abrasive attitude when he dealt with the media also contributed to his unpopularity among baseball writers who recognized his talent but were hesitant to deal with him. 

Bonds, now 60, seems to have mellowed somewhat, although that change has not yet improved his status among those who vote for induction into the Hall. There is no question of Bonds’ skill.  It’s reflected in the number of home runs, including the all-time single-season high of 73 in 2001.  It was just his personality and constant talk of steroids that made him disliked.   

Bonds never was officially denied the opportunity to be elected to the Hall, as were others such as Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose, who are now deceased. 

Perhaps the change in the revised admission to the Hall will also extend toward Bonds. Although the ostracized players, all except Rose, were involved in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal —fixing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds—before the latter group was cleared last month by Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Baseball people would like to believe their game, once the “National Pastime,” is a reflection, as the man said in the movie “Field of Dreams,” of “what is right in America.”

So now that all is forgiven to the accused fixers, maybe now Bonds will be forgiven for his transgressions.  

Whatever, Barry will get his statue as he continues to get cheers. Giants fans can only wish there were someone on the current roster who could hit like Bonds. 

Maybe someday there will be.