The Barry Bonds Card Even the Haters Don't Want to Miss
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It's become vogue for television pundits and citizens alike to lament the polarization of America as some fresh phenomenon of the last decade. However, real ones know this country's been polarized for more than 20 years. As for the lightning rod, don't flatter yourselves, Donald and Elon. The O.G. when it came to dividing America, Jefferson Davis notwithstanding, was Barry Lamar Bonds.
After all, the man holds the single season AND career home run records, stole over 500 bases, and won SEVEN National League Most Valuable Player awards. He was an absolute beast. To this day many fans consider him the GOAT...better than Babe Ruth, better than Willie Mays (his godfather!), and better than Shohei Ohtani. In their minds, his absence from Cooperstown is less an indictment of Bonds than an indictment of the Hall of Fame, if not America itself.
Yearly reminder that until Barry bonds gets in the hall of fame, the hall of fame is a joke and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
— T5 (@Trav5tweets) December 17, 2024
Meanwhile, the man's detractors see Barry (still!) as Baseball's ultimate supervillain, an unabashed and unapologetic cheat who dishonored the game and deserves every bit of his pariah status.
Barry Bonds took so many drugs, his head grew.
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) January 22, 2020
Yet, I have people in my mentions talking about how he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
1) Bonds as a rookie
2) Bonds as a fat-headed juicer
3) Bonds recently
Spare me. He’s a disgraced cheater. pic.twitter.com/k1TiIKDQQE
Up until now, the collectibles market seems to have sided with the anti-Barry camp, judging by the fact that Barry's 1986 Topps Traded rookie can be had for less than $35 in a PSA 9! Still, it could be that the Hobby is about to turn to corner on the Pirates/Giants superstar.
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While no small number of Barry Bonds cards, including autos, will soon hit shelves, Barry's first card of 2025 is out now (!), and it's a beauty. In truth, it well be perfection. (And that ain't easy for a Dodger fan to type about any Giants card!)
This masterpiece from Topps Living Set artist Angel S. Aviles transports even the biggest Barry haters back to a time before we had any idea what was going on, and if we're honest with ourselves, it may well have been the most fun we ever had watching baseball. As Aviles himself notes in a Facebook post, Barry was must-see TV.
The Storm Trooper elbow guard, the earring, the wristband bearing his own likeness, and--admit it--the hulking physique...Barry was the absolute baddest man on the planet as the calendar turned to the new millennium, post-Jordan, post-Griffey's prime, and post-Bo. Smoke and mirrors? Sure! (Or was it cream and clear?) But still, did any of us really know that back then?
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To an extent, sales of this Barry Bonds, card number 804 overall in the Topps "Living Set," may give us an early sense of whether the Hobby is ready to welcome Barry back into its good graces. The card, coincidentally released on Hank Aaron's birthday, is available through February 12, meaning we should know its sales in just a week or two.
A print run in the 2000-3000 range would put him comfortably on par with 2024 Living Set immortals Roy Campanella (PR 2571) and Satchel Paige (PR 3174) while 5000+ would put him the elite company of Hank Aaron (PR 4956) and Lou Gehrig (PR 5097 in 2023). Or, as he was prone to do on the diamond, don't be surprised if Barry puts up numbers in a league of his own. If nothing else, the artwork certainly merits such. And besides, let's remember we're the UNITED States of America. Isn't it about time we healed the divide? What do you say, haters? How about we finally "Barry" the hatchet!
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Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.