Despite having his MLB records unbroken for over a decade, San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds has not made it to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. There might be many reasons for the same, but the one that tops them all is his connection to performance-enhancing drugs. However, Bonds was not controversial because of his alleged use of banned substances alone. But to this day, he remains disputed because of how he represented himself outside the ballpark. 

The latter had Bonds getting involved in controversies much before the steroid allegations, even before the steroid allegations ever surfaced. About the same, former teammate of the Giants legend Andy Van Slyke once exposed the reason behind his exclusion from Decency’s Hall of Fame.  

Former teammate of Barry Bonds felt sad for him

Keeping the steroid allegations aside, if one has a proper look at Barry Bonds’ career, there is no denying that he is one of baseball’s greatest players. But it was never enough. Famous for being the home run-hitting machine on the plate, off of it, he was known for being aloof and difficult to get along with. Bonds being arrogant and selfish did not remain hidden from his teammates, media, and fans, resulting in them disliking him to their core. 

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About the same, Andy Van Slyke’s words for his ex-teammate found space in the book about his life, Love Me, Hate Me, Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero, written by famous author Jeff Pearlman. About Bonds, Andy said, “Life is more than how you play a game. It’s how you influence the people around you while you have the chance. Barry might be the greatest player who ever lived. But if there’s a Hall of Fame for decency, he doesn’t earn a vote. And that’s sad. Very, very sad.” 

Bonds’ Baseball Hall of Fame candidature might remain controversial to this day. But according to Andy, he does not stand a chance to be in the Hall of Fame of Decency. 

Anything good that Bonds did was taken wrong

During the time of the 9/11 attacks, when the entire Giants team was stranded, he gave a short speech on how people want to listen to what the leaders have to say and not the ballplayers. However, despite this statement of Bonds, he was still perceived as sketchy. The reason behind the same was his pretentious nature that wasn’t liked by many. This is yet another thing mentioned in the book by the bestselling author Pearlman. 

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Do you think Bonds would make a cut if there were a Hall of Fame of Decency? Also, does he deserve a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame? Let us know in the comments below!