JUNE 25, 1968 | SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – San Francisco Giants’ rookie Bobby Bonds came in with a bang. He hit a grand slam home run in his first major league game on this date in 1968.
Yes, Bobby Bonds was Barry Bonds‘ father. Barry’s stats outshine his father’s, but Bobby was no slouch himself. He was a 5-tool player – run, catch, throw, hit and hit for power. Five times, Bobby hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases. Five times he had 90 or more RBI. His best all-around year was 1970 when he hit .302, 26 home runs, 78 runs batted in, which is not phenomenal, but he also had 134 runs scored and a .375 on base percentage.
Despite some excellent numbers, Bobby just didn’t seem to quite meet expectations – which were high. His longest stint was with the same team his son finished his career with – the San Francisco Giants. Bobby Bonds bounced around a lot. He played for the Yankees, Angels, White Sox, Rangers, Cardinals and Cubs. But Bonds came in with a bang in 1968.
Contributing sources:
Home run in first major league at-bat
Players who hit home runs in first major league at-bat