New Arrival: Bobby Bonds, of, Cleveland Baseball
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Card: 2002 Topps Archives Bobby Bonds
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Outfielder Bobby Bonds had a fantastic career in the Major Leagues, which included a single season in Cleveland. It’s a shame, though, that his career has been somewhat overshadowed by his son’s impact–both good and bad–on the game.
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Bonds came to Cleveland in October 1978, part of a trade between Cleveland and Texas that saw Bonds and Len Barker to the Indians, in exchange for OF Larvell Blanks and relief ace Jim Kern. Bonds, only 33 but nearing the end of his career, would only spend one season with Cleveland but had a respectable 123 OPS+ with 25 HR and 34 stolen bases. Bonds, Mike Hargrove (152 OPS+), Toby Harrah (125 OPS+), and Andre Thornton (114 OPS+) were not a terrible line-up, and the Tribe ended the season with–on the Cleveland Dark Ages of Baseball scale of things–a decent record of 81-80.
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Overall, Bonds spent 14 seasons in the majors and retired with 332 HR and a 129 OPS+. He was a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner.