While Bonds still has not found himself enshrined in Cooperstown, he will still receive permanent recognition for his tenure with the San Francisco Giants in 2018.

Controversial slugger Barry Bonds will have his Number 25 retired in a pregame ceremony on August 11th before a game between a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates (the only other team Bonds played for).

Barry Bonds will become the 12th player in San Francisco Giants to have his number retired, following Bill Terry (3), Carl Hubbell (11), Mell Ott (4), Monte Irvin (20), Orlando Cepeda (30), Juan Marichal (27), Willie Mays (24), Willie McCovey (44) and Gaylord Perry (36). Christy Mathewson and John McGraw also received an equivalent honor, though they played and managed before jersey numbers were established in the MLB.

“I’m both honored and humbled that the Giants are going to retire my number this season,” Bonds said in a statement. “As I’ve always said, the Giants and Giants fans are a part of my family.”

Barry Bonds is regarded by many as the greatest hitter of all-time with 762 home runs (most all-time), 2,935 hits, 2,558 walks (most all-time), 688 intentional walks (most of all-time), and a .298 batting average in 9,847 career at-bats. Along with Bonds’ record 7 MVP Awards, 8 Gold Gloves, 12 Silver Slugger Awards, and 14 All-Star nods, and the record for most home runs in a single season with 73 in 2001. Bonds is also the only player in history to be part of the 500 home run-500 stolen bases club. The MLB’s Home Run Leader* hit 586 of his 762 career home runs with the Giants in 15-years with the club, along with a .312/.477/.666 slash line.

The only thing that is keeping Barry Bonds out of the Hall of Fame is the fact that Bonds is connected to Human Growth Hormones and other Performance Enhancing Drugs. Bonds is the poster child of the steroid era and has proved that no matter how good you are, you are never larger than the Game.

Retiring Bonds’ number is proof that the San Francisco Giants franchise has moved on from the past and have forgiven Bonds for his PED usage and are hoping to see Bonds in Cooperstown. Unfortunately for Bonds, the BBWAA has not forgiven him and he is likely to miss out on Hall of Fame election for at least one more year and likely more. I personally have made my stance very clear and I would not vote him into Cooperstown if given the Opportunity.

No Giants player has worn the number 25 since Bonds’ retirement in 2007, and come August 11th, 2018, no player will ever grace a Giants uniform with the number 25 on the back.