Giants to retire No. 25 jersey of Barry Bonds in August

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

The San Francisco Giants will retire the No. 25 of Barry Bonds this season, the team announced Tuesday.

The number will be retired on Aug. 11, 2018, when the Giants host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bonds spent 15 of his 22 major league seasons with San Francisco; the other seven were with Pittsburgh. He currently serves as a special adviser for the Giants.

"I'm both honored and humbled that the Giants are going to retire my number this season," the 53-year-old Bonds said in a statement. "As I've always said, the Giants and Giants fans, are a part of my family. Growing up, Candlestick Park was my home away from home, and it is where my dad [Bobby Bonds] and godfather Willie [Mays] played.

"For me to have played on the same field as them, wear the same uniform and now have my number retired, joining Willie and the other Giants legends is extremely special. Number 25 has meant a lot to me throughout my career and it is even more special that I got to share that with my dad."

Bobby Bonds also wore No. 25 with the Giants.

Barry Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP and 14-time All-Star selection whose career was tainted by the league's steroids scandal, finished his career with an MLB-record 762 home runs. He broke Hank Aaron's home run record with No. 756 on Aug. 7, 2007.

He again fell short of making the Baseball Hall of Fame this season -- his sixth time on the ballot -- after being named on 56.4 percent of the ballots. Players need to receive 75 percent for election into Cooperstown.

Bonds will be the sixth member of the San Francisco Giants to have his number retired -- joining Mays (No. 24), Orlando Cepeda (30), Juan Marichal (27), Willie McCovey (44) and Gaylord Perry (36). He is the 12th player in franchise history, including the New York Giants, to earn the honor.