Bobby Bonds, a three-time All-Star outfielder, and wife Pat welcome their first child, Barry Lamar, into the world. Born in Riverside, Calif., Barry is connected to baseball not just through his dad -- his godfather is legendary center fielder Willie Mays.
1968
At the tender age of four, Barry acquaints himself with his future place of employment, Candlestick Park. He accompanies his dad to work and plays catch with Mays in the outfield.
1978-1982
Bonds is a standout in football, basketball and baseball at Serra High, in San Matteo, Calif., but it is on the diamond that young Barry excels the most. He hits .467 as a senior and .404 overall in his high school career.
June 1982
Barry is selected by the Giants in the second round of the amateur draft. He asks the club for $75,000 to sign, but San Francisco won't go higher than $70,000. Bonds ultimately declines the offer and instead attends Arizona State.
Summer 1985
In three seasons for the Sun Devils, Bonds hits .347 with 45 home runs and 175 RBIs. After an All-America junior season, Bonds forgoes his senior campaign to enter the draft again.
June 3,1985
The Pirates select Bonds with the sixth pick in the amateur free agent draft.
May 30, 1986
Bonds is called up to Pittsburgh from Class AAA Hawaii (where he hit .311 in 44 games), despite having less than a year of minor league experience. He gets his first major league hit the following day against the Dodgers' Rick Honeycutt.
June 4, 1986
Bonds makes Braves right-hander Craig McMurtry the first in a long line of victims when the rookie slugs his first major league home run.
February 5, 1988
In a Las Vegas wedding, Bonds marries cosmetologist Susann "Sun" Branco. The couple met in August 1987 at a Montreal bar.
December 18, 1989
Barry and Sun become parents when 7 lb, 11 oz. Nikolai Lamar is born.
October 1990
In his fourth full major league season Bonds emerges as a superstar, hitting .301 with 33 home runs, 114 RBIs, 104 runs scored and 52 stolen bases. However, the postseason is another story. Bonds struggles in his first League Championship Series, going 3 for 18 (.167) with no home runs and one RBI as the Reds defeat the Pirates in six games.
