Giants plan to retire Barry Bonds’ jersey number

The San Francisco Giants announced Tuesday the team’s plan to retire Barry Bonds‘ jersey number, 25, in a ceremony on August 11.

The team has not issued 25 to any player since 2007, Bonds’ last year in the league.

Prior to the announcement, the team a sort of unofficial rule that it would only retire the jersey numbers  of members of the Hall of Fame, which is why the numbers of former Giants greats like Will Clark and Matt Williams remain in circulation. Honoring Bonds breaks that mold at a time when it is uncertain he will be voted into the Hall of Fame. With 56.4 percent of the vote in 2018 and four years left on the ballot to reach the threshold for enshrinement — 75 percent — the likelihood of the Veterans Committee eventually electing Bonds grows every year.

Bonds’ 25 will become the 10th jersey number the team has retired, joining Bill Terry (3), Mel Ott (4), Carl Hubbell (11), Monte Irvin (20), Willie Mays (24), Juan Marichal (27), Orlando Cepeda (30), Gaylord Perry (36) and Willie McCovey (44).

During the 15 years he played for the Giants, Bonds slashed .312/.477/.666 with 586 home runs, five MVP awards, five Gold Glove awards, nine Silver Slugger awards and 12 All Star Game appearances. He holds the all-time records for home runs (762), walks (2558) and intentional walks (688) as well as the record for most home runs in a single season (73).