Fast and lean, Barry Bonds was the Pirates leadoff man when he made his debut in 1986. Born into the game as the son of 3-time All-Star Bobby Bonds, Barry barely spent two seasons in the minors before being called up to The Show. Adding life to a depressed and tired Pittsburgh franchise that hadn’t seen the postseason since the 1970s, Bonds hit 16 homers in his first season, then 25 in 1987. It was the 1988 season when everything clicked for Bonds as he batted .283 and matched his uniform number with 24 home runs. The excitement churned up by this up-and-coming star boosted Pirates home attendance numbers to a level not seen since the era of Stargell and Clemente. Of course, Bonds would go on to bigger and record-breaking heights in subsequent years, but this 1988 gamer marks the exact period when Barry Bonds posted the first numbers that made the baseball world stop and take note. Barry’s Louisville Slugger H238 model bat shows heavy game use with a handle crack. Many ball marks with stitch impressions are visible on the barrel. Black ink transfers are present along with cleat imprints and green and blue bat rack paint streaks. A heavy coat of pine tar is on the handle and Bonds’ number “24” is handwritten on the knob in black marker. The remains of what may have been another number is also faintly present on the knob. The Flame Burned finish gives this bat a very distinctive look, allowing the stamped center brand and signature to pop off the natural wood surface. A very attractive gamer from Barry Bonds’ earliest days as a major leaguer. This bat comes with an LOA from PSA/DNA (1B15166) for the game use.

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