BOBBY BONDS, 1946-2003: Bobby Bonds, a standout major leaguer for 14 years whose primary legacy is the present-day superstardom of his son Barry, died of cancer Saturday at the age of 57.
In an age in which the majority of superstar athletes are estranged from, or never even met, their fathers, the Bonds men (like Michael and James Jordan before them) remained close until the very end. At the time of the elder Bonds' death, Barry's career home run total stood at 652, just eight fewer than that of Bobby's former teammate and Barry's godfather, Willie Mays.
For the first decade of Barry's career, sportswriters and sportscasters mistakenly referred to the young star as "Bobby Bonds," seemingly more often than that. A few idiot journalists, on Saturday, returned the favor, including an on-air Fox News anchor falsely reporting that "Barry Bonds" had died.