Barry Bonds is one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen, and now, thanks to HBO, we’ll learn more about the home run king.
HBO and Words + Pictures announced that production had launched production on a documentary about the life of Barry Bonds. The still unnamed project, according to Deadline, is directed by Keith McQuirter (By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem) and executive produced by Oscar winner Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America) and Connor Schell and Libby Geist, creators of the Emmy-winning series 30 for 30 and EPs of the megahit docuseries The Last Dance.
“The untitled HBO Sports Documentary will tell the story of Barry Bonds, baseball’s single-season and all-time home run king, from his beginnings as the son of All-Star Bobby Bonds, and godson of the iconic Willie Mays, all the way up to his meteoric rise in the 1990s and 2000s,” noted the release. “Using archival footage and original interviews, the film will chronicle Bonds’ emergence as one of the game’s most talented all-around players with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants and then his years as a superstar with the Giants when he rewrote the record book in his late 30s amid controversy.”
Bonds is one of baseball’s greats, yet he’s also one of the most controversial and polarizing figures in the game.
His resume is one that very few players will ever come close to.
14x All Star, 7x MVP, 8x Gold Glover, 12x Silver Slugger, and 2x Batting Champ. He ranks sixth on MLB’s All-Time RBI list with 1,996 and is the only MLB player to steal at least 500 bases (514) and hit at least 500 home runs.
Yet despite those accolades and being both the league’s All-Time home run leader (762) and single-season home run leader (73), Bonds has consistently been accused of using steroids, which has damaged his chances of being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Over 10 voting periods, he has failed to make the Hall each time.
The upcoming documentary will examine his life story, from growing up in the Bay area to playing with the Pittsburgh Pirates and his hometown San Francisco Giants.
“Through a series of interviews, we will illuminate the untold story of Bonds, providing an intimate look behind the scenes. It will all add up to a complex journey that was one of the most enduring and consequential tales in American sports history – a tale I can’t wait to tell,” said McQuirter.
No release date has been announced yet and while Bonds is not currently involved in the project, the producers said the door is open for his participation.
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