Sports

Bonds Finally Gets His Number Retired

Published

6 years ago

August 11, 2018

San Francisco, CA – Almost eleven years after Barry Bonds retired, the Giants finally retired his number (25). In a lavish and unforgettable ceremony, the best player the franchise ever saw took his final bow in front of a sellout crowd. Wearing his #25 jersey Bonds trotted out on the field for one last time.

The Giants spared no expense, a one-hour ceremony wasn’t enough time to relive an amazing 22 year career. Also fitting that San Francisco chose to honor Bonds during their homestead against the Pittsburg Pirates. Bond began his baseball career with Pittsburg in 1986. For only the 10th time in the franchise’s history, the Giants are retiring another jersey. Bonds historic career with the ball club began from 1993-2007.

Bonds won seven National League MVP awards, eight Golden Glove awards and was a 14-time All-Star. He holds Major Leagues Baseball’s all-time record for home runs (762) and walks (2,558). The best power hitter in baseball was no match for anyone during his time. San Francisco’s current manager Bruce Bochy shared his memories of Bonds.

“A lot of good memories of Barry,” Bochy said. “He saw the game in a different way. Over 700 home runs was just incredible. He was the guy you talked about, he was the guy you walked with the bases loaded. No one was handled as carefully as Barry was ever. You look at the intentional walks and that’s how good he was. That was the deal, don’t let Barry beat ya.”

Photo by William Hammons

In a magical celebration at AT&T park, the Giants brought back some of the greatest players to honor Bonds tonight. Hall of Famers Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey. Dusty Baker and Jim Leyland, Bonds former managers shared some kind words as well as Mays.

“Without question he is the best player I ever managed in my 22 years as a major league skipper,” said Leyland. “Let all of us be thankful that we had the opportunity to see one of the greatest players that’s ever lived for so many years.”

“When people talk about, ‘Oh, who’s the best ballplayer in the world?’ I don’t care,” said Mays. “I played my 20 years, 22 years, whatever it might be. Give somebody honor, that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is a type of fraternity that, when you get there, you’ll say, ‘Man, how did I get here?’ And I want him to have that honor be something that happens to him.”

“Vote this guy in!” Mays added.

Photo by William Hammons

It was an incredible sendoff that Bonds deserved. The emotion was overwhelming for the retired player as he thanked his family, teammates, former managers, executives, friends and the fans. Bonds got teary eyed when thanking his father, not knowing why he was so hard on him in his younger years but now understanding what it took to blaze a trail of greatness as he did in baseball.

“I am overwhelmed with emotions as the reality of this day sets in,” Bonds said. “This may come as a surprise to a lot of people, but as a child I didn’t even want to play baseball. I wanted to play all sports — basketball, football, ride my bike, all the things that kids do. But once my mom signed me up. I got my first taste of what would be my lifelong passion.”

“I always questioned why he was sympathetic to others, while I was out there working my butt off,” Bonds remembered of hid late father (Bobby Bonds). “Every time I’d say something like, ‘Hey, Dad, I hit two home runs today.’ He would say, ‘Good. Hit two more tomorrow. Doesn’t seem fitting to be here without my dad,” said Bonds wiping tears from his eyes.

“Thank you San Francisco, thank you for making all my dreams come true,”

Baker who was Bonds former manager from 1993-2002 was also a close friend of Bonds late father. Baker brought some laughter as he remembered Bonds working in the wee hours before everyone got to the ballpark but also recalled Bonds often times sleeping when others took Batting Practice because he was too tired from working out early in the morning. Baker’s words were heart felt when he took a walk down memory lane reminiscing about the days when he played baseball in Riverside, CA with the older Bonds.

“I thought Bobby Bonds was the greatest prep-school athlete I had ever seen in my life until one day Bobby Bonds told me that ‘my son is going to be greater than me,'” said Baker. “I couldn’t see that at the time, because I hadn’t seen Barry play much before he went to [Arizona State]. But he told me, my son — and I told Barry this — is more dedicated and works harder than he did, and Bobby was right.”

Bonds still hopes to one day be inducted into the Hall of Fame despite the unexpected ending to his career. Until the time comes he’llalways have the remarkable memory of the phenomenal sendoff the Giants gave him. Bonds had an undeniable, exceptional career, his story won’t end here tonight. Great players like Bonds don’t fade away, their memory lives on and who knows maybe one day we’ll see him in Cooperstown.

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Bay Area

Love Life Organization Shows Love

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day. It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.

City of Oakland Celebrates 1975 NBA World Championship Team

By Donald Lacy

Special to The Post

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day.

It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

The 1975 NBA World Championship team were invited back to the City of Oakland last Friday, to be properly celebrated for their ground-breaking performance in 1975.

The heartwarming ceremony highlighted the recent passing of the legendary coach of that team, Al Attlles, and his former players Clifford Ray and Charles Dudley were on hand to represent the “Cardiac Kids” as they were called back then for their ability to make great comeback victories during their run for the title.

Warriors great Chris Mullin and former spiritual advisor Gary Reeves gave heartfelt testimonies of their experiences under Attles’ leadership and their relationship with the inspiration they received from the NBA 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors.

The City of Oakland provided proclamations to all parties with speeches made by city leadership including Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield and activity host Love Life non-profit founder and Executive Director Donald E. Lacy Jr..

There will be a celebration of life event Nov. 9 honoring Attles’ legacy at Alameda College.

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California Black Media

Several Black Californians Are Playing Key Roles in LA 28 Olympics Planning

From politicians and businesspeople to athletes and community leaders, a number of Black Californians are contributing to the thought leadership that is shaping the planning of LA28, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

From left to right: IOC Member Hong Zhang, IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertsz, Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach, LA28 President Casey Wasserman, James T. Butts, Mayor of Inglewood, IOC President Thomas Bach, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the President of the Los Angeles City Council (IOC/Greg Martin)

By Lila Brown, California Black Media

At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

“The 2028 Games present an incredible opportunity to unite our city and lift up every corner of Los Angeles,” said Bass during a historic event at Los Angeles City Hall on Sept. 13, when the Olympic and Paralympic flags were unveiled and installed.

The event marked the return of the Olympic flag to L.A. since 1984, when the city hosted the Olympics for the second time. It was the first time the Paralympic flag was raised in California’s largest city.

“From creating jobs to supporting small businesses, we are committed to ensuring that these Games benefit all Angelenos — not just for the summer of 2028, but for decades to come,” Bass added.

Nearly two months after the Olympic flag handover from Paris to Los Angeles, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach visited Los Angeles.

Bach toured several of the city’s newest world-class sporting venues, including the SoFi Stadium and the recently opened Intuit Dome, both located in Inglewood. At the stadiums, he was joined by two other Los Angeles County Black mayors, whose cities will be key to hosting LA28 events: Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

SoFi Stadium, known as the home of NFL teams the LA Rams and LA Chargers, will host swimming competitions during the LA28 Games, with a temporary pool set to make it the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, boasting 38,000 seats. Intuit Dome, Inglewood’s newest state-of-the-art venue and home to the LA Clippers, will host the Olympic basketball tournament in the 18,000-seat arena.

In an interview with California Black Media ( CBM), Butts highlighted Inglewood’s central role in the upcoming Games, stating, “Inglewood will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies, basketball, and swimming competitions of the 2028 Olympic Games. This will be our second hosting of Olympic Basketball, the first in 1984.”

Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of the Los Angeles City Council, also attended the tour.

Harris-Dawson is one of the leading backers of PlayLA, a parks development program that promises to provide sports programming to “young Angelenos of all abilities.” The initiative is funded by a $160 million investment from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the International Olympic Committee.

Black Californians serving on the LA28 Board include Businesswoman Mellody Hobson; decorated Paralympian Lex Gillette; former Netflix Executive Dana Smith; President of the LA County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Yvonne Wheeler; and television host, retired sprinter and four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson.

Rosalyn Brant Clark, a 1976 Olympic silver medalist and mother of three-time Paralympian Breanna Clark, said while the “Games for All” theme is promising, she is looking for more concrete action that impacts the lives of ordinary people, including Black Californians.

“They are going to need to show me more on that one before it gets my stamp of approval,” she added, challenging organizers to ensure genuine inclusivity.

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Bay Area

Ohemaa Nyanin Named GM of Valkyries WNBA Team

The Bay Area is filled with excitement, and much of the conversation is about the Bay Area’s newest WNBA team — the VALKYRIES! The Golden State Warriors were awarded the 13th team in the WNBA last October, and just four months ago, the team’s General Manager was announced — Ohemaa Nyanin.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Getty Images

By Y’Anad Burrell

Nyanin’s parents are from Ghana, and she was born in Maryland. Nyanin’s experience in this industry precedes her both as a former college player and on the business side. Nyanin is an American University alumna who played on the Eagles’ women’s basketball team. In 2019, Nyanain joined the WNBA team, The New York Liberty, initially serving as the director of basketball operations before she became assistant general manager.

“No excuses,” Nyanin said. “We are here, first and foremost, as humans, and secondly to win basketball games. So how do we do that, and how do we do that in the most inclusive way?”

From viewing interviews that Nyanin has done since her arrival in the Bay Area, a constant theme in her conversations is talking about taking a “people first” approach. Nyanin talks about how she will be focused on the players, staff, and fans as she navigates and executes her role as general manager. Health, both mentally and physically, is important to Nyanin, as I’ve seen in her many interviews.

Just days ago, The Golden State Warriors announced the head coach for the Valkyries — Natalie Nakase.

Nakase has been the assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces for the past three seasons, where she was a part of the Aces’ back-to-back championship run in 2022 and 2023. Before joining the Aces’ coaching staff, Nakase spent ten seasons with her hometown team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their G League.

The Valkyries will practice at downtown Oakland’s Golden State Warrior space and play games at Chase Center in San Francisco. This is an excellent opportunity to experience both sides of the water.

The Valkyries WNBA season opens May 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Valkyries website shows over 18,000 season-ticket deposits. For clarity, if someone is ‘interested’ in purchasing season tickets, a $25 deposit is required. The Chase Center’s capacity is a little over 18,000, so you can imagine how electrifying the stadium will be during all home games.

Ohemaa, welcome to the Bay and The Town!