Hall of Famer Jeff Kent recently urged his former San Francisco Giants teammate Barry Bonds to remain hopeful about his chances of induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The comments came during Kent's own jersey retirement ceremony at Oracle Park on Saturday, where the two former teammates shared a moment, playfully reenacting a past dugout scuffle.
Bonds, the MLB's all-time home run leader with 762, has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame, with voters citing his association with performance-enhancing drugs. Despite the controversy, Kent expressed his support.
"Barry, keep with it, brother, you got a shot, man," Kent told reporters, referring to the Hall of Fame. "I’m happy for Barry. I’m grateful that I got to play with a phenomenal player, and he knows, too. He’s got some baggage, and he’ll deal with it. He doesn’t need me to deal with it for him. He can do it himself."
Kent's No. 21 jersey was retired by the Giants, celebrating his own Hall of Fame career. Bonds, who had his No. 25 retired by the Giants in 2018, was present for the ceremony and interacted with Kent. The two were known for their on-field success but also for a public scuffle in the dugout in 2002, a moment they humorously referenced during the recent event.
Bonds, a 14-time All-Star and seven-time MVP, has previously expressed a diminished hope for Hall of Fame induction. In 2024, while being inducted into the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame, Bonds stated he no longer held those aspirations, preferring to focus on his family.