Steven Travers - Barry Bonds: Baseballs Superman

Copyright 2002, 2012 by Steven R. Travers

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Front cover photo courtesy of Ken Viale

Back cover photo courtesy of AP/Wide World Photos

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file

ISBN: 978-1-61321-160-1

eISBN: 978-1-61321-160-1

This book is dedicated to my parents,
who put up with me;
to my daughter, Elizabeth Travers, who loves me;
to my best buddy, Kevin McCormack,
who believes in me;
and to the Lord Jesus Christ, who saves me.

Steven Travers

I would like to thank Mike Pearson of Sports Publishing, Inc., for believing that this book could come to fruition. I also want to thank Maurey Williamson of Sports Publishing, Inc., for his efforts in promoting this book. I do not want to overshadow the rest of the Sports Publishing family: Director of Production Susan Moyer, marketing guru Nick Obradovich, and the rest.

My thanks also go out to Steve Hoskins, Barry Bonds media representative, and to the great Barry Bonds himself, for their cooperation on this project from June to October 2001.

I also wish to thank the San Francisco Giants, a class organization if ever there was one. In particular, I want to thank Bob Rose, their former vice president of communications, who is now doing a fine job at the University of California-Berkeley. Thanks also to Maria Jacinto, Blake Rhodes and Matt Hodson. They did the tireless, behind-the-scenes work at Pacific Bell Park that make it possible for journalists like myself to do our jobs.

I want to thank the two agents who represented me at various times during the course of this project; Basel Kane of the Kane Literary Agency in La Jolla, California, and Mel Berger of The William Morris Agency in New York City. Thanks also to my manager, Lloyd Robinson of Suite A Management in Los Angeles.

I also thank Maureen Regan.

I want to thank my parents, Donald and Ingeborg Travers of Marin County, California. They put up with me and taught me to never quit.

I want to thank my daughter, Elizabeth Ashley Travers. She gives me inspiration.

I want to thank my two best friends. Kevin McCormack always believed in my writing career, and gave me encouragement that I value. Bradley Cole of New York City (who portrays Prince Richard on the CBS daytime drama A Guiding Light) gave me advice and insight.

I want to thank Marc Samson of MAS Marketing in Santa Monica, California, and Jake Downey of Studio City, California, for their help in this project. I also want to express my gratitude toward John Shea, the baseball columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle, who pointed me in the right direction regarding some research, and to Chronicle sports editor Glenn Schwarz. Thanks also to PR lady extraordinaire Cherie Kerr of Cherie Kerr Public Relations Santa Ana, California.

Thanks also to Kevin Donahue, the athletic director at Bonds alma mater, Father Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California, for the photo content he provided me. Thanks also, to Charles Scott of Novato, California, currently a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a one-time teammate of Bonds at Arizona State University. I also want to extend my gratitude to former USC pitcher Randy Robertson.

Thanks also to the man I predict will eventually be the Chairman/ CEO of Coca-Cola, Terry Marks, for his ideas regarding the marketing of this book.

Thank you to Mark Brand, the sports information director at Arizona State, and to his assistant, Jeff Evans. My gratitude also is extended to Bob Nachshin, Barry Bonds attorney, for his cooperation in this project.

I wish also to thank Beverly Blake Young, who gave me love that I cherished. I want to extend my gratitude to Fred Wallin of www.businesstalkradio.com, Oakland Raiders and As announcer Greg Papa, and to veteran San Francisco sportscaster Bruce MacGowan of KNBR, the Giant 68. I wish to also thank Zach Beimes, who to this day remains the best sports editor I ever had, from my days at StreetZebra Magazine. I want to thank Jeff Ballard, the publicist for Charles Sheen, for his great work in helping us get Charles to write the foreword. Thanks also to Charles Wild Thing Sheen. Dig your work, man.

Steven R. Travers

Because he is one of the big names in our pro sports scene today, and since he has shattered a record that was only broken three years ago, its appropriate that my good friend Steven Travers has chronicled Bonds amazing season. But hopefully the reader will find even more interesting, Travers rare look at this reluctant superstar.

Bonds trusted Travers enough to open up and share some private thoughts with him, about his life as an athlete, as a kid growing up and watching his dad Bobby play in the Majors, and some of his opinions regarding our turbulent society.

Rare is the opportunity to read firsthand about the man who authored such a feat. Read and enjoy this book about an unusual athlete and an incredible season. I think youll not only enjoy yourself but learn a few things that you didnt know about Barry Bonds. And perhaps youll come to realize as I have, that hes not only a great ballplayer, but a most interesting person.

BRUCE MACGOWAN,

KNBR RADIO/SAN FRANCISCO

I first came up with the idea of writing a book about Barry Bonds in May 2001, when Bonds went on a particularly impressive home run tear in Atlanta. I told my agent right then and there that I predicted Bonds would break Mark McGwires single-season home run record. I cannot say if my prediction came before his teammate Shawon Dunston, who bet Bondsalso in Maythat he would break the record. When Bonds did accomplish the feat, he had to buy Dunston a Mercedes Benz. I will take mine silver-colored with black trim, thank you!

I approached Bonds about writing a book in May. Over the course of the next six months, many things came to pass. In June, Bonds gave me the go-ahead to begin negotiations with publishers on his authorized autobiography. I learned a great deal about the New York publishing industry. Bonds broke the record. The autobiography became a biography, and I wrote this book.

This was the most enjoyable writing experience of my career, which also includes screenplays, newspaper columns, sports reporting, songs, and political speeches. The essence of what writing can be, which is to transport ones self to a different place, occurred during this process. The book was written during the cold-weather months of fall and winter, yet I was transformed as if by magic to the beautiful, magical summer of Barry Bonds, a summer that will live forever.

My college roommate, who now holds one of the foremost marketing positions in the country, suggested the following title: