June 25, 1968: Bobby Bonds belts a grand slam in major-league debut as Giants shut out Dodgers

Bobby Bonds was not expected to break into the majors in 1968,1 but the 22-year-old was hard to ignore by late June – he was tearing up the Pacific Coast League with the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate in Phoenix. Through 60 games, Bonds was leading the PCL in three categories with a .370 batting average, 47 runs, and 132 total bases.2 The speedy outfielder was also hitting for power with a .616 slugging percentage. In five bases-loaded situations, he had hit three grand slams.3 Even as a minor leaguer, some were pegging him as the eventual successor to Willie Mays.4

On June 24, 1968, the Giants called Bonds up to “The Show.” He spent that night packing, and the next day in San Francisco he was surprised to learn he would be the starting right fielder. “I didn’t realize I would play right away until I saw my name on the line-up card,” said Bonds.5

With Bonds’ ascension, the Giants sent right fielder Ollie Brown to Phoenix.6 Suiting up for his first big-league game, Bonds put on the same uniform that had belonged to Brown (Number 25).7

On a windswept evening, with clear skies and gametime temperatures in the mid-60s, 17,075 fans streamed into Candlestick Park to see their Giants play the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Giants (38-33) were in second place in the National League, 6½ games behind the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals (44-26). The Dodgers (36-36) were nine games behind the Cardinals, in fifth place in the 10-team league.

The starting pitchers, both lefties, were Ray Sadecki for the Giants and the Dodgers’ Claude Osteen.8 Sadecki entered the game with a 2.55 ERA; he had lost six of his previous seven starts. Osteen’s ERA was 2.86; in his previous six starts, he won four (including two shutouts).

Sadecki retired the first eight Dodgers he faced, striking out the side in the second. Bonds hauled in his first big-league chance, Wes Parker’s fly to right, for the second out of the Los Angeles third. Osteen followed with a blooper to right, but Bonds didn’t get a good jump on it; he dived for it and the ball got by him for a double.9 Sadecki minimized the damage by striking out Willie Davis to retire the side.

In the bottom of the third, Bonds, hitting seventh, stepped into the batter’s box for his first major-league at-bat. He grounded out to shortstop. Hal Lanier flied out to center, and Sadecki struck out looking.

After 4½ innings, a pitchers’ duel appeared to be underway. Osteen had yielded two hits and one walk. Sadecki had given up one hit and no walks. The top of the fifth was Sadecki’s fourth one-two-three inning, with groundouts by Jim Lefebvre and Ron Fairly and a strikeout looking by Tom Haller.

The Giants broke through in their half of the fifth. Jim Ray Hart began the inning by lacing a single to right-center. Jack Hiatt singled to right, advancing Hart to third. Bonds, also known as BoBo,10 was hit by Osteen’s pitch to load the bases. Lanier hit a grounder to second baseman Lefebvre; the Dodgers turned a 4-6-3 double play, but Hart scored the game’s first run. Giants 1, Dodgers 0.

Sadecki put up another one-two-three inning in the sixth, and the Giants’ Ron Hunt led off the bottom of the inning with a single to right. Jesús Alou doubled to right, and Hunt stopped at third. Osteen intentionally walked Willie McCovey to load the bases.11

Then Mays worked the count to 3-and-0. Righty John Purdin relieved Osteen12 and walked Mays, forcing in a run. Still with no outs and the bases loaded, Purdin walked Hart, bringing in another run. Hiatt went down on strikes for the first out.

Next up was Bonds for his third plate appearance. On the first pitch, Bonds crushed a homer into Candlestick Park’s left-field stands about 10 rows up, clearing the bases.13 The crowd welcomed the rookie’s grand slam with thunderous applause.14

The six-run inning resulted in a commanding lead for the Giants: San Francisco 7, Los Angeles 0.

“I hit what I thought was going to be a sacrifice fly,” said Bonds. “I had to pinch myself when I reached the dugout to see that I wasn’t dreaming.”15

This was only the second time in major-league history a player had hit a grand slam in his inaugural game. The first was by right-handed pitcher Bill Duggleby of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1898. He was nicknamed Frosty Bill for his aloof demeanor with teammates and a propensity for wearing dark suits in the summer.16 Bonds was the only player in the twentieth century to hit a debut-game grand slam.17

In the bottom of the seventh, Purdin walked Hunt and gave up a single to Alou. McCovey struck out and the Dodgers turned Mays’ grounder into a force at second. The next batter, Hart, doubled to left and Hunt and Mays plated two more runs. Giants 9, Dodgers 0.

For the eighth, 37-year-old center fielder Mays was taken out of the game; Ty Cline was inserted in left field. Bonds moved from right field to center field and Alou moved from left to right. Sadecki had a one-hitter going. He walked Parker but otherwise had another scoreless inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Dodgers right-handed reliever Mudcat Grant took the reins and had a one-two-three inning.18 Bonds received a standing ovation when he came to the plate,19 but he struck out looking.

Davis led off the ninth with a grounder up the third-base line.20 He beat it out at first and advanced to second on an errant throw by third baseman Hart. Paul Popovich grounded to short but reached on a bad throw to first by shortstop Lanier. Lanier was charged with an error; Davis advanced to third. With Dodgers on the corners and no outs, Sadecki struck out Ted Savage, then Ken Boyer and Lefebvre both flied out. Final score: Giants 9, Dodgers 0.

After the game, Bonds did television, radio, and press interviews recounting his grand slam. “I wonder if my wife heard about it,” Bonds remarked. “She was driving up from Pheonix with the boys and my mother-in-law.”21 The boys he referred to were his sons: 2-year-old Rick and nearly 4-year-old Barry Bonds.22 When asked how he felt after his homer, Bonds said, “It was a numb feeling, like it was all part of a dream and not really happening. My biggest thrill came when Willie Mays congratulated me. Imagine, Willie Mays congratulating Bobby Bonds!”23

As a way of thanking and welcoming his new teammate, Sadecki helped Bonds unpack a suitcase in the clubhouse after the game.24 Sadecki said, “I can’t tell you how happy I am for him. He sure looks like a great prospect and I think he is going to be around here for a long time.”25

Sadecki put forward a dominating pitching performance, throwing a two-hit shutout. He had 10 strikeouts and issued just two walks, while earning his eighth win (8-9). Osteen took the loss (6-10).26

The Giants finished the 1968 season second in the NL to the Cardinals at 88-74. The Dodgers were seventh at 76-86.27

Bonds played in 81 games during his rookie season, finishing with a .254 batting average and an OPS of .743. He had 9 homers, 35 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases, while striking out 84 times.28

He went on to be a three-time All-Star (in 1971, ’73, and ’75). He was a Gold Glove winner three times. Bonds finished in the top five for the NL MVP twice. He became the second player to hit 300 career home runs and steal 300 bases, joining Willie Mays.29

Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment was paving the way for a new generation of power-speed30 players. He redefined the role of a leadoff batter by combining blazing speed31 on the basepaths while also hitting for power. Over his 14-year career, he hit 332 homers and stole 461 bases. Bonds was first in his league in power-speed nine times from 1969 through 1979. He hit over 30 homers and stole 30 or more bases in a season a record five times. As of 2025, the only other player with five seasons in the “30-30 club” was his son Barry. In 1973 Bobby nearly became the first 40-40 player, hitting 39 home runs with 43 steals. He set the stage for other power-speed players like Rickey Henderson, Andre Dawson, Craig Biggio, Alex Rodríguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Shohei Ohtani.

In 2003, while reflecting on Bonds’ rookie season, McCovey said, “He was one of the first of the new breed of leadoff guys who could steal bases and hit home runs. It was perfect for us when he came along.”32

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Victoria Monte and copy-edited by Len Levin. The author thanks John Fredland for his assistance.

Sources and Photo Credit

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com, Retrosheet.org, and SABR.org for general player, team, and season data.

The Bobby Bonds rookie baseball card image was downloaded from the Trading Card Database.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196806250.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1968/B06250SFN1968.htm

Notes

1 Dave Lewis, “Bobby Bonds Year Ahead of Schedule,” Long Beach (California) Press Telegram, June 30, 1968: 72.

2 “Pacific Coast League,” The Sporting News, July 13, 1968: 44. He was tied with San Diego’s Billy Cowan for the total-bases lead. Bonds also had an impressive OPS of 1.049 while with Phoenix.

3 Bob Stevens, “Rookie Bonds’ Bat Perks Up Giants,” The Sporting News, July 13, 1968: 22.

4 Frank Gianelli, “Bonds Latest to Wear Tag as Willie Mays’ Successor,” The Sporting News, May 18, 1968: 31.

5 Associated Press, “Bonds Is Instant Hero for Giants,” Richmond (California) Independent, June 26, 1968: 31.

6 Brown had suffered from a broken finger and was batting .230 with no homers, 9 RBIs, and a .536 OPS. United Press International, “Bonds Replaces Ollie Brown on Giants’ Varsity,” The Argus of Fremont, Newark and Union City (California), June 25, 1968: 7.

7 Stevens, “Rookie Bonds’ Bat Perks Up Giants.” Bonds continued to wear Number 25 for most of his major-league career.

8 The 27-year-old Sadecki was in the ninth year of his 18-season major-league career. He retired in 1977 with a 135-131 record and a career ERA of 3.78. He played with six teams. Sadecki appeared in the 1964 World Series with the Cardinals and in the 1973 Series as a New York Met. Osteen, nicknamed Gomer, was 28 years old and in his 11th season as a big-leaguer. He retired after the 1975 campaign with a 196-195 record and a 3.30 ERA over 18 seasons. A three-time All-Star (1967, ’70, and ’73), Osteen played for six teams. He pitched for the Dodgers in the 1965 and 1966 World Series. In 1968, both Sadecki and Osteen led the NL in losses, with 18. 

9 Stevens, “Rookie Bonds’ Bat Perks Up Giants.”

10 “Bobby Lee Bonds,” Weiss Player Questionnaire, SABR.org, October 21, 1967,

https://sabr.org/weiss-questionnaires/bobby-lee-bonds-4269/.

11 In his previous 15 games, McCovey had batted .362 with 8 home runs and 19 RBIs. This may explain why he was intentionally walked ahead of Mays. “Baseball Time Machine: Bobby Bonds Hits a Grand Slam in His MLB Debut,” mrbaseball.com, June 25, 2025, https://mrbaseballandsomefootball.substack.com/p/baseball-time-machine-bobby-bonds.

12 United Press International, “Rookie Bonds Stars,” Tulare (California) Advance-Register, June 26, 1968: 5.

13 Dick Robinson, “Giant Rookie ‘Slams’ L.A.,” Pasadena (California) Independent, June 26, 1968: 14. George Lederer, “Giants Put Stock in Bonds – Result: Instant Dividend,” Long Beach Press Telegram, June 26, 1968: 39.

14 George Lederer, “Giants Put Stock in Bonds – Result: Instant Dividend.”

15 Lewis, “Bobby Bonds Year Ahead of Schedule.”

16 Duggleby hit his slam during his first at-bat. He played in the majors for eight seasons, 1898-1907. His career stats include a 93-102 record, 1,741 1/3 innings pitched, a 3.18 ERA, and 39 home runs hit. “San Francisco Giant Rookie Bobby Bonds Becomes the Second Player to Hit a Grand Slam in His First Major League Game,” thisdayinbaseball.com, accessed September 5, 2025, https://thisdayinbaseball.com/at-candlestick-park-san-francisco-giant-rookie-bobby-bonds-becomes-the-second-player-to-hit-a-grand-slam-in-his-first-major-league-game-as-ray-sadecki-blanks-the/.

17 As of August 2025, four twenty-first-century players have hit grand slams in their debut games: Jeremy Hermida, Florida Marlins, August 31, 2005; Kevin Kouzmanoff, Cleveland Indians, September 2, 2006; Daniel Nava, Boston Red Sox, June 12, 2010; Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants, May 27, 2011.

18 Jim “Mudcat” Grant was 32 years old and in the 11th season of his 14-year major-league career. The two-time All-Star (1963 and ’65) retired with a 3.63 ERA. As a teenager, the Lacoochee, Florida, native was given the Mudcat nickname at a Cleveland Indians minor-league camp in Daytona Beach; Grant went on to embrace the moniker.

19 United Press International, “Bobby Doesn’t Consider Himself Homer Hitter,” Richmond Independent, June 26, 1968: 31.

20 “Bonds Is Instant Hero for Giants.”

21 “Bobby Doesn’t Consider Himself Homer Hitter.”

22 Bonds’ son Barry went on to be one of the greatest players in major-league history. He was a 14-time All-Star and seven-time NL MVP who holds the career home run record (762). Bobby and his wife, Patricia, had a third child in 1970, Bobby Jr., who played minor-league baseball for several years.

23 Ed Levitt, “Meet Bobby Bonds,” Oakland Tribune, June 27, 1968: 41. Bonds and Mays went on to develop a close, lifelong friendship.

24 Lederer, “Giants Put Stock in Bonds – Result: Instant Dividend.”

25 Joe Sargis, “Rookie Grand Slam – Bobby Bonds Will Be Around a Long Time,” Palm Springs (California) Desert Sun, June 26, 1968: 15.

26 Osteen recorded five earned runs in five innings, with six hits, three walks, and one strikeout. The 25-year-old Purdin was in the third of his four big-league seasons (all with the Dodgers). His career ERA was 3.90. In this game he had four earned runs over two innings with three hits, two walks, and four strikeouts.

27 The 1968 World Series was won by the Detroit Tigers over the Cardinals in seven games. The 1968 season is remembered as the “Year of the Pitcher” with low ERAs, batting averages, and run production.

28 Bonds had a high strikeout rate throughout most of his big-league career. He led the majors in strikeouts in three seasons: 1969 (187), 1970 (189), and 1973 (148).

29 In 1973 Bonds was named the NL Player of the Year by The Sporting News and was the All-Star Game MVP. Additionally, he hit 35 leadoff homers in 1975, setting a new record (by passing Eddie Yost’s previous single-season record of 28). Ben Weinrib, “Bobby Bonds First Ever with Five 30-30 Seasons,” mlb.com, February 22, 2018, https://www.mlb.com/news/bobby-bonds-redefined-the-leadoff-position-c266982600.

30 The power-speed statistic was invented by Bill James and was introduced in a commentary he wrote about Bobby Bonds in the 1980 Baseball Abstract. James wrote that the power-speed metric is designed so “a player who does well in both home runs and stole bases will rate high.” Daniel Evensen, “The Power-Speed Number,” baseballreplayjournal.com, February 14, 2025, https://baseballreplayjournal.substack.com/p/the-power-speed-number. As of August 2025, according to Baseball-Reference.com, the top ten career power-speed rankings are held by Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Willie Mays, Alex Rodríguez, Bobby Bonds, Joe Morgan, Andre Dawson, Hank Aaron, Carlos Beltran, and Craig Biggio. The top 10 single-season power-speed rankings are held by Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., Alex Rodríguez, Alfonso Soriano, Eric Davis, Rickey Henderson, Barry Bonds (1996), Jose Canseco, Bobby Bonds, and Barry Bonds (1990).

31 Among his many athletic accomplishments, Bonds was a high-school track All-American at Riverside (California) Polytechnical. He ran the 100 yards in 9.5 seconds and the 220 in 21 flat.

32 John Shea, “Giants Great Bobby Bonds Dies – 3-Time All-Star and Father of Barry Bonds was 57,” sfgate.com, August 24, 2003, https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/BOBBY-BONDS-1946-2003-Giants-lose-one-of-2593464.php.