From acclaimed sports writer and bestselling author Jeff Pearlman, a searing and insightful look into the life and career of Barry Bonds, one of the most celebrated, contradictory and controversial sports figures of our time No player in the history of baseball has left such an indelible mark on the game as Barry Bonds. In his twenty-year career, Bonds has amassed an unprecedented 7 Most Valuable Player awards, 8 Gold Gloves, and more than 700 home runs (and counting), an impressive assortment of feats that has earned him the consideration as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. Equally deserved, however, is his reputation as an insufferable braggart, whose mythical home runs are rivaled only by his legendary ego. From his staggering ability and fabled pedigree (father Bobby played outfield for the Giants; cousin Reggie and godfather Willie are both Hall of Famers), to his well-documented run-ins with teammates and his alleged steroid abuse, Bonds inspires a like amount of passion from both sides of the fence. For many, Bonds belongs beside Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron in baseball’s holy trinity; for others, he embodies all that is wrong with the modern athlete: aloof; arrogant; alienated. Drawing on extensive interviews with Bonds himself, members of his family, former and current managers, teammates, opponents, trainers, outspoken critics, and unapologetic supporters alike, Pearlman reveals, for the first time, a wonderfully nuanced portrait of a prodigiously talented—and immensely flawed—American icon, whose controversial run at baseball immortality forever changed the way we look at our sports heroes. No player in the history of baseball has left such an indelible mark on the game as San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds. In his twenty-year career, Bonds has amassed an unprecedented seven MVP awards, eight Gold Gloves, and more than seven hundred home runs, an impressive assortment of feats that has earned him consideration as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. Equally deserved, however, is his reputation as an insufferable braggart, whose mythical home runs are rivaled only by his legendary ego. From his staggering ability and fabled pedigree (father Bobby played outfield for the Giants; cousin Reggie Jackson and godfather Willie Mays are both Hall of Famers) to his well-documented run-ins with teammates and the persistent allegations of steroid use, Bonds inspires a like amount of passion from both sides of the fence. For many, Bonds belongs beside Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron in baseball's holy trinity; for others, he embodies all that is wrong with the modern athlete: aloof; arrogant; alienated. In Love Me, Hate Me , author Jeff Pearlman offers a searing and insightful look into one of the most divisive athletes of our time. Drawing on more than five hundred interviews -- with former and current teammates, opponents, managers, trainers, friends, and outspoken critics and unapologetic supporters alike -- Pearlman reveals, for the first time, a wonderfully nuanced portrait of a prodigiously talented and immensely flawed American icon whose controversial run at baseball immortality forever changed the way we look at our sports heroes. JEFF PEARLMAN is the  New York Times  bestselling author of ten books. His subjects include the ’80s Los Angeles Lakers ( Show­tim e), the 1986 New York Mets ( The Bad Guys Won ), the ’90s Dallas Cowboys ( Boys Will Be Boys ), and NFL legends Walter Pay­ton ( Sweetness ) and Brett Favre ( Gunslinger ). HBO adapted  Showtime  into the dramatic series  Winning Time,  produced and directed by Adam McKay. A former  Sports Illus­trated  senior writer and ESPN.com colum­nist, Pearlman is the host of the  Two Writers Slinging Yang  podcast and blogs regularly at jeffpearlman.com. Love Me, Hate Me Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero By Jeff Pearlman HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2007 Jeff Pearlman All right reserved. ISBN: 9780060797539 Chapter One 70 In the insular world of Major League Baseball, there is no greater sin than disrespect. Most players can tolerate inflated egos. They can tolerate boredom (a job requirement). They can tolerate pain, indifference, softness, absentmindedness, excessive brutality, disregard for the rules, large men dressed as sausages, 12-minute renditions of the national anthem. Disrespect, however, is the ultimate no-no. You don't show up the opposing pitcher. You don't spit on an umpire. You never act the coward. That was the word running through the dugout of the San Francisco Giants on the night of October 4, 2001. Coward . Actually, it wasn't the only word. Some preferred pussy . Others, chicken-shit. Wuss, wimp, softie . Pick an adjective—any derisive adjective—and it was applied to Houston Astros manager Larry Dierker. With good reason. For nearly three full games, Dierker had refused to allow his pitchers to face Barry Bonds, San Francisco's left fielder and power