As Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds play out what appear to be their final years in baseball, I'm reminded of the all-time greatest father-son duos to ever suit up.
The obvious ones are the Bondses, Griffeys, and Mannings, but over time there have been many more than just three families to grace the record books.
Without further adieu, here's the list in order of greatness.
Bobby and Barry Bonds
Bobby Bonds was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco Giants in 1964 and made his pro debut in 1968. He would go on to hit more than 300 home runs and steal more than 400 bases. Barry Bonds picked up where his father left off as a slugger with speed.
Barry would set numerous records, including the most coveted in all of sports by passing Hank Aaron, and is sitting at 762 home runs. The seven-time National League MVP is just 65 hits shy of 3,000 and is four short of 2,000 RBI for his career.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Sr. was the epitome of hard work. As a member of the Cincinnati Reds' Big Red Machine in the 1970s, he was the table setter with great speed and defense. He played 19 seasons in the big leagues and finished with a .296 batting average, .359 on-base average, and 200 steals.
Ken Jr., much like his father, had the speed and defense, but his sweet swing gave him much more power than his father. If not for five injury-plagued seasons, Junior would more than likely be on the other side of 700 home runs. Nonetheless, he's a Hall of Famer with 606 dingers, nearly 500 doubles, and 2,700 hits.
Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning
Sandwiched between Jim Plunkett and Dan Pastorini, Archie was drafted second overall in the 1971 draft by the New Orleans Saints. The eldest Manning played 13 seasons compiling 23,911 career passing yards with 126 touchdowns.
Peyton was drafted No. 1 overall in the 1998 draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He has certainly surpassed his father in every statistical category and is coming into his 11th season with 41,626 yards passing and 306 touchdowns.
Eli, like his older brother, was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2004 draft by the San Diego Chargers and was promptly traded to the New York Giants. Eli spent his first year learning the system and has started every game since 2005. He is the QB of the defending Super Bowl champions.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
From his first race to his last, Dale Sr. won a total of 76 races, seven Winston Cup Championships, and 22 poles Known for his aggressive driving, he finished in the top ten 428 times and is arguably one of the three best drivers in NASCAR history.
Dale Jr. hasn't had quite the career his father had but is certainly one of the most popular drivers in the sport. He was the 1998 and 1999 Nationwide Driving Champion and finished third in the NASCAR points standings in 2003. Currently he has 18 wins and eight poles.
Rick, Jon, Brent, Scooter, and Drew Barry
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