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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4 months ago
This is a well-written article and a great topic. I personally like Cal Ripken Jr. and his father but that's just me. Nice Job and good luck with future articles
4 months ago
Chris,
I appreciate the comment...I enjoyed writing it. It's always interesting to see how many Father-Son combinations there are out there.
4 months ago
How about the Winslow family (NFL)?
Maybe after Kellen is done.
4 months ago
I would suggest that Lee and Richard Petty (and if you want to downgrade, then add Richard's son Kyle) definitely belong on your list, and at worst Ned and Dale Jarrett warrant honorable mention.
Both of those father-son combinations did something the Earnhardts haven't... Won Cup Championships. (Yes, Earnhardt Sr. won 7 Championship, but Jr. has none).
4 months ago
How about father-daughter.
Muhammed Ali is the greatest boxer to ever fight and Laila (spelling?) Ali is getting her share done in women's boxing.
from 4 months ago
Ooooooh. Good call.
4 months ago
What about Bobby and Brett Hull???
from 4 months ago
Ooooooh. Another good call.
[i]The Stars win the Stanley Cup! The Stars win the Stanley Cup![/i]
4 months ago
Great idea John, and a well written article! It was fun to read and brought back a lot of memories! Thanks for the time and energy you put into this.
4 months ago
How about the Bibbys? Henry had 3 NCAA championships as point guard at UCLA, then an NBA title with the Knicks, then got 2 CBA rings as a coach. His brother Jim pitched the Ranger's franchise first no-hitter, then won a world series with the Pirates. His son Mike won an NCAA championship at Arizona (again as a point guard) and has had a productive NBA career.
4 months ago
Even though he's young i'd be interested later one in seeing kevin love and his father in there becasue they will be :D
4 months ago
i agree with everyone on the list with one exception. the earnhardts. dale sr. was arguably the best to ever touch a race track. but dale jr. isnt all that good. you would almost be better off putting dale sr. other son carry
from 4 months ago
Hence why I pointed out that Lee/Richard Petty and Ned/Dale Jarrett should have been there before the Earnhardts.
4 months ago
Guys, if he had all of those people in here this article would be far too long. Good job John.
4 months ago
Thanks guys...I did miss a few names but have added them.
It did take a little while to write this.
Thanks for the comments.
from 4 months ago
This is a brilliant article. One of the best I've seen. Just as a thought to add my own unworthy 2 cents here, how about George Mira and George Mira, Jr. of the Miami Hurricanes? Old George was a multi-year All-American passing phenomenon who finished in the Top 10 in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1963 and Top 5 in his junior year of 1962. George Mira, Jr. was an All-American middle linebacker for Miami's 1987 national championship team. he led the Hurricanes in tackles for three straight years during the 1985-87 run in which they won 33 consecutive regular season games. He left Miami as the all-time leader in tackles. Both played in the NFL. Junior is currently a Battalion Fire Chief in Miami and is a much talked about and discussed community leader and outright hero.
4 months ago
Tate,
I've never heard of these two until now...thanks for the add. It sounds like they should have been named on the list.
There are always a few names that I have overlooked.
Thanks for the comment.
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