The thought occurred to me the other night that Barry Bonds may be the most talented player to have ever played the game of professional baseball.

Consider that, then consider all the hoopla associated with just being the controversial slugger, and you’ve got, well, quite a mess.

In no particular order, here are five reasons why I like Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants.

Number 1: He plays hard.

From day one when Bonds entered the big leagues, he was a notorious hustler. He learned well from his father, Bobby Bonds, and his godfather, Willie Mays, that there really is only one way to play the game: hard.

Bonds has displayed little patience through the years with those who don’t play hard, as evidenced by his dugout confrontations with teammates who hurt their team by loafing.

When he dons his uniform, Bonds is at his best, a true competitor in every sense of the word.

Number 2: His top goal is winning.

Despite what you might think of him personally – and none of us know him all that well – Bonds shows up daily at the ballpark to win. Even in the bright lights of the home-run chase, his postgame comments always center around winning a World Series title for the Giants.

I was particularly impressed with the home-run 715 press conference when Bonds talked exclusively about winning a championship. That, my friends, shows character and drive, and it may give some indication why San Francisco fans adore him.

Number 3: His talent.

Critics of Bonds have to pause to ponder the prodigious nature of a swing – and its end-results, of course – that is so quick, so strong, and so productive.

Long before Barry Bonds was linked in any fashion to any rumors of performance-enhancing drugs, he was listed as, perhaps, the greatest athlete of all-time.

The so-called five-tool players, those who can field, hit, throw, hit with power, and churn around the basepaths like roadrunners, speak in awe of Barry’s capacity to be so talented at all five areas of his game that they have ranked him at or near the top of any list in baseball history.

Number 4: His humanitarian side.

I caught a TV show the other night, showing a side of Bonds we don’t get enough of in the midst of the nightly diatribes, pounding this guy into near submission over his alleged steroid use.

In this piece, Bonds had received a letter from a young Bay-area boy, who was fighting his own battle: cancer. The lad in question wrote a letter to Barry, telling him not to give up in his fight to prove his detractors wrong.

Bonds was so touched that he invited the youngster and his family to the ballpark, and a relationship began.

Bonds took the boy out on the field, had him introduced as a member of the Giants, and the superstar was moved by the whole ordeal.

“Now that boy has a real problem,” he was quoted. “What I’m dealing with pales in comparison.”

One could only think of Babe Ruth and his affection for kids.

It was a touching scene.

Number 5: His ability to handle the stress and just play.

If Barry Bonds is the poster boy for steroid use, then give him his due for handling it all so well.

Just taking the field under the barrage of press and still performing well is monumental in nature.

I like and respect Barry Bonds because he has been able to still perform despite the avalanche of negative press he struggles with each day of his life.

In the end, good or bad, I stand firm in my belief that Bonds will be remembered as the greatest player of our time.

BDN columnist Ron Brown, a retired high school basketball coach, can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net