San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds may have passed his godfather, Willie Mays, on Major League Baseball’s all-time home run list Tuesday, but from a promotion point of view, even Bonds’ own marketing agent said it’s not a big enough event to boost his endorsement opportunities.

“In San Francisco it’s a big deal. But for the rest of the world, hitting numbers 660 and 661 is not so big,” said Jeff Bernstein, Bonds’ marketing agent and managing director of Miami Beach-based marketing firm Pro Access. “Marketers are more interested when he gets closer to the 700-homer mark.”

Barry Bonds

Bonds is the only player in history to have hit more than 500 homers and steal 500 bases—no other player has reached 400 in both categories—and won the National League’s MVP Award six times—no one else has won it more than three times.

But others in the sports marketing industry said his surly reputation, and the BALCO investigation, which suggests he took steroids, have made him less desirable to companies looking for a spokesperson.

“He has established himself as one of the greatest players of all time, but there’s still kind of a cloud over his head with the accusations of steroid use,” said Chris Caldwell, a VP with Wilton, CT-based Velocity Sports & Entertainment. “Whether it’s home run number 650, 660 or 670. It won’t change his reputation. When he passes Hank Aaron as the all-time leader (by reaching 756), it may be a bit of a different story.”

While Bernstein acknowledged that taking on Bonds’ marketing would be a step-by-step plan, he said the steroid rumors won’t hurt his chances as he reaches Aaron’s or Babe Ruth’s marks. He noted that Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, who has been accused of steroid use in 1999, signed an endorsement deal with Pepsi in 2000.

But Doug Metchick, president of Westport, CT-based Penfield Marketing Group, noted that Sosa comes across as a “warm and approachable” person, while Bonds’ personality can be a turn-off.

“It’s possible for a person to change so they can become more marketable, but I don’t think that Barry Bonds wants to do that,” Metchick said. “His focus is on the game of baseball and winning a World Series more so than it is on getting endorsement contracts.”

Bernstein said he gets “a good laugh” when he hears what other people in the sports marketing industry have to say about Bonds’ marketability. “I’m the one who makes the calls, and I don’t hear people telling me they don’t want to be associated with Barry Bonds,” he said.

In addition to lifetime contracts with sports apparel companies Wilson, Franklin and Fila, Bernstein said Bonds has signed about 20 marketing deals. He added that he and Bonds are on target to have the deals in place as he approaches the 700-home-run club.

Bernstein said the 700-homer mark will be a magic number for Bonds, because the endorsements, by nature of an all-time record, will involve countdowns to Ruth’s and Aaron’s marks. He based that on the marketing programs used by companies when his clients, NFL players Barry Sanders, Bruce Smith and Emmett Smith, approached all-time records.

“When it comes to merchandising, Barry Bonds’ appeal is stronger than ever,” Bernstein said. “We will be hitting the endorsement track towards the end of this season. I don’t see anything other than a career-ending injury getting in the way.”

San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds may have passed his godfather, Willie Mays, on Major League Baseball’s all-time home run list Tuesday, but from a promotion point of view, even Bonds’ own marketing agent said it’s not a big enough event to boost his endorsement opportunities.

“In San Francisco it’s a big deal. But for the rest of the world, hitting numbers 660 and 661 is not so big,” said Jeff Bernstein, Bonds’ marketing agent and managing director of Miami Beach-based marketing firm Pro Access. “Marketers are more interested when he gets closer to the 700-homer mark.”

Barry Bonds

Bonds is the only player in history to have hit more than 500 homers and steal 500 bases—no other player has reached 400 in both categories—and won the National League’s MVP Award six times—no one else has won it more than three times.

But others in the sports marketing industry said his surly reputation, and the BALCO investigation, which suggests he took steroids, have made him less desirable to companies looking for a spokesperson.

“He has established himself as one of the greatest players of all time, but there’s still kind of a cloud over his head with the accusations of steroid use,” said Chris Caldwell, a VP with Wilton, CT-based Velocity Sports & Entertainment. “Whether it’s home run number 650, 660 or 670. It won’t change his reputation. When he passes Hank Aaron as the all-time leader (by reaching 756), it may be a bit of a different story.”

While Bernstein acknowledged that taking on Bonds’ marketing would be a step-by-step plan, he said the steroid rumors won’t hurt his chances as he reaches Aaron’s or Babe Ruth’s marks. He noted that Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, who has been accused of steroid use in 1999, signed an endorsement deal with Pepsi in 2000.

But Doug Metchick, president of Westport, CT-based Penfield Marketing Group, noted that Sosa comes across as a “warm and approachable” person, while Bonds’ personality can be a turn-off.

“It’s possible for a person to change so they can become more marketable, but I don’t think that Barry Bonds wants to do that,” Metchick said. “His focus is on the game of baseball and winning a World Series more so than it is on getting endorsement contracts.”

Bernstein said he gets “a good laugh” when he hears what other people in the sports marketing industry have to say about Bonds’ marketability. “I’m the one who makes the calls, and I don’t hear people telling me they don’t want to be associated with Barry Bonds,” he said.

In addition to lifetime contracts with sports apparel companies Wilson, Franklin and Fila, Bernstein said Bonds has signed about 20 marketing deals. He added that he and Bonds are on target to have the deals in place as he approaches the 700-home-run club.

Bernstein said the 700-homer mark will be a magic number for Bonds, because the endorsements, by nature of an all-time record, will involve countdowns to Ruth’s and Aaron’s marks. He based that on the marketing programs used by companies when his clients, NFL players Barry Sanders, Bruce Smith and Emmett Smith, approached all-time records.

“When it comes to merchandising, Barry Bonds’ appeal is stronger than ever,” Bernstein said. “We will be hitting the endorsement track towards the end of this season. I don’t see anything other than a career-ending injury getting in the way.”