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Barry Bonds.
Indisputably the best player of his generation. Dominates his league like nobody for 40 years. Complete player--hitting, running, defense.
Works harder than anybody else to stay in shape; he decided at age 28 or so that he had to change his conditioning program to keep up with age, and so he did (trains with the same guy that trains Jerry Rice). This work ethic has combined with his raw physical gifts to play deep into his thirties at a level matched only by a couple in history.
While his much-touted "attitude" has irritated and alienated reporters for 20 years, I've never seen an interview with him that went down the usual pro athlete's cliche road; he's always been interesting, thoughtful, and quick-witted. Listening to him talk about baseball and hitting is a fantastic experience; he analyzes his craft incredibly eloquently.
He's been a family man for a decade, and has clear and long-standing ties to the community. He's been doing charity work for the last ten years or so--ever since he moved to San Francisco.
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