“Best Pitcher I Ever Went Against”: Changed Man Barry Bonds Once Showed Humility While Highlighting Greatest Rival in Milestone Moment

Major League Baseball has seen some tremendous talent over the years. Players have stood out on both sides of the ball for the sheer numbers they have put up. One of them is controversial hitter Barry Bonds, who dominated the home run charts for most of his career. Steroids may or may not have aided some of them, but the fact remained – he was a powerful batter. And there was one pitcher he always liked to face-Greg Maddux.

Ballplayers usually go through hundreds of games in their MLB careers and have favorites on the mound or the plate. Just like Maddux was always excited about facing Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants legend loved matching up with Mad Dog. And he once revealed why the pitcher was a genius at the game.

Barry Bonds and Greg Maddux Shared A High Baseball IQ

Greg Maddux played for four teams in his twenty-two-season-long MLB career but he is most famous for his time with the Atlanta Braves. Along with Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, the trio made up a fearsome group of pitchers that defined a golden Braves era. But whatever team’s colors he wore, he was always excited to go up against Barry Bonds, who he once said was the easiest hitter to pitch to. And Bonds shared the sentiment.

“Greg Maddux, I knew him better than, well he probably knew me just as well. We knew each other pretty well. He’s the best pitcher I ever went against and I will always stand by,” Bonds said in a 2015 interview. “Because he was the best technician. He knew you and if you didn’t know what he knew, he was going to destroy you. He didn’t have to throw hard to do that.”

Bonds and Maddux were both among two of the best behind a bat and a ball and the trick lay in their approach to the sport. It’s as Bonds put it, later on – the two shared a high baseball IQ.

Maddux was quite the sensation throughout his career and became a Hall of Famer right on his first try with 97.4% votes. However, Bonds didn’t receive the same honor and Cooperstown still eludes him today, given his complicated past. However, in 2022, Maddux was on a committee that was deciding on the Home Run King’s eligibility.

Greg Maddux Was To Decide Bonds’ HOF Future

After failing to receive 75% votes during his 10 years of eligibility, the BBWAA added Barry Bonds to a new ballot. Hall of Famers Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, Jack Morris, and Ryne Sandberg, among others, were to decide the fate of Bonds with Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling among a few others.

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Needless to say, they still failed to receive the required 394 votes, mainly because of their steroid-tainted past. Even though both Bonds and Clemens maintain innocence, the controversy follows them like a shadow. The Baseball Writer’s Association removed Schilling because of his continuous hateful remarks regarding other communities.

While Bonds had the support of his friend last year, even that was not able to save his induction into the most coveted athletic honor. In fact, he might never get to see his name in Cooperstown in his lifetime.

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