Perennially Hated by Teammates, Giants Legend Barry Bonds Receives Startling “Golden Heart” Distinction Days After Viral ‘Strangers on a Prison Bus’ Comment

It’s always a treat to watch great players playing the game. But it’s even better to go up against them. Athletes often come across the rarest talents but some find their presence intimidating. Then there are some, like Torii Hunter, who issue open challenges. The former Los Angeles Angels player went up against Barry Bonds at the 2002 All-Star game, his first. But rather than feeling overawed, Hunter left the game with a splendid achievement. He had robbed Barry Bonds of a home run.

The San Francisco Giants player took it like a champ, amused at the 26-year-old Hunter’s daring nature. Hunter was one of the most terrific fielders in the sport at the time, and this was only the beginning of his prolific achievements. But what came next was perhaps something no one could have predicted.

Torii Hunter can’t praise his friend, Barry Bonds, enough

What started as an All-Star match-up resulted in one of the most vividly remembered moments in baseball history. 2002 was unfortunately the year that the Giants lost in the World Series. Bonds’ already fraught relationship with his teammates led a reporter to label them as “strangers on a prison bus”.

But things were different with Hunter. After he robbed him of the homer, Bonds easily picked up Hunter over his shoulder as a joke, and the duo’s relationship slowly turned into one of friendship. Hunter still only has words of praise for one of the greatest names in the sport. He recalled the incident in a recent interview.

“He picked me up with ease and I said, ‘This dude’s strong,'” Hunter tells The Pivot Podcast. “And I went, ‘Aaahh,'” he says, like a damsel getting picked up by her prince into his arms. But then the retired ballplayer got serious. “And he threw me down and you know, that’s when our relationship started. I got the norm a little bit and Barry, actually, better than what most people think, in the media or whatever, and portray him as. He’s got a golden heart, man, he’s a good dude.”

And that wasn’t the extent of their relationship. Apparently, the two still keep in touch. “He would call and check on me every once in a while and be like, ‘Whatchu doin’ man, I’m just thinking about you, how you doin’…this was Barry last year, just checking on me and I was like, this dude is a good dude…just getting to know him one on one, he’s awesome man.”

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Hunter is a lifelong Bonds fan and even made a case for him for the Hall of Fame once.

Hunter wants the Hall of Fame committee to seriously consider Bonds

If one looks up the former Angels player’s Twitter profile, one can find a photo of Hunter and Bonds as his profile picture. He truly treasures his friendship with the MLB icon and is a strong supporter of his Hall of Fame induction.

Although Bonds’ time of eligibility is over, Hunter was hopeful last year. “He’s definitely a Hall of Famer,” he told 95.7 The Game in 2022. “I know all that stuff that happened, but he’s never tested positive or anything like that. I think he should be in there. Roger Clemens should be in there. Hopefully, the Veterans Committee in December votes these guys in, we need those guys in the game.”

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While a Cooperstown future is unsure of now, do you think Bonds should be inducted? Should Hunter, whom Cooperstown elude, also?