Barry Bonds was easily one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball. And he certainly has the record to show it. Retiring with the highest number of home runs in major league baseball, Bonds carried a reputation.

During his active years, he was a terror with the San Francisco Giants and he knew it. Perhaps just not as much as we would’ve liked. The player was once intentionally walked with the bases loaded, allowing a home run just so the D-Backs could avoid a grand slam instead. Bonds takes us back to that time in baseball and his reactions while on the diamond.

It wouldn’t be wrong to assert that Bonds is a controversial figure. Perhaps even more so after his exclusion from the Hall of Fame ballot with the induction announcements in 2022. But one thing is certain, he was a rare talent.

While many admonish his record in the league in the later stages of his career, some almost forget his stats in the first half. Bonds accrued 3 MVP trophies in the first half of his career. That alone can stand testament to the man’s ability.

Read More: This MLB Legend Claims Barry Bonds Was the “Easiest Hitter to Pitch to”

Barry Bonds’ reaction to being intentionally walked

Barry Bonds, in a media interaction last year, spoke about his initial and eventual reaction to being walked with the bases loaded in a game for the Giants. When he took home plate to face the Arizona Diamond-backs with the bases loaded, he had fully expected the ire of the pitcher. As he did on most nights, perhaps he also expected to deposit the pitch past the stands. However, the Diamondbacks had other plans.

It is clear from Bonds’ expression that this was definitely not something he had expected. Bonds said that if he can correctly recall and if he went back and looked at the film, he remembers looking at the dugout in disbelief. “I went what the heck is going on here?”, added Bonds. And the shock he was experiencing was well warranted. As he remembers, “It was never seen before.”

Bonds’ eventual reaction

On a more personal note, Bonds added, “I was feeling really good at the time, I was pretty locked in at that time”. Ever the classy individual, Bonds spoke about how he felt good because of the lineup behind him too. Speaking about his team-mate Brett Mayne, who was a contact hitter, Bonds added that as he had grown in the league, he understood it better. “Your job in baseball is to keep the line moving”, expressed Bonds.

Bonds identified that his mindset, as he had grown in age and experience, was to understand that the point of batting in baseball was to keep the line moving and he personally, did not want to be the last out. “You take your hit and you move on” he said. Speaking about his eventual reaction though, Bonds agreed that he may have been shocked after getting walked initially, but he had a different reaction once at first base. “When I got to first, I was cheering for my team”, said Bonds.

Our message… Stay classy Barry! Stay classy!