Barry Bonds got the best of many, many pitchers during his legendary MLB career, but John Smoltz shared perhaps the best “Barry Bonds owned me” story of all time on Sunday.
During the New York Yankees-Cleveland Indians game on MLB Network, Smoltz shared an awesome story about the time Bonds got angry with him because Bonds thought Smoltz was rooting for Mark McGwire in the Home Run Derby. Smoltz said he was actually rooting for Bonds, but Bonds believed otherwise. Smoltz says Bonds came up to him and told him, “I’m gonna tell you something right now — next time I face you, I’m gonna hit a homer off you.” Bonds also told Smoltz he was going to do a pirouette at home plate when it happened.
Smoltz responded by promising to sit down on the mound if he struck Bonds out the next time the two faced. That only made Bonds more angry. The slugger then said, “As a matter of fact, Smoltz, I’m hitting two off you.” And he did. You can hear the full story below:
This @BarryBonds story is LEGENDARY! pic.twitter.com/UcpxYCwbup
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 25, 2021
Smoltz said Bonds hit two homers off him in a meaningless September game. While Bonds didn’t do a pirouette, he did seek out Smoltz on the bus after the game.
“He came on the bus (and said), ‘Where’s Smoltz? Where is he? I told you I was gonna get you,'” Smoltz recalled Bonds saying. “And then he goes, ‘Alright guys, go get the ring.'”
That isn’t the first interesting Bonds story we have heard this month, but the other wasn’t nearly as flattering.
Bonds hit 762 home runs during his career, and eight were off Smoltz. That is tied for the most off of any pitcher the former Giant faced. Smoltz probably remembers all of them, but it’s easy to see why those two stand out.
