Barry Bonds was a great player, but he had a reputation for being surly with the media and an unfriendly teammate. The five-time MVP winner doesn’t deny being a bad teammate. In fact, he recently acknowledged he was a "d–k" as a teammate.
Bonds was a guest on the “R2C2” podcast with Ryan Ruocco and CC Sabathia. During the appearance, Bonds acknowledged the truth.
“I wasn’t the best clubhouse guy, that’s for damn sure, but on the baseball field, I took my walks, I took my hits, I did everything I could for my teammates to have the opportunity to do his job,” Bonds said, via Fox News.
Bonds is the MLB all-time leader in both walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688), so he’s certainly right about that part.
The 59-year-old explained why he earned that reputation for being a poor teammate. Basically, he was loyal to himself rather than whoever his teammates were at the time on the ever-changing rosters.
“Because it’s a business, and people don’t understand that I took it as a business,” Bonds told the hosts. “Most teams, everyone thought I was being a d—, but I really — I wasn’t at all. I love you, I respect you, I would help you in any aspect.
“Ain’t no way in hell I’m ever telling anybody what I do. I’m not gonna tell you what I see. I’ll give you general conversation to help you, but I don’t know how long we’re gonna be teammates. And this is a business, so I protect my business. I wasn’t an a–hole, I wasn’t trying to be a d—. It was just, ‘Hey Barry, what do you see?’ I see a pitcher. ‘What does he throw?’ Balls and strikes. And they’re like, ‘Why do you gotta be a d—?’ And I’m like, ‘Why are you taking it personal?'”
Bonds’ answer makes plenty of sense and explains everything. Bonds was looking out for himself more than for his current team. The odd part about it is Bonds played seven seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the next 15 for the San Francisco Giants. It’s not like he bounced around. But the players around him did, which made him reluctant to say too much to them.
It was a selfish approach that worked for him, but he did not help his teams as much as maybe he could have. Maybe as the former Miami Marlins hitting coach he was more interested in being helpful.
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