March 6, 2025 • 49 mins
Baseball’s most feared slugger finally speaks out. The all-time home run king, Barry Bonds, joins Matt and Stak for a raw, unfiltered conversation that delivers the honesty ALL THE SMOKE fans crave. For the first time in years, Bonds opens up about his complex journey through MLB - from growing up in the shadow of his father, Bobby Bonds, to becoming the most dominant hitter in baseball history. He breaks down the art of hitting and the mental warfare behind 762 home runs and 7 MVP awards, offering a rare glimpse into what made him such an unstoppable force at the plate. The conversation dives deep into the unwritten rules of baseball, his philosophy on the game, and the state of Black representation in MLB. Bonds also shares his surprising connection to basketball royalty, detailing his little-known friendship with Michael Jordan and reflecting on the legendary 1992 celebrity dunk contest alongside Deion Sanders and Mike Conley Sr. Beyond the past, Bonds gives his take on the modern game, weighing in on Shohei Ohtani’s unprecedented two-way dominance and offering a legend’s perspective on today’s biggest superstar. He also reveals what truly fueled his career and how he’s now channeling his baseball IQ into mentoring the next generation. For baseball fans, this isn’t just another interview - it’s Barry Bonds like you’ve never heard him before. No filters. No holding back. Just Barry being Barry.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:23):
All Star twenty twenty five San Francisco. Jack has been
a good run, killing it. But I don't think there
was any way we could have expected to have this
as our closing interview. Yeah, I was excited. I couldn't wait.
I gotta thank Dana Pump. I've been knowing Dana since
I was fourteen, the biggest hustler in the world, him
and his brothers.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
And he called me like a week and a half ago.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
He's like, Matt, I think I got Barry, Like Barry
who because either Barry Sanders or Barry Bonds.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
I'm like, I don't believe you. He's like, no, I
promise you.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
He's like, hit this lady, and I hit Lisa and
we hit it off and now man, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Barry Bonds. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I'm seven times MVP, fourteen time All start, eight Gold Gloves,
all time leader, and home runs single season home run leader,
the greatest baseball player of all time.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
When you hear that, what comes to your mind.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I don't really talk about it. I let my peers
talk about it. I always tell people if you're good
at something, they'll.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Talk about it.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
You don't need to say anything. So I don't really
talk about it. I know statistically where I am. I
don't need to explain it. I'd rather just help the
young generation and give you the information that was given
me teacher, as much as I know. And then, you know,
I always tell people always ask me, like how you
do it? I'm like, just stay around long enough for
(01:37):
someone to talk about you. That's pretty much is just
don't be a commercial.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Right right?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You know, if you want to be really good at something,
you just don't have to be doing it a long time.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Well obviously very humble about your success, but do you
ever kind of look back and at the stuff you've
accomplished in some of the records that will never be touched,
Like do you think like, hey, like when I was playing,
I was, I really did it at the high I do.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I look back and it's different. I have this, you know,
like you talk about Michael Jordan, you can talk our
IQ is like way up here, tiger. You know, it's
just so high. And I think, for myself, I look
back at the gifts that God blessed me with, and
then I look back at the hard work that I
put into it, and then I try to find ways
(02:23):
of how do I give this to someone else? Or
how do I teach this? Or how do you pass
this on? And why do I see it? But you
don't you know what I mean. It's it's it's this
battle that you play with yourself all the time, and
then how can I articulate that to somebody else? And
then they give you, well, why, well why does this work?
Or how did you do this? And and you know,
(02:45):
my brain points right here in front of you, but
you you know, and how do you not see it?
And so I look back at ways of how for
myself would I be able to, you know, articulate this
to somebody else and give this gift that I was
blessed with, and then you know, and hopefully he'll give
it to somebody else.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Greg Maddix once the best hitter I've ever faced, Trevor
Hoffman said, the most dangerous hitter in baseball history, the
big Unit, one of the most amazing players ever, A
Hall of Famer, no doubt. A lot of guys. Again,
you stick around long enough, they'll talk about you. But
when it's from your peers, your contemporary, the guys you
went to battle with, you're in year out.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Is that is that more satisfying to you.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Yeah, that's that's that's yeah, it's I mean, you can't
get any better than that. I mean, just like in basketball,
it's like I hear Michael George's name all the time.
You know, you hear those names, and and when you
have your peers talk about you, and you know, that's
just the top of the list. There's there's no other
(03:47):
list greater than that. I don't care who you are.
What you are is if you have your peers talking
about eating.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
You did you did something?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, we're here now for NBA All Star Were you
here in two thousand him for the All Star Game?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I watched on I watched, Yeah, that was one.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Of the best ones.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Were you close to any NBA players of your time?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Jordan? I kind of came up together. We were in
Chicago when Jordan first came in the league. We used
to hang out in Chicago all the time. He was
at the Bulls and stuff and.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Some ship like that. Two of the greatest I tell.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
You, like, Michael Jordan was before he even became the
most famous person ever. Him tired, and we were in
Chicago when he was just I mean, he's only two
years older than I am, you know, And we went
out to just to grab a bite to eat, and
I ain't never seen a line of people that wanted
(04:48):
to just talk to this guy. And I was just
coming up too, so I was rookie, so nobody knew
who I was, you know, was just Bobbie Bond's son,
nobody at the time. And I thought I was pretty
big at the time because I made it. But Michael
had all these people, and he had had a couple
of security guys there watching. Michael was so nice. He
was just signing autographs and We're trying to grab something
(05:09):
to eat, and I'm over here going, I'm Barry Hello.
You know what it's like to have somebody that good,
you know what I mean, And for that one moment,
I'm like, I want to be like Mike one day,
you know, when you really see it from the very beginning.
But he was so he was already large before k
became larger than anything. And I will always remember that
(05:30):
he was. He was always like, come on, b let's go.
And you know, and it was good because we've we've
always been like really you know, good friends, and even
at a distance. You know, now that you know his
profession's gone to where it's gone, and you've got distance
we are even if we talk and we haven't talked
a long time, like we talked to the things like
last year. We had a conversation not too long ago,
and it always seems like we've never missed a beat.
(05:51):
And that's what that's what's really good about.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, I got a question, I mean with we talked
to Kobe about Mike, and Kobe said every aspect dealing
with Mike was competitive, and maybe that's because that was
a young guy trying to catch him. Was everything with
you as Was it more just a genuine conversation friendship
or was there some competitiveness even in the conversation.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
We played two different fields, so two different.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well he tried to come to your field though, Well.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
That wasn't happen. I mean, I love Mike, but that
wasn't gone.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Do you have actual for advice on baseball?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
No? I got never asked him advice and bats I
knew he was that good, and you know, but uh,
we always joked around with I mean, we had always
a great respect for each other. I think Michael's I
saw Michael the same thing he probably saw me that
this I q of vision of you know, the type
of players we were, and you know, like with my career,
(06:45):
you know, I took a little bit from everyone. I mean,
the greatest of the greats become they kind of like
steal gifts from other people, and you're able to create
your stuff, you know, like Tony Gwenn here, Pete Rose here,
you know, William May's here, Hank here and there, and
you know we're able to see all these qualities in
each individual player, and then you kind of invent yourself.
(07:08):
I just wanted to be a great hitter. I knew
I had power, I knew I could do certain things.
But my dad always told me, you know, be a
great hitter. Don't chase the fence. Chase the fence. You're
going to lose. Be a great hitter. And that's that's
all I wanted to do. So I had to take
Tony Gwenn as a great hitter. P Rose had a
great hitter, Rod Carew and I had to take contact
(07:29):
hitters because I could hit the long ball, but I
was striking out a lot when I was younger, and
I had to close that gap. And so my dad
always told me, we're going to think you don't do well, son,
things you do well, you always gravitate to that. If
you can bring twenty percent or thirty percent or ten
percent of what you don't do well, that increases what
(07:49):
you do well. So it kind of balances them together.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
You mentioned, I mean Rod Carew, Tony Gwyn, Pete Rose,
some of the greatest contact hitters of all time. What
were some of the things you watched the day that
you kind of picked up on.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Their patients the way that they can calculate things on
the field. I was able to mathematically calculate what a
picture can and can't do. Once I can calculate you,
then I could beat you, and then it becomes this
what is beating him? Right? The goal of hitting is
(08:22):
it's me and him, and if I can keep that
tunnel vision between me and him and forget the goons
that are around him, because in theory, my job is
just to hit him and be good against him. Understanding
the velocity of a pitch just a fastball. So we're
just going to use a fastball analysis because you have
a guy who throws batting practice to you every single day,
(08:44):
and he only throws a fastball, right, and he tries
to help you be really good, and we screw that
up half the time. So I tried to figure out
how to master batting practice first, because this guy is
trying to help me, you know, So how do I
can direct that?
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Now?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
I'm going to piece it to speed. Now I have
to understand what my swing technique is and then understand
the velossy of a pitch and the blossy of the ball.
The further the faster it comes to me, the further goes. Right,
But I don't change who I am. Right now, if
I can focus on him, I already know the speed
of a ball off my bat goes a certain speed.
I don't care how many people over here. I can
(09:19):
still squeeze it through you. It's not like you're going
to catch every single thing, right, So my job is
my victory is to make contact off of him. Once
I do that, everything else is out of the equation. Right,
So in theory, I win. I really do win, even
though the pitcher's standing on the mount going. I got
you out. No, the second basement, did a downfield? Did
all this guy? You were already out equated. So we
(09:41):
took all these people off the field. You would lose
so much and be really crazy. Right, So now I
have to redirect my brain into this tunnel vision of understanding.
If I can concentrate enough to me and him, they
slowly disappear. But I can't fight two people at once.
I can't say a hit the line, drive to a
short stop er. He's only to drive to the outfielder
(10:02):
and he made a catch. Now I want to try
to beat them both. You can't one on one. I
can fight, but I can't fight two on one. I'm
going to lose. So I have to refocus and go
right back to here and go let me try to
do that again. Let me try to do that again,
and let me try to do that again, and then
my success rate with him and me become better to
my favorite because now I'm focused on him, and now
his math has to change. And so we're gonna play
(10:24):
chess constantly. Right, But in theory, there's a lot more
to the game than it is. Because he's sixty feet
six inches and he has to throw a ball seventeen
inch home plate within this gap. Well, laws of physics
tell me he can only do it so many times,
even if I just stand there and never swing he's
(10:44):
only gonna be able to do so many times, and
then mathematically he has to come to where I get
the advantage.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
It's just that's just my idea of those break down.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
He just gave you so many layers of the.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah, it's just it's just it's hard to explain where
my brain goes.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Have you ever had those computer guys that do all
this and you're like going and he looks at you like,
this is a computer one on one? Are you stupid? Well,
that's how my brain was in baseball. I'm like, you know,
I'll get these questions like what do you think about
so and so. I'm like, it's April or it's too dude,
I don't know. You know, I don't I don't have
that equation. There's so many things that can go wrong
and right that I don't get excited. I don't get
(11:26):
excited over the first city of a home run. I'm like,
you know, okay, we got nine innings. I don't jump enjoy.
You know. All I'm doing is focusing on that picture,
focusing on the mistake, or focusing on something else that
can happen, you know. And that's just how I think
rubs people the wrong way. But so only way I
can do it that works for me.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
For you, that's all that matters.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
Did you and Mike ever talk about signing to Jordan Brand.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
No, we never did. That was I was with Nike
briefly the early part of my career, and then Felix
came over to me and offered me a deal of
a lifetime. At the time. They went with King Griffy
Junior at that time because Junior came up and he
was a kid, and I mean well deserved. I mean
it was eighteen years old. You know, his dad was playing,
so it was well deserved. And for me, I feeling
(12:08):
came along. They offered me the world and for me
at that time, and I was like perfect, And so
I mean I'd love to be with Jordan now retired.
You know, Mike, I'm right here, you know, you know,
you know.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
But in nineteen ninety two slam Dunk Contest visit Deon Sanders,
Chris Carter King crazy, how was that you had a
little bounce on you.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
No, people need to know the truth, because that's a
damn lie. I got lucky as hell, yeah real, I
mean I could slam dunk but I was just a
basic slam dunker. I could go up with one hand,
I could go up with two hands, now about it,
and barely get up up there.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Me too.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
But so with the scenario with it is that I
got in to go against Dion. It was just I
think it was just the second round, so I was
I don't know who I was going against the first round.
But so Dion was just really good. You know. Those
guys could jump out the gym, and Dion just went
cuckoo for summer reasons. I got lucky through the ball
(13:12):
in the air and it bounced it and I got it,
and that was everything I had. I shot that hell
out of myself. Dion already did a great you know,
some great moves up there and under his legs are
behind his back and everything else, and I only had
to do is just do the same thing. But he
wanted to get a little bit back and just like
some of the dudes last night at the slam dunk,
(13:33):
and he missed it, and then that's how I beat him.
So the truth is, Dion Sander could out jump me
in a heartbeat, you know, and I just got lucky,
and then after that it was over. My back was hurting.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
They need to bring that back. I think that they do.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
I think they do. It was real fun.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Yeah, Mike, come he took off.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I've seen a highlight of that somehow. That came across
my feet a couple of days ago. And if you
watch that, he's so lucky. You know how you slip
off the rim sometimes that he would killed hisself. He
would have sipped on because he was going so fast
and hung and his whole body swung uneathroat. I was like, man,
thank god he held over that rim.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Those high jumpers man.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Different. Obviously. Dad played ball.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
What are some of your fondest memories going to the
ballpark as a child and being a ball boy.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
My dad was a hitting genius in his head, I mean,
and he could hit two His own personal lives is
one of gotten away from my father. But his mind
was very shark, very very talented and hitting. He could
pick a picture apart fast. And he educated me on that.
He educated on learning their flaws, learning things. And then
(14:49):
Willie was my mentor. Willie Mays was the one. It
was great because I had like two people on me,
like my dad was my dad who anything I did
was never a for him. And then Willie was like,
you did great. I love you. You know. My God's
so I had balance, So I have basic balance. The
guys who work with my dad, like Gary Sheffild, can
(15:10):
tell you some really good stories about my dad when
he was training with us. So I said, Carrie's different.
He's really different, because like I could come home and
say I hit two home runs and I'm like, Dad, man,
you see that. He's like, how many bad you have?
I said four? He said, why did you have four?
I'm like, he ain't even happy over the two.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Willie be like, that's great. He had a good at bats.
So it was always good. But my dad was the
one who challenged me. When challenged me to a point
to where he expected perfection in practice, and practice was
very important that my dad wanted perfection. And I'll never
forget this. I was in the batting cage with my
(15:45):
father and I was swinging the bat and I was
jamming myself and I was missing balls, and my dad
kept putting in the screen even closer and making it faster,
and I go, Dad, I ain't got it, man. It's
just so I was with my son at this time,
he was little, and he said, Nikola, like, why don't
you stand behind home plate? And he said, get up there, son, Barry,
(16:05):
and I want you to hit. I said, my son
back there, boy, are you crazy? He said, then don't
let him get hit. I said, bro, this ain't going
down like that. And so and I just say bro.
At that time, I say it here, I said, pop, Dad,
love you. I never said that to my father. I said, Nickola, like,
get off this cade. So my dad said, no, I'm
not going to let him get hit. He put a
he put a t back there, and he said, in
(16:27):
your mind, pretend it's him now. Swing. I've popped every
single ball. He played mind games with me, which was
which challenged me, which I loved and I needed him
for that, you know, I needed my father for that.
And it was the best. He's the best hitting coach,
the best. I mean, his mind was just off the chart.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Did that ever blur the lines of dad and trainers
slash coach? Because I've trained my kids and I kind
of find there's a fine line I coached my kids
and trade my kids, and there's that kind of that
fun line, and I walk it and teeter it as
far as being dad and then coach and trainer. Did
you ever like you said he expected perfection? Did that
ever blur the line of dad?
Speaker 3 (17:10):
No? With me, it was different. I accepted him for
who he was. I knew who he was. I knew
the challenges I had with my father, and I had
a choice. It was deal with it or I was
going to miss the boat. And you have to see that.
As an athlete, you're going to see it. And if
you don't see it, then you're not going to be
there anyway. And you have to see that. Why is
(17:33):
my dad doing this? Why is he challenging me? We're
not he's not at home. We're not at home where
he's like, say, clean your room up or anything like this.
Why is he pushing me? I didn't realize it untill
as I was college and going on that. You know,
he was just it was something I needed. It's weird,
it's kind of hard to explain, but I needed that.
(17:54):
I needed my dad to be just a jerk.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
I needed my dad to challenge me. I needed that
because I was so good. I think I would have
took advantage of things if he didn't keep me in
my place. Like he he would knock me down. And
all everyone to do was for my godfather and my
father to appreciate my career. I didn't care about anybody else.
I didn't care about it. It was none that had to
(18:19):
do with fans and none to do with anything. It's
like I wanted my dad and willing to say I
was part of their group, right, because no one really,
no one really knows. My godfather Giants here fifty eight,
My godfather's here right, My father's in right field, my
godfather's in center field, and I play left field. All
three of us in the generation played for Samson Giants,
and all three of us played in the outfield twogether,
(18:41):
but a part right. And that's always my goal was
to play left field. And they wanted me to play
right field when I was first coming up with Pittsburgh
and have this double O seven James Bond like that's
a no. And I wanted my own position because I
wanted to complete that circle. And then I knew my
own talent. I didn't have the arm like Willie or
my dad did. I didn't. I knew I was quick
(19:03):
to the baseball, and I owe that to Bill Verdon,
one of my outfold coaches, and I knew my ability
and I wanted to stay with him my ability.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
When did you start training when.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
My son was born? Nineteen eighty nine? Okay, when I
got at eighty six. I mean I was town. That
was good, But I wasn't you know. I was out clubs,
partying like everybody else, you know, like when you're young,
like shot as sleep when I'm dead, you know what
I mean? Shoot who cares? And all of a sudden, Nikolai,
my first wife, was pregnant. I was like, oh, this
is real. I have a responsibility. I cold turkey everything,
(19:39):
and all I did was go to the gym from
that day on. And in nineteen eighty nine was I
was leading off with Pittsburgh at that time, and Jim Leland,
my manager, who's the most unbelievable manager I ever had
in my entire life. And don't get me wrong, Dussy
Baker and Felippe I Lou are up there, don't get
me wrong. But he was my first right and so
(20:00):
Pittsburgh was the best for me at that time. So
I was leading off and I ain't never been lead
off hitter. I'm like, I'm not leading off I'm leading
the team in home runs. But yeah, I got like
forty RBIs or something like. That's not me. That's never
been my role. So my son was born. All I
did was trained in the snow in Pittsburgh. I ran
every day and then I said, I'm not hitting leading
(20:22):
off anymore. And before when I went into the locker
room to talk to Leland, the only thing he says,
since I already know what you're in here, and don't
you say a damn word to me. You're my number
five hitter, sink or swim kid. Because he knew they
wanted to trade me, but he believed in me. I said, Coach,
I'm going to spend my whole life and that's the
year I wont MVP. And then after that I started
training with Roder Craig Jerry Rice, and all I just started.
(20:45):
I just went off the deep end. And then I
wanted to be better training wise, and all I did
was trading. And I've been doing that for the rest
of my life.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Speak to that training, because I mean, Jerry Rice is
known synonymously for his off season. He'll runs and train.
So you jumped on that boat all that hard? That's hard?
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Yeah, I mean where we I'd run in the mornings,
lift in the morning after running, and then go hit
after that. I mean it was from like eight in
the morning till twenty afternoon. And it's every day except
the weekends. Every day.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Baseball is known for a lot of unwritten rules. When
you first came in the game in eighty six, were
some of the unwritten rules.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Depends what on written rules you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
What you can talk about.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
I can talk about anything you want. This is twenty five.
People say whatever they want now to day. You know,
back when I was there, people didn't say would do
it they want? Nowaday you say whatever you want, you
get kudos for it. Now you get followers, I guess,
and social media you just say. All you gotta do
is say as everybody wants to see you now, you
know so.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
I mean, but.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
What I wish the game was still today is there
was a respect level at that time, a veteran level
where you earned your stripes, you worked for it, and
when you were a rookie coming up, you had to
go through initiation. Yeah, you paid your dues. Damn sure.
Back in those days where you know, I didn't have
(22:10):
a locker when I first came in, you know, Lee
Mozilli had Lee Mozilli was my locker mate, which and
he was the coolest cat ever too. But he would
sit his locker in my locker right here, and he
put his ashtray right in front, in the middle of
my locker, and he smoked. My locker was on the
floor with on little hangars, you know, a little rollout things,
(22:30):
and you sit on the floor and you have to
earn your locker, so you have to get a hit.
You got to steal a base or score run or
hit a home round something before you can get in
that locker. So when I first came in, they had
my uniform sitting down and I already knew the remooks.
My father's here and you know, and leaves like, how
you doing, kid, I'm good, fair, And you respected the veterans,
(22:54):
and you sat in the front of the bus like
all rookies had to sit in front of the bus,
all three of us, you know. And then we didn't
have charter fights. We took commercial fights where you had
to sit on the plane with other people at the
same time. We didn't have that in Pittsburgh when I
first came out. And then you had to go down
to the They sent me down the baggage claim and
I didn't even know the stuff didn't go to the
(23:14):
baggage claim. They said, bing, you got to go to
the baggage claim and get all the stuff. And I'm
sitting in bags claim like this and nobody's there and
I'm going, this is crazy. And then somebody comes and
the bus already left.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
You know what.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Everybody knows that's.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
And then you know they got and then you had
to then you know, you had to go wait for
everybody's luggage. And we had to walk up with the
bellman to all the veterans rooms and to give them
their luggage to like four in the morning. We had
a lot of things you had to do as a
as a young player, but you appreciate it and you
earned your stripes to where when your time came, it
was there there your time to be able to take
(23:51):
that initiative and stuff, and you know, the veterans tell
you shut up, you shut up, you know, And that
was just the way it was. And it was fun,
I mean, not a good time.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
It's like that in basketball now. It ain't no better
than present.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
There's zero man, these kids are like br I'm like,
I have never gone over to my godfather Willie or
Hank Aaron and said bruh are hey Hank. I was like,
mister Aaron, how you do? I mean, there was a
different appreciation for what that person did in your career.
You know, It's just different nowadays. They walked by you
(24:27):
like you exist, you don't even know anything, but just
I mean, let's fine, it's their game. Doesn't bother me none.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Sometimes you got to hit rock bottom to come over here. Yeah, right,
because God's gonna bring you wherever you need to get
right right. Sometimes they'll walk by me and stuff this
and then be like, hey, Barry, what do you see
And I'd be like, oh, you must be two for thirty,
you know. I go like this, I'm like, you must
be two thirty. You need a little you need Lord
(24:54):
in your hand, you need you need some church right
now right. And then when they get it, then you
don't hear from them again, and then you go back.
But it's it's part of the process, and it's all good.
I mean, like I say, I'm only there for this
information if you need it, and that's all I'm there
for I know, anything else is your path. And I
(25:14):
always tell them you've done this before you even met me.
And the athletes have to understand, I don't care what
sports you're in, you did this before you ever met me.
You may have known about me, but you never met me.
You have to understand how good you already are. Just
to be here, right, There's always gonna be somebody a
little bit better than you, even no matter what team
(25:36):
you're on, even when you're in high school litle league,
there's always somebody better, or you were the best either
or it's gonna full circle itself. But you just gonna
understand your talent and then get the best of your
telling you, you know, I used to. It's like a
lot of players when I was coaching with the Marrow
and stuff, they're like, well, I'm not you. I'm like, well,
that's the first thing you got right, because that's you,
ain't me. But let's be the best version of yourself,
(25:58):
you know, right, Let's be the best verse yourself. I'm
only here to help you. I'm not trying to challenge you.
I can't do that anymore and I'm too old for that.
So take this information and if it works. We're just
gonna throw darts at a wall all day and we're
gonna do this, and something's gonna stick, and let's just
keep throwing these darts and whatever. You don't like what
I say, thrown in garbage. I don't care. It's your journey.
It's not my journey, right, I'm just here to help
(26:20):
you get to that journey you're choosing. And if I can,
I can. If I can't, kick me to the curb
and go somewhere else, you know, I mean, it's okay.
You ain't hurt my feelings, you know what I mean.
So that's it. It's alid.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
There's some younger guys that you really enjoyed working with,
did you want? You know, wouldn't mind sharing that? Like
soaked it up?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
And you know, I love working with all of them.
I never have a favorite. I have a challenge of
each individual. I never have like a favorite because I
could do so many things out there. I'd love the
challenge of getting you right or fixing a puzzle, because
that's what I did in my head all the time.
In my own personal career, we were always you know,
(26:57):
you're always having to revamp yourself right, and it's taken
on the challenge of I don't care if it's weighed.
I don't give a credit if it's Mookie Betts. I
don't care who it is that I've talked to or
work with, or Dexter Fowler back in the days and
stuff like that. It doesn't matter. Alex Rodriguez I worked with.
It's that puzzle that I enjoy. It's not a favorite.
(27:19):
Alex was easier because he's already the lead of the league, right.
We don't Our conversations are different, and understanding that each
conversation I have with each person is different. You can't
this one method is not going to work with this guy.
He doesn't I can sit there and say, you know,
you need to hit off your front leg a little
bit because you're too backsided. Well, may not work with
(27:40):
this other guy. He doesn't understand that. He's like, he's
leaning so far forward. I'm like, no, man, he like this,
you know what I mean? I have to tailor tailor
it to what works for them, right, And it's just
creating the mind it's changing the mindset. What does a
man hate to do if you're really good at something,
it's telling him they can't do something they going to
show you they can do it, right, What did I
just It's just a mind ship, right, it's a mind
(28:02):
shift because he already has the talent to do it,
and saying, well, you're gonna tell me that you're a
professional athlete. You just can't hit the ball right there?
Who you talking to? Well, then you know what. I
mechanically didn't do anything for you. You already fixed it
your damn self, so you don't really need me, you
know what I mean. So sometimes it's just redirecting the
mind for great athletes, and all of them are great.
If you're in if you're in a professional sport, you're great,
(28:23):
no question, because there's so little of you there. Come on, brother,
remember you are good. You gotta work with.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
That ten a hundred mile fastballs pissed to you today
you're hitting any.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Of them out one hundred. That's easy right now. Today,
I don't care how hard you throw a baseball, they're gone.
There ain't no way you can throw a baseball six.
So I can't just do like this. If there's a
catcher behind home plate that sits like this, what a
glove and you throw a hundred mind, don't he just
go like this, boom boom. All I did was change
this object to a bat boom boom. I ain't got
(28:59):
to change nothing. I just change the object. Now, if
you're asking me to do something spectacler, that would take
time for my body to get used to it at sixty.
But to go up there and hit it, I don't
care how hard do you think. As long as I
can see it, I hit it.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
That's crazy.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
When you're great, you just great, though.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Don't Willie could do it back, you know, and even
when is it sixties? Him and my dad and them
would come and hit all the time. They were did
all the time.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
There's a rich history of racism in baseball. When you
first got into the game, did you feel it, see it?
Did you hear a story from your dad or Willie
or Hank or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
The problem with that question is that it's it's a
fuel for the media to run with he said, questions, right,
he said, he said, he said, we already know that answer.
We don't need to. You know, I kind of stay
out of it only because if you want the truth,
it's an industry that needs to come together to make
(30:03):
it happen, and the industry starts up here. Okay, I'm
down on the bottom floor. So we as an industry,
we hear bottom and top have to find a way
to come together to balance it. Right for me to
sit there and say is there racism? Yeah, I mean
(30:24):
I could say yes, that's true. We all know that.
I mean, as black people, we know what's going on.
We're not blinded by any of that. Right, We're not
a threat to anyone. We're not trying to pose a
threat to anyone. We're trying to be relevant or equal
or valued. Right, Well, the industry has to come together,
and how do we do that. People need to sit
at the table and figure it out.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
That's simple. That's a conversation. You have to decline in
black payers in baseball. Is it because of the love
and black kids not loving baseball? Or is it because
other races are just dominating game.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
The other racer. If we're going to be technical, white
races always dominated baseball. I mean it's it was there
since they won until Jackie Robinson broke the color bearer.
If you want to be honest and true about it,
how many star blacks are in baseball? You got star Latinos,
star Asians, you got star whites. When I played baseball,
(31:21):
you had me King Griffyth Junior, Eric Davis, Ozzie Smith McGee.
I can go on and on and on and on,
Andre Dawson. I mean, I can name a ton of
inspiring black athletes on the field to inspire other black
kids to want to play right. So what is that
(31:44):
an industrial problem? The industry needs to fix it.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I went to school with a lot of white kids
in high school, and travel baseball was expensive. It was
almost priced out of my community. Although I went to
school with kids that can afford it, I feel like
it's kind of priced out of the black community at times,
and I think that kind of hinders the opportunity for
some of these kids to come up and really have
an opportunity at it.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
It is very expensive. I mean, that's what five hundred dollars.
It's like crazy. I mean, I do something else. I mean,
gloves are three hundred dollars. I mean you're you're at
almost two thousand dollars right now just to play baseball
with sky equipment, just equipment. We're talking about just with spikes,
you know, and stuff like that. And it's hard. But
(32:28):
it still comes back to if you don't have enough.
Like the NBA, there's so much equals or football, it's balanced.
Baseball it is not as balanced. So why am I
chasing baseball when I'm not looking at Okay, I can
name Mookie Betts, I can name a few, but I
can't name enough to say, Mom, go buy me a glove,
(32:51):
or Mom, I'll go get a paper out, Dad, I'll
go do this and play baseball. There's not enough of
us and they'll see it. I'm retired. Yeah, you know,
I'm retired, Kenny. We're all retired now. It's either industrial
we all have to get together and start communicating and
talking and trying to find a balance, or you take
(33:12):
the younger group and six three percent you got and
try to balance it because you have to give the
kids need something to see, somewhat to see. I mean
you have to see it to want it. I mean,
you probably have more black kids want to play tennis
because it's serena and restlingly there out there, because you're
seeing it and it's like a tennis racket and just
(33:34):
some tent. I'm gonna go. You know, I could do that,
you know, but there's not enough of us to inspire
our community.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
There's been an influx in Japanese players coming over and
have success Cine Miler in the NBA with European players,
and there's a debate, and I feel like with European
players it's more work, more practice, more skill.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Training, and then the game is the reward.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I feel like with au basketball, one practice and the
game is everything. Why do you feel like there's the
Japanese players are successfully transitioning into the Major League so
much at a higher rate these days.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Japanese baseball it's always been huge. I mean, it's always
been good, and we've always as Americans have gone over
to Japan and played in these All Star tournaments with them,
and they have very talented athletes, same as the Hispanics,
very very talented athletes. And then you have the Koreans
are now producing pictures and stuff and players as well.
(34:33):
But you have a culture there in a country that is,
like I say, industry bound to make it happen. Well,
we're the United States and the equal we're good, even
less with blacks, we're still good. Industry, we're the best,
we are the best. But the equality of it has
to stay balanced. For me, I mean, it needs to
(34:54):
be balanced, and the Japanese have always always have been
very very good. It's just we're bigger, stronger, you know,
we have. They're starting to catch up. You can see
it in on Tani and stuff like that. They're starting
to catch up. But at the time, we were always bigger, stronger,
you know, and our game and it's just always been
like that. But you know, now you can see that
(35:16):
it's starting to transition over and and it's okay. I
mean we as a married we don't care. It's just
like when we get to the World Classic, what side
you're gonna play on them? That's that's the time we care.
You over here playing our league. You better staying. Don't
go back over the pan now and start beating on us.
You know, we have fun in that way. But and
that's the competition. It's it's it's fun.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
Thoughts.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
I mean, I think he came in, has taken MLB
by storm and then signed a monster contract. Thoughts on
just his ability to do hit the ball the way
he does and also pitch, and just the versatility of
his game.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
The pitching and hitting has been outstanding. For what he's
done in base running stuff like that, he's a complete player.
I mean, there's no doubt about the type of player
he is and what he's accomplished in his career. The
game has just changed. I mean, the game is way
different than it is than when I play the same
way Michael talks about it or anyone else. Oh Tani
(36:11):
is not gonna hit two home runs without seeing one
goal right here in my generation. I don't care what
he does. He's not going to steal two bases. About
somebody decapitating his kneecap and slow him down because it's
a different game back then today's game. They take batting
practice all day. They take batting practice at one, two, three, four, five,
(36:32):
all the way up. These guys hit more than I've
ever seen my entire lifetime that we didn't do, and
they should be better than us. It's hitting wise because
they can hit a home run, flip their bat up
in the air, run around, get a taco, come back down,
have a limo, drive around, you know, all these antics
that we weren't allowed to do. If I did anything
like that, there's no way I'm going to see a star.
(36:55):
You know, I'll see the hospital, but I ain't gonna
see baseball. And so as a hitter. We had to
hit in a way to where if I hit a
home run, I know what's coming in next set back
our possibility. So my thing is I have to be
a little more defensive and be more of a contact
hitter to get out of a problem than it's. Well,
they can just do and hit, hit, and sometimes I
(37:17):
think it could be a disadvantage. But O Tony dude
boy can play. There's no question about who he is.
I just my opinion. I just hope he just stays
at the hitting category because his hitting ability is off
the chart. Pitching, I just think might tire him out.
I think he should come out of the bullpen here
and there, like he has because he's dhing. He come
out of the bullpen and throw an inning or two
(37:38):
here and just because he's so good as a reliever too,
like he could be one of the dominant relievers and
dominant starters. I think as a starter, man, I think
it might get wear a tear a little bit and
tire him out. Why fix something that isn't broken, because
that's like I couldn't me. I be like, no, I
fix broke.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
This is good.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
I'm good piece, this is great. But I think coming
out of the bullpen. He could really dominate.
Speaker 4 (38:01):
Current day, you got your daughter with you and you
talked about working out what brings you joy today.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
My kids taking over everything I wouldn't. I don't do interviews.
I've never done hard.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
We appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
And my daughter is like, took over and she just said, Dad,
you need to step back and let us do this.
So I'm learning to shut up, learning hunch your cart
a little bit. I'm learning to allow them to dictate
(38:36):
this new generation that I'm not overly comfortable with, but
at the same time I need to adapt to. And
so I'm I'm allowing them to take over and say, Dad,
you need to be here.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
We're gonna start seeing more on social media and that's
already started.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
They got this stuff going crazy and I'm just like,
what are you doing? I don't even understand this. What
are you like him? Why are you tagging him? I
don't even know him. I'm like, I don't want anybody
on my phone.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
It's like I'm always like, what are you doing? It's like,
so they took it. Like because I ride my bike
all the time. I cycle a lot, so I have
Strava and you know, my swift and stuff, and we
give likes on to each other for working out and training.
So my daughter had to explain to me it's the
same thing. It's like, Dad, you're you're appreciating what he's
(39:26):
done by the same thing. So think of it like
when you're riding your bike on Strava and you're giving
your likes and stuff and things like that. Think of
it like that, and I'm like, oh, okay, now I
get it. But at first, I'm just thinking people got
all my information. I'm not doing I ain't in all that,
you know.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
So if you guys need help on the social media side,
let us know. We just launched that side of the
company and we're doing really well. Oh that's good.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
If you guys need some help with some ideas, we
got it.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
She's the boss.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Yeah, we'll talk to the head of the Yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Yeah. When you get six, you got to learn to
step down. And I think it's like it's my time,
as my kids are at the point where they're old
enough to do it, you know, and it's time for
me to just say it's dad. I got to step
to the side a little bit. I stok at one
leg in it it's it's scary, but you know, but
so far it's been I mean it's been a blessing.
(40:18):
I mean when you can have your family do stuff
and know that they're doing it right and the best
that they can and as a parent, it's pretty gratifying.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
Bay Area it isn't doing too good right now. We
were here, We were here, we did a lot of
community work. I actually uh donated accurd in April twelfth
is actually my day here. But you have you do
a lot of foundation work here and what are you
up to around the city and how can we help
you know with what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
Here right now? I think the city right now, all
of us are in the transition stage right now to
find out what I mean, now, when you lose the
Oakland A's is very tough Oakland's, it's going to be
tough there. I mean, you know, protecting that city is
very very important because crime is is not great here
right and we're in this transition to where we need
(41:04):
to put more and more value into our kids, and
more and more value into our education system, and just
in our leadership has to change. It's like things have
to start changing where we need to demand this from them,
not ask them. We need to demand this a long
time ago. We're giving I understand the youth of things,
(41:26):
but you're not ready to take over. I mean we
as the elders are even older than me or whatever.
We need to demand that respect from them, and we
need to demand it the right way and allow them
to take over it and do it the right way.
And once we do that and we can transition back.
We need to transition back a little bit. I think
(41:48):
we're trying to go too far sou forward, and we
need to come back and say, hey, wake up.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
First thing to come to mind, let us know guilty.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Pleasure my dog, my black miniature snauzer. Yeah, cycling, working
on the gym, being happy looks great.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
You're sixty, you're sixty, you're about to be sixty.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
No, I'm sixty. I'll be sixty one in July.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
Looks so you're aging backward.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
Benjamin Button, All right, I'm gonna take you a little
bit outside of your comforts right here, build your perfect
baseball player. Discipline. Who would you put for discipline? Feel
free to use yourself.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
No, that's too easy. The perfect it would be a
combination of people. Because I love so many like Ken
Griffy Junior is the key. I mean, Ken Griffy Junior
was if he never got hurt the way he did
would just be phenomenal. But you've got people like Corbera,
Albert pool Holds, Larry Walker, Todd Helton. I can go
(42:48):
on and on with just all around, Eric Davis, Barry Larkin,
Andre Dawson. I mean, there's so many of my general
Bobby Bene, yeah, I mean, my best friend and things
like that. I would, But if I had to pick
like the elite, I mean, I'm gonna go with Junior
(43:08):
because Junior was eighteen years old as a kid. He
came in and just electrified everything. Fortunately he just got
hurt during the times. But a kid that can do everything,
Vladimir Guerrel, I mean, if he could ever not swing
at everything, there's no one who beats that guy. He
(43:29):
can throw a ball from the fence all the way.
Hay and Larry Walker too, he had speed. He can
do it every I mean, there's so many players of
my generation that the competition level was so high amongst
us all that it's hard to just pick one individual,
(43:49):
you know, Yeah, sure, did some of us stand out? Yeah? Okay, right,
I mean, I'm not gonna knock myself down. Did I
stand out? Yeah, But if you're saying not choosing myself,
I have to choose King Griffy.
Speaker 4 (44:02):
We lost Ricky Anderson this year.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
And about Ricky, oh, we were tight from day one.
I mean, you guys understand, my dad played baseball, so
all of most of the players that came up admired
my father. So we all were friends at points even
when I was younger. So Ricky and I, you know,
been boys ever since I was little, just like mc
hammer and I've been friends ever since I because he
(44:27):
was in Oakland when my dad was going over there
and we were all friends. So there is there is
a but there's you know, the who I think would
have been probably you know, people talk about bo Jackson
and being in bo Jackson was a specimen he if
he never not heard either. But I'm never going to
deny Dian Sanders ever there. I mean, anybody can say
(44:48):
whatever the heck they want, but if you can play
two professional sports professionally and do it well, and he
played baseball well, and he played football great, okay, and
I think if he had time to play baseballs as
all the time. He would probably be there too as
a leadoff Hitterick sir Son, Who's then, who's the greatest
(45:10):
athlete when you can play two professional sports at the
highest level. I ain't in that category. Deon Sanders in
that category. Bo Jackson's in that category. There's players that
you know did did two sports professionally and trying to
play one hard enough to have to try to to Dion,
(45:32):
I don't. I don't think he was All Star, but
he all. I mean we were teammates. I saw Deon
Sanders hit the ball centerfield were in Florida. He had
a ground ball up the middle. It just got through
the centerfielder's leg, and Dion would staying on third base.
I went in the dugout in the back of the
clubhouse and I said, hit that. Rewind tape, please, because
I missed it. That's how fast he was. I mean,
(45:54):
just you know, when you're even me as good as
I was base running, the way he cut those bases,
I was like, whoa. And then all I want to
do is imitate it, you know, because that's my brain, right.
But I was never gonna be fast him, not even close.
I can look at you backwards and just man like,
that's crazy. When Meg can talk to you behind you go, come.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
On, seventy three home runs. What was your favorite part
about that journey that season?
Speaker 3 (46:22):
Consistency I was. I was consistent that year. That was
I felt it in I didn't feel it in spring
to I gotta tell you a story behind this. I
bet against myself, to be honest with you, because it
was really the worst year of my life because I
bet Sean Dunston the Mercedes and I lost. And in baseball,
we have a rule. If you and I have a
(46:43):
bet one on one and nobody hears it, then you
can reneg or do whatever you want, and then you
can be mad. But if you call you dude out
in front of the team, you have to honor that
bet or you get the beat down. Right, This is
my generation. When so Sean was, I was hitting balls
in spring training and I just felt locked in like
I had never felt in my entire life. I just
felt like, Wow, and Sean goes, You're going to break
(47:03):
the record. I'm like, you stupid. No one in the
planet's going to hit seventy home runs just because I
had a few good days of BP and I was
hitting home runs all over the place, and it's like,
you're nuts. And I always wait till this fall down,
you know, because good athletes and good hitters, we always
know we're going to come down. It's just how far
can we stop the fall? Right? Those are the good players, right,
because you're always going to fall. I don't know what happened,
(47:25):
I really, I really can't even explain it. I was
just so consistent and locked in to where I could
see things like this, and I could see it happening fast.
I mean I could tell you what pitch was coming.
It's like this, And it's not that I knew what
Pitt's coming. I could just calculate the situation like I
can read it as I like, you're going to do what?
And it's just you know how you have that feeling
(47:46):
and you know everyone has that moment. Mine just lasted
a long time and that was just it mean to
you home. It's been my home my whole life. I mean,
it's my hometown. So I think it'd be different I
played a different city or saying like, what's you know,
like Cleveland would be to me if I wasn't from
(48:08):
there something it would be different. But I was raised
here my whole life for since I was a baby.
I don't know anything else. So it's just home. Everyone
I knows, friends of mine, politicians, and we went to
high school together, the sheriff, you know, we together.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
We get in some ship. We gotta call it.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
That's all right, I called There's always there someone I
know or my family new or so it's just always
been home. I've never I don't know anything different.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
Right well, Barry Man, we appreciate you, We love you.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
There's a lot of us who love you out here
and would love to start seeing you do more of
this and share because there's so much greatness and we
all look at you at the top of the total falling.
I appreciate you just giving us a little bit of
time today.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
Man, Thank you, very appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (48:54):
And that's a wrap. The Legendary the Goat Barry Bonds.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
You can catch us on DraftKings Network and all the
Smoke Productions YouTube.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
We'll see you guys next week.
Speaker 4 (49:06):
M hm.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
Mm hmmm
Speaker 4 (49:17):
Mm hmmm mmm.
All Star twenty twenty five San Francisco. Jack has been
a good run, killing it. But I don't think there
was any way we could have expected to have this
as our closing interview. Yeah, I was excited. I couldn't wait.
I gotta thank Dana Pump. I've been knowing Dana since
I was fourteen, the biggest hustler in the world, him
and his brothers.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
And he called me like a week and a half ago.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
He's like, Matt, I think I got Barry, Like Barry
who because either Barry Sanders or Barry Bonds.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
I'm like, I don't believe you. He's like, no, I
promise you.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
He's like, hit this lady, and I hit Lisa and
we hit it off and now man, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Barry Bonds. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I'm seven times MVP, fourteen time All start, eight Gold Gloves,
all time leader, and home runs single season home run leader,
the greatest baseball player of all time.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
When you hear that, what comes to your mind.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I don't really talk about it. I let my peers
talk about it. I always tell people if you're good
at something, they'll.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Talk about it.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
You don't need to say anything. So I don't really
talk about it. I know statistically where I am. I
don't need to explain it. I'd rather just help the
young generation and give you the information that was given
me teacher, as much as I know. And then, you know,
I always tell people always ask me, like how you
do it? I'm like, just stay around long enough for
(01:37):
someone to talk about you. That's pretty much is just
don't be a commercial.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Right right?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
You know, if you want to be really good at something,
you just don't have to be doing it a long time.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Well obviously very humble about your success, but do you
ever kind of look back and at the stuff you've
accomplished in some of the records that will never be touched,
Like do you think like, hey, like when I was playing,
I was, I really did it at the high I do.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I look back and it's different. I have this, you know,
like you talk about Michael Jordan, you can talk our
IQ is like way up here, tiger. You know, it's
just so high. And I think, for myself, I look
back at the gifts that God blessed me with, and
then I look back at the hard work that I
put into it, and then I try to find ways
(02:23):
of how do I give this to someone else? Or
how do I teach this? Or how do you pass
this on? And why do I see it? But you
don't you know what I mean. It's it's it's this
battle that you play with yourself all the time, and
then how can I articulate that to somebody else? And
then they give you, well, why, well why does this work?
Or how did you do this? And and you know,
(02:45):
my brain points right here in front of you, but
you you know, and how do you not see it?
And so I look back at ways of how for
myself would I be able to, you know, articulate this
to somebody else and give this gift that I was
blessed with, and then you know, and hopefully he'll give
it to somebody else.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Greg Maddix once the best hitter I've ever faced, Trevor
Hoffman said, the most dangerous hitter in baseball history, the
big Unit, one of the most amazing players ever, A
Hall of Famer, no doubt. A lot of guys. Again,
you stick around long enough, they'll talk about you. But
when it's from your peers, your contemporary, the guys you
went to battle with, you're in year out.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Is that is that more satisfying to you.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Yeah, that's that's that's yeah, it's I mean, you can't
get any better than that. I mean, just like in basketball,
it's like I hear Michael George's name all the time.
You know, you hear those names, and and when you
have your peers talk about you, and you know, that's
just the top of the list. There's there's no other
(03:47):
list greater than that. I don't care who you are.
What you are is if you have your peers talking
about eating.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
You did you did something?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, we're here now for NBA All Star Were you
here in two thousand him for the All Star Game?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I watched on I watched, Yeah, that was one.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Of the best ones.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Were you close to any NBA players of your time?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Jordan? I kind of came up together. We were in
Chicago when Jordan first came in the league. We used
to hang out in Chicago all the time. He was
at the Bulls and stuff and.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Some ship like that. Two of the greatest I tell.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
You, like, Michael Jordan was before he even became the
most famous person ever. Him tired, and we were in
Chicago when he was just I mean, he's only two
years older than I am, you know, And we went
out to just to grab a bite to eat, and
I ain't never seen a line of people that wanted
(04:48):
to just talk to this guy. And I was just
coming up too, so I was rookie, so nobody knew
who I was, you know, was just Bobbie Bond's son,
nobody at the time. And I thought I was pretty
big at the time because I made it. But Michael
had all these people, and he had had a couple
of security guys there watching. Michael was so nice. He
was just signing autographs and We're trying to grab something
(05:09):
to eat, and I'm over here going, I'm Barry Hello.
You know what it's like to have somebody that good,
you know what I mean, And for that one moment,
I'm like, I want to be like Mike one day,
you know, when you really see it from the very beginning.
But he was so he was already large before k
became larger than anything. And I will always remember that
(05:30):
he was. He was always like, come on, b let's go.
And you know, and it was good because we've we've
always been like really you know, good friends, and even
at a distance. You know, now that you know his
profession's gone to where it's gone, and you've got distance
we are even if we talk and we haven't talked
a long time, like we talked to the things like
last year. We had a conversation not too long ago,
and it always seems like we've never missed a beat.
(05:51):
And that's what that's what's really good about.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, I got a question, I mean with we talked
to Kobe about Mike, and Kobe said every aspect dealing
with Mike was competitive, and maybe that's because that was
a young guy trying to catch him. Was everything with
you as Was it more just a genuine conversation friendship
or was there some competitiveness even in the conversation.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
We played two different fields, so two different.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Well he tried to come to your field though, Well.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
That wasn't happen. I mean, I love Mike, but that
wasn't gone.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
Do you have actual for advice on baseball?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
No? I got never asked him advice and bats I
knew he was that good, and you know, but uh,
we always joked around with I mean, we had always
a great respect for each other. I think Michael's I
saw Michael the same thing he probably saw me that
this I q of vision of you know, the type
of players we were, and you know, like with my career,
(06:45):
you know, I took a little bit from everyone. I mean,
the greatest of the greats become they kind of like
steal gifts from other people, and you're able to create
your stuff, you know, like Tony Gwenn here, Pete Rose here,
you know, William May's here, Hank here and there, and
you know we're able to see all these qualities in
each individual player, and then you kind of invent yourself.
(07:08):
I just wanted to be a great hitter. I knew
I had power, I knew I could do certain things.
But my dad always told me, you know, be a
great hitter. Don't chase the fence. Chase the fence. You're
going to lose. Be a great hitter. And that's that's
all I wanted to do. So I had to take
Tony Gwenn as a great hitter. P Rose had a
great hitter, Rod Carew and I had to take contact
(07:29):
hitters because I could hit the long ball, but I
was striking out a lot when I was younger, and
I had to close that gap. And so my dad
always told me, we're going to think you don't do well, son,
things you do well, you always gravitate to that. If
you can bring twenty percent or thirty percent or ten
percent of what you don't do well, that increases what
(07:49):
you do well. So it kind of balances them together.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
You mentioned, I mean Rod Carew, Tony Gwyn, Pete Rose,
some of the greatest contact hitters of all time. What
were some of the things you watched the day that
you kind of picked up on.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Their patients the way that they can calculate things on
the field. I was able to mathematically calculate what a
picture can and can't do. Once I can calculate you,
then I could beat you, and then it becomes this
what is beating him? Right? The goal of hitting is
(08:22):
it's me and him, and if I can keep that
tunnel vision between me and him and forget the goons
that are around him, because in theory, my job is
just to hit him and be good against him. Understanding
the velocity of a pitch just a fastball. So we're
just going to use a fastball analysis because you have
a guy who throws batting practice to you every single day,
(08:44):
and he only throws a fastball, right, and he tries
to help you be really good, and we screw that
up half the time. So I tried to figure out
how to master batting practice first, because this guy is
trying to help me, you know, So how do I
can direct that?
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Now?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
I'm going to piece it to speed. Now I have
to understand what my swing technique is and then understand
the velossy of a pitch and the blossy of the ball.
The further the faster it comes to me, the further goes. Right,
But I don't change who I am. Right now, if
I can focus on him, I already know the speed
of a ball off my bat goes a certain speed.
I don't care how many people over here. I can
(09:19):
still squeeze it through you. It's not like you're going
to catch every single thing, right, So my job is
my victory is to make contact off of him. Once
I do that, everything else is out of the equation. Right,
So in theory, I win. I really do win, even
though the pitcher's standing on the mount going. I got
you out. No, the second basement, did a downfield? Did
all this guy? You were already out equated. So we
(09:41):
took all these people off the field. You would lose
so much and be really crazy. Right, So now I
have to redirect my brain into this tunnel vision of understanding.
If I can concentrate enough to me and him, they
slowly disappear. But I can't fight two people at once.
I can't say a hit the line, drive to a
short stop er. He's only to drive to the outfielder
(10:02):
and he made a catch. Now I want to try
to beat them both. You can't one on one. I
can fight, but I can't fight two on one. I'm
going to lose. So I have to refocus and go
right back to here and go let me try to
do that again. Let me try to do that again,
and let me try to do that again, and then
my success rate with him and me become better to
my favorite because now I'm focused on him, and now
his math has to change. And so we're gonna play
(10:24):
chess constantly. Right, But in theory, there's a lot more
to the game than it is. Because he's sixty feet
six inches and he has to throw a ball seventeen
inch home plate within this gap. Well, laws of physics
tell me he can only do it so many times,
even if I just stand there and never swing he's
(10:44):
only gonna be able to do so many times, and
then mathematically he has to come to where I get
the advantage.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
It's just that's just my idea of those break down.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
He just gave you so many layers of the.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah, it's just it's just it's hard to explain where
my brain goes.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Have you ever had those computer guys that do all
this and you're like going and he looks at you like,
this is a computer one on one? Are you stupid? Well,
that's how my brain was in baseball. I'm like, you know,
I'll get these questions like what do you think about
so and so. I'm like, it's April or it's too dude,
I don't know. You know, I don't I don't have
that equation. There's so many things that can go wrong
and right that I don't get excited. I don't get
(11:26):
excited over the first city of a home run. I'm like,
you know, okay, we got nine innings. I don't jump enjoy.
You know. All I'm doing is focusing on that picture,
focusing on the mistake, or focusing on something else that
can happen, you know. And that's just how I think
rubs people the wrong way. But so only way I
can do it that works for me.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
For you, that's all that matters.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
Did you and Mike ever talk about signing to Jordan Brand.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
No, we never did. That was I was with Nike
briefly the early part of my career, and then Felix
came over to me and offered me a deal of
a lifetime. At the time. They went with King Griffy
Junior at that time because Junior came up and he
was a kid, and I mean well deserved. I mean
it was eighteen years old. You know, his dad was playing,
so it was well deserved. And for me, I feeling
(12:08):
came along. They offered me the world and for me
at that time, and I was like perfect, And so
I mean I'd love to be with Jordan now retired.
You know, Mike, I'm right here, you know, you know,
you know.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
But in nineteen ninety two slam Dunk Contest visit Deon Sanders,
Chris Carter King crazy, how was that you had a
little bounce on you.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
No, people need to know the truth, because that's a
damn lie. I got lucky as hell, yeah real, I
mean I could slam dunk but I was just a
basic slam dunker. I could go up with one hand,
I could go up with two hands, now about it,
and barely get up up there.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Me too.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
But so with the scenario with it is that I
got in to go against Dion. It was just I
think it was just the second round, so I was
I don't know who I was going against the first round.
But so Dion was just really good. You know. Those
guys could jump out the gym, and Dion just went
cuckoo for summer reasons. I got lucky through the ball
(13:12):
in the air and it bounced it and I got it,
and that was everything I had. I shot that hell
out of myself. Dion already did a great you know,
some great moves up there and under his legs are
behind his back and everything else, and I only had
to do is just do the same thing. But he
wanted to get a little bit back and just like
some of the dudes last night at the slam dunk,
(13:33):
and he missed it, and then that's how I beat him.
So the truth is, Dion Sander could out jump me
in a heartbeat, you know, and I just got lucky,
and then after that it was over. My back was hurting.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
They need to bring that back. I think that they do.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
I think they do. It was real fun.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Yeah, Mike, come he took off.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I've seen a highlight of that somehow. That came across
my feet a couple of days ago. And if you
watch that, he's so lucky. You know how you slip
off the rim sometimes that he would killed hisself. He
would have sipped on because he was going so fast
and hung and his whole body swung uneathroat. I was like, man,
thank god he held over that rim.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Those high jumpers man.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Different. Obviously. Dad played ball.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
What are some of your fondest memories going to the
ballpark as a child and being a ball boy.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
My dad was a hitting genius in his head, I mean,
and he could hit two His own personal lives is
one of gotten away from my father. But his mind
was very shark, very very talented and hitting. He could
pick a picture apart fast. And he educated me on that.
He educated on learning their flaws, learning things. And then
(14:49):
Willie was my mentor. Willie Mays was the one. It
was great because I had like two people on me,
like my dad was my dad who anything I did
was never a for him. And then Willie was like,
you did great. I love you. You know. My God's
so I had balance, So I have basic balance. The
guys who work with my dad, like Gary Sheffild, can
(15:10):
tell you some really good stories about my dad when
he was training with us. So I said, Carrie's different.
He's really different, because like I could come home and
say I hit two home runs and I'm like, Dad, man,
you see that. He's like, how many bad you have?
I said four? He said, why did you have four?
I'm like, he ain't even happy over the two.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Willie be like, that's great. He had a good at bats.
So it was always good. But my dad was the
one who challenged me. When challenged me to a point
to where he expected perfection in practice, and practice was
very important that my dad wanted perfection. And I'll never
forget this. I was in the batting cage with my
(15:45):
father and I was swinging the bat and I was
jamming myself and I was missing balls, and my dad
kept putting in the screen even closer and making it faster,
and I go, Dad, I ain't got it, man. It's
just so I was with my son at this time,
he was little, and he said, Nikola, like, why don't
you stand behind home plate? And he said, get up there, son, Barry,
(16:05):
and I want you to hit. I said, my son
back there, boy, are you crazy? He said, then don't
let him get hit. I said, bro, this ain't going
down like that. And so and I just say bro.
At that time, I say it here, I said, pop, Dad,
love you. I never said that to my father. I said, Nickola, like,
get off this cade. So my dad said, no, I'm
not going to let him get hit. He put a
he put a t back there, and he said, in
(16:27):
your mind, pretend it's him now. Swing. I've popped every
single ball. He played mind games with me, which was
which challenged me, which I loved and I needed him
for that, you know, I needed my father for that.
And it was the best. He's the best hitting coach,
the best. I mean, his mind was just off the chart.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Did that ever blur the lines of dad and trainers
slash coach? Because I've trained my kids and I kind
of find there's a fine line I coached my kids
and trade my kids, and there's that kind of that
fun line, and I walk it and teeter it as
far as being dad and then coach and trainer. Did
you ever like you said he expected perfection? Did that
ever blur the line of dad?
Speaker 3 (17:10):
No? With me, it was different. I accepted him for
who he was. I knew who he was. I knew
the challenges I had with my father, and I had
a choice. It was deal with it or I was
going to miss the boat. And you have to see that.
As an athlete, you're going to see it. And if
you don't see it, then you're not going to be
there anyway. And you have to see that. Why is
(17:33):
my dad doing this? Why is he challenging me? We're
not he's not at home. We're not at home where
he's like, say, clean your room up or anything like this.
Why is he pushing me? I didn't realize it untill
as I was college and going on that. You know,
he was just it was something I needed. It's weird,
it's kind of hard to explain, but I needed that.
(17:54):
I needed my dad to be just a jerk.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
I needed my dad to challenge me. I needed that
because I was so good. I think I would have
took advantage of things if he didn't keep me in
my place. Like he he would knock me down. And
all everyone to do was for my godfather and my
father to appreciate my career. I didn't care about anybody else.
I didn't care about it. It was none that had to
(18:19):
do with fans and none to do with anything. It's
like I wanted my dad and willing to say I
was part of their group, right, because no one really,
no one really knows. My godfather Giants here fifty eight,
My godfather's here right, My father's in right field, my
godfather's in center field, and I play left field. All
three of us in the generation played for Samson Giants,
and all three of us played in the outfield twogether,
(18:41):
but a part right. And that's always my goal was
to play left field. And they wanted me to play
right field when I was first coming up with Pittsburgh
and have this double O seven James Bond like that's
a no. And I wanted my own position because I
wanted to complete that circle. And then I knew my
own talent. I didn't have the arm like Willie or
my dad did. I didn't. I knew I was quick
(19:03):
to the baseball, and I owe that to Bill Verdon,
one of my outfold coaches, and I knew my ability
and I wanted to stay with him my ability.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
When did you start training when.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
My son was born? Nineteen eighty nine? Okay, when I
got at eighty six. I mean I was town. That
was good, But I wasn't you know. I was out clubs,
partying like everybody else, you know, like when you're young,
like shot as sleep when I'm dead, you know what
I mean? Shoot who cares? And all of a sudden, Nikolai,
my first wife, was pregnant. I was like, oh, this
is real. I have a responsibility. I cold turkey everything,
(19:39):
and all I did was go to the gym from
that day on. And in nineteen eighty nine was I
was leading off with Pittsburgh at that time, and Jim Leland,
my manager, who's the most unbelievable manager I ever had
in my entire life. And don't get me wrong, Dussy
Baker and Felippe I Lou are up there, don't get
me wrong. But he was my first right and so
(20:00):
Pittsburgh was the best for me at that time. So
I was leading off and I ain't never been lead
off hitter. I'm like, I'm not leading off I'm leading
the team in home runs. But yeah, I got like
forty RBIs or something like. That's not me. That's never
been my role. So my son was born. All I
did was trained in the snow in Pittsburgh. I ran
every day and then I said, I'm not hitting leading
(20:22):
off anymore. And before when I went into the locker
room to talk to Leland, the only thing he says,
since I already know what you're in here, and don't
you say a damn word to me. You're my number
five hitter, sink or swim kid. Because he knew they
wanted to trade me, but he believed in me. I said, Coach,
I'm going to spend my whole life and that's the
year I wont MVP. And then after that I started
training with Roder Craig Jerry Rice, and all I just started.
(20:45):
I just went off the deep end. And then I
wanted to be better training wise, and all I did
was trading. And I've been doing that for the rest
of my life.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Speak to that training, because I mean, Jerry Rice is
known synonymously for his off season. He'll runs and train.
So you jumped on that boat all that hard? That's hard?
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Yeah, I mean where we I'd run in the mornings,
lift in the morning after running, and then go hit
after that. I mean it was from like eight in
the morning till twenty afternoon. And it's every day except
the weekends. Every day.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Baseball is known for a lot of unwritten rules. When
you first came in the game in eighty six, were
some of the unwritten rules.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Depends what on written rules you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
What you can talk about.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
I can talk about anything you want. This is twenty five.
People say whatever they want now to day. You know,
back when I was there, people didn't say would do
it they want? Nowaday you say whatever you want, you
get kudos for it. Now you get followers, I guess,
and social media you just say. All you gotta do
is say as everybody wants to see you now, you
know so.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
I mean, but.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
What I wish the game was still today is there
was a respect level at that time, a veteran level
where you earned your stripes, you worked for it, and
when you were a rookie coming up, you had to
go through initiation. Yeah, you paid your dues. Damn sure.
Back in those days where you know, I didn't have
(22:10):
a locker when I first came in, you know, Lee
Mozilli had Lee Mozilli was my locker mate, which and
he was the coolest cat ever too. But he would
sit his locker in my locker right here, and he
put his ashtray right in front, in the middle of
my locker, and he smoked. My locker was on the
floor with on little hangars, you know, a little rollout things,
(22:30):
and you sit on the floor and you have to
earn your locker, so you have to get a hit.
You got to steal a base or score run or
hit a home round something before you can get in
that locker. So when I first came in, they had
my uniform sitting down and I already knew the remooks.
My father's here and you know, and leaves like, how
you doing, kid, I'm good, fair, And you respected the veterans,
(22:54):
and you sat in the front of the bus like
all rookies had to sit in front of the bus,
all three of us, you know. And then we didn't
have charter fights. We took commercial fights where you had
to sit on the plane with other people at the
same time. We didn't have that in Pittsburgh when I
first came out. And then you had to go down
to the They sent me down the baggage claim and
I didn't even know the stuff didn't go to the
(23:14):
baggage claim. They said, bing, you got to go to
the baggage claim and get all the stuff. And I'm
sitting in bags claim like this and nobody's there and
I'm going, this is crazy. And then somebody comes and
the bus already left.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
You know what.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Everybody knows that's.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Kind of stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
And then you know they got and then you had
to then you know, you had to go wait for
everybody's luggage. And we had to walk up with the
bellman to all the veterans rooms and to give them
their luggage to like four in the morning. We had
a lot of things you had to do as a
as a young player, but you appreciate it and you
earned your stripes to where when your time came, it
was there there your time to be able to take
(23:51):
that initiative and stuff, and you know, the veterans tell
you shut up, you shut up, you know, And that
was just the way it was. And it was fun,
I mean, not a good time.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
It's like that in basketball now. It ain't no better
than present.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
There's zero man, these kids are like br I'm like,
I have never gone over to my godfather Willie or
Hank Aaron and said bruh are hey Hank. I was like,
mister Aaron, how you do? I mean, there was a
different appreciation for what that person did in your career.
You know, It's just different nowadays. They walked by you
(24:27):
like you exist, you don't even know anything, but just
I mean, let's fine, it's their game. Doesn't bother me none.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Sometimes you got to hit rock bottom to come over here. Yeah, right,
because God's gonna bring you wherever you need to get
right right. Sometimes they'll walk by me and stuff this
and then be like, hey, Barry, what do you see
And I'd be like, oh, you must be two for thirty,
you know. I go like this, I'm like, you must
be two thirty. You need a little you need Lord
(24:54):
in your hand, you need you need some church right
now right. And then when they get it, then you
don't hear from them again, and then you go back.
But it's it's part of the process, and it's all good.
I mean, like I say, I'm only there for this
information if you need it, and that's all I'm there
for I know, anything else is your path. And I
(25:14):
always tell them you've done this before you even met me.
And the athletes have to understand, I don't care what
sports you're in, you did this before you ever met me.
You may have known about me, but you never met me.
You have to understand how good you already are. Just
to be here, right, There's always gonna be somebody a
little bit better than you, even no matter what team
(25:36):
you're on, even when you're in high school litle league,
there's always somebody better, or you were the best either
or it's gonna full circle itself. But you just gonna
understand your talent and then get the best of your
telling you, you know, I used to. It's like a
lot of players when I was coaching with the Marrow
and stuff, they're like, well, I'm not you. I'm like, well,
that's the first thing you got right, because that's you,
ain't me. But let's be the best version of yourself,
(25:58):
you know, right, Let's be the best verse yourself. I'm
only here to help you. I'm not trying to challenge you.
I can't do that anymore and I'm too old for that.
So take this information and if it works. We're just
gonna throw darts at a wall all day and we're
gonna do this, and something's gonna stick, and let's just
keep throwing these darts and whatever. You don't like what
I say, thrown in garbage. I don't care. It's your journey.
It's not my journey, right, I'm just here to help
(26:20):
you get to that journey you're choosing. And if I can,
I can. If I can't, kick me to the curb
and go somewhere else, you know, I mean, it's okay.
You ain't hurt my feelings, you know what I mean.
So that's it. It's alid.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
There's some younger guys that you really enjoyed working with,
did you want? You know, wouldn't mind sharing that? Like
soaked it up?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
And you know, I love working with all of them.
I never have a favorite. I have a challenge of
each individual. I never have like a favorite because I
could do so many things out there. I'd love the
challenge of getting you right or fixing a puzzle, because
that's what I did in my head all the time.
In my own personal career, we were always you know,
(26:57):
you're always having to revamp yourself right, and it's taken
on the challenge of I don't care if it's weighed.
I don't give a credit if it's Mookie Betts. I
don't care who it is that I've talked to or
work with, or Dexter Fowler back in the days and
stuff like that. It doesn't matter. Alex Rodriguez I worked with.
It's that puzzle that I enjoy. It's not a favorite.
(27:19):
Alex was easier because he's already the lead of the league, right.
We don't Our conversations are different, and understanding that each
conversation I have with each person is different. You can't
this one method is not going to work with this guy.
He doesn't I can sit there and say, you know,
you need to hit off your front leg a little
bit because you're too backsided. Well, may not work with
(27:40):
this other guy. He doesn't understand that. He's like, he's
leaning so far forward. I'm like, no, man, he like this,
you know what I mean? I have to tailor tailor
it to what works for them, right, And it's just
creating the mind it's changing the mindset. What does a
man hate to do if you're really good at something,
it's telling him they can't do something they going to
show you they can do it, right, What did I
just It's just a mind ship, right, it's a mind
(28:02):
shift because he already has the talent to do it,
and saying, well, you're gonna tell me that you're a
professional athlete. You just can't hit the ball right there?
Who you talking to? Well, then you know what. I
mechanically didn't do anything for you. You already fixed it
your damn self, so you don't really need me, you
know what I mean. So sometimes it's just redirecting the
mind for great athletes, and all of them are great.
If you're in if you're in a professional sport, you're great,
(28:23):
no question, because there's so little of you there. Come on, brother,
remember you are good. You gotta work with.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
That ten a hundred mile fastballs pissed to you today
you're hitting any.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Of them out one hundred. That's easy right now. Today,
I don't care how hard you throw a baseball, they're gone.
There ain't no way you can throw a baseball six.
So I can't just do like this. If there's a
catcher behind home plate that sits like this, what a
glove and you throw a hundred mind, don't he just
go like this, boom boom. All I did was change
this object to a bat boom boom. I ain't got
(28:59):
to change nothing. I just change the object. Now, if
you're asking me to do something spectacler, that would take
time for my body to get used to it at sixty.
But to go up there and hit it, I don't
care how hard do you think. As long as I
can see it, I hit it.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
That's crazy.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
When you're great, you just great, though.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Don't Willie could do it back, you know, and even
when is it sixties? Him and my dad and them
would come and hit all the time. They were did
all the time.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
There's a rich history of racism in baseball. When you
first got into the game, did you feel it, see it?
Did you hear a story from your dad or Willie
or Hank or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
The problem with that question is that it's it's a
fuel for the media to run with he said, questions, right,
he said, he said, he said, we already know that answer.
We don't need to. You know, I kind of stay
out of it only because if you want the truth,
it's an industry that needs to come together to make
(30:03):
it happen, and the industry starts up here. Okay, I'm
down on the bottom floor. So we as an industry,
we hear bottom and top have to find a way
to come together to balance it. Right for me to
sit there and say is there racism? Yeah, I mean
(30:24):
I could say yes, that's true. We all know that.
I mean, as black people, we know what's going on.
We're not blinded by any of that. Right, We're not
a threat to anyone. We're not trying to pose a
threat to anyone. We're trying to be relevant or equal
or valued. Right, Well, the industry has to come together,
and how do we do that. People need to sit
at the table and figure it out.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
That's simple. That's a conversation. You have to decline in
black payers in baseball. Is it because of the love
and black kids not loving baseball? Or is it because
other races are just dominating game.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
The other racer. If we're going to be technical, white
races always dominated baseball. I mean it's it was there
since they won until Jackie Robinson broke the color bearer.
If you want to be honest and true about it,
how many star blacks are in baseball? You got star Latinos,
star Asians, you got star whites. When I played baseball,
(31:21):
you had me King Griffyth Junior, Eric Davis, Ozzie Smith McGee.
I can go on and on and on and on,
Andre Dawson. I mean, I can name a ton of
inspiring black athletes on the field to inspire other black
kids to want to play right. So what is that
(31:44):
an industrial problem? The industry needs to fix it.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I went to school with a lot of white kids
in high school, and travel baseball was expensive. It was
almost priced out of my community. Although I went to
school with kids that can afford it, I feel like
it's kind of priced out of the black community at times,
and I think that kind of hinders the opportunity for
some of these kids to come up and really have
an opportunity at it.
Speaker 3 (32:07):
It is very expensive. I mean, that's what five hundred dollars.
It's like crazy. I mean, I do something else. I mean,
gloves are three hundred dollars. I mean you're you're at
almost two thousand dollars right now just to play baseball
with sky equipment, just equipment. We're talking about just with spikes,
you know, and stuff like that. And it's hard. But
(32:28):
it still comes back to if you don't have enough.
Like the NBA, there's so much equals or football, it's balanced.
Baseball it is not as balanced. So why am I
chasing baseball when I'm not looking at Okay, I can
name Mookie Betts, I can name a few, but I
can't name enough to say, Mom, go buy me a glove,
(32:51):
or Mom, I'll go get a paper out, Dad, I'll
go do this and play baseball. There's not enough of
us and they'll see it. I'm retired. Yeah, you know,
I'm retired, Kenny. We're all retired now. It's either industrial
we all have to get together and start communicating and
talking and trying to find a balance, or you take
(33:12):
the younger group and six three percent you got and
try to balance it because you have to give the
kids need something to see, somewhat to see. I mean
you have to see it to want it. I mean,
you probably have more black kids want to play tennis
because it's serena and restlingly there out there, because you're
seeing it and it's like a tennis racket and just
(33:34):
some tent. I'm gonna go. You know, I could do that,
you know, but there's not enough of us to inspire
our community.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
There's been an influx in Japanese players coming over and
have success Cine Miler in the NBA with European players,
and there's a debate, and I feel like with European
players it's more work, more practice, more skill.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Training, and then the game is the reward.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
I feel like with au basketball, one practice and the
game is everything. Why do you feel like there's the
Japanese players are successfully transitioning into the Major League so
much at a higher rate these days.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Japanese baseball it's always been huge. I mean, it's always
been good, and we've always as Americans have gone over
to Japan and played in these All Star tournaments with them,
and they have very talented athletes, same as the Hispanics,
very very talented athletes. And then you have the Koreans
are now producing pictures and stuff and players as well.
(34:33):
But you have a culture there in a country that is,
like I say, industry bound to make it happen. Well,
we're the United States and the equal we're good, even
less with blacks, we're still good. Industry, we're the best,
we are the best. But the equality of it has
to stay balanced. For me, I mean, it needs to
(34:54):
be balanced, and the Japanese have always always have been
very very good. It's just we're bigger, stronger, you know,
we have. They're starting to catch up. You can see
it in on Tani and stuff like that. They're starting
to catch up. But at the time, we were always bigger, stronger,
you know, and our game and it's just always been
like that. But you know, now you can see that
(35:16):
it's starting to transition over and and it's okay. I
mean we as a married we don't care. It's just
like when we get to the World Classic, what side
you're gonna play on them? That's that's the time we care.
You over here playing our league. You better staying. Don't
go back over the pan now and start beating on us.
You know, we have fun in that way. But and
that's the competition. It's it's it's fun.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
Thoughts.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
I mean, I think he came in, has taken MLB
by storm and then signed a monster contract. Thoughts on
just his ability to do hit the ball the way
he does and also pitch, and just the versatility of
his game.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
The pitching and hitting has been outstanding. For what he's
done in base running stuff like that, he's a complete player.
I mean, there's no doubt about the type of player
he is and what he's accomplished in his career. The
game has just changed. I mean, the game is way
different than it is than when I play the same
way Michael talks about it or anyone else. Oh Tani
(36:11):
is not gonna hit two home runs without seeing one
goal right here in my generation. I don't care what
he does. He's not going to steal two bases. About
somebody decapitating his kneecap and slow him down because it's
a different game back then today's game. They take batting
practice all day. They take batting practice at one, two, three, four, five,
(36:32):
all the way up. These guys hit more than I've
ever seen my entire lifetime that we didn't do, and
they should be better than us. It's hitting wise because
they can hit a home run, flip their bat up
in the air, run around, get a taco, come back down,
have a limo, drive around, you know, all these antics
that we weren't allowed to do. If I did anything
like that, there's no way I'm going to see a star.
(36:55):
You know, I'll see the hospital, but I ain't gonna
see baseball. And so as a hitter. We had to
hit in a way to where if I hit a
home run, I know what's coming in next set back
our possibility. So my thing is I have to be
a little more defensive and be more of a contact
hitter to get out of a problem than it's. Well,
they can just do and hit, hit, and sometimes I
(37:17):
think it could be a disadvantage. But O Tony dude
boy can play. There's no question about who he is.
I just my opinion. I just hope he just stays
at the hitting category because his hitting ability is off
the chart. Pitching, I just think might tire him out.
I think he should come out of the bullpen here
and there, like he has because he's dhing. He come
out of the bullpen and throw an inning or two
(37:38):
here and just because he's so good as a reliever too,
like he could be one of the dominant relievers and
dominant starters. I think as a starter, man, I think
it might get wear a tear a little bit and
tire him out. Why fix something that isn't broken, because
that's like I couldn't me. I be like, no, I
fix broke.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
This is good.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
I'm good piece, this is great. But I think coming
out of the bullpen. He could really dominate.
Speaker 4 (38:01):
Current day, you got your daughter with you and you
talked about working out what brings you joy today.
Speaker 3 (38:05):
My kids taking over everything I wouldn't. I don't do interviews.
I've never done hard.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
We appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
And my daughter is like, took over and she just said, Dad,
you need to step back and let us do this.
So I'm learning to shut up, learning hunch your cart
a little bit. I'm learning to allow them to dictate
(38:36):
this new generation that I'm not overly comfortable with, but
at the same time I need to adapt to. And
so I'm I'm allowing them to take over and say, Dad,
you need to be here.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
We're gonna start seeing more on social media and that's
already started.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
They got this stuff going crazy and I'm just like,
what are you doing? I don't even understand this. What
are you like him? Why are you tagging him? I
don't even know him. I'm like, I don't want anybody
on my phone.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
It's like I'm always like, what are you doing? It's like,
so they took it. Like because I ride my bike
all the time. I cycle a lot, so I have
Strava and you know, my swift and stuff, and we
give likes on to each other for working out and training.
So my daughter had to explain to me it's the
same thing. It's like, Dad, you're you're appreciating what he's
(39:26):
done by the same thing. So think of it like
when you're riding your bike on Strava and you're giving
your likes and stuff and things like that. Think of
it like that, and I'm like, oh, okay, now I
get it. But at first, I'm just thinking people got
all my information. I'm not doing I ain't in all that,
you know.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
So if you guys need help on the social media side,
let us know. We just launched that side of the
company and we're doing really well. Oh that's good.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
If you guys need some help with some ideas, we
got it.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
She's the boss.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Yeah, we'll talk to the head of the Yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Yeah. When you get six, you got to learn to
step down. And I think it's like it's my time,
as my kids are at the point where they're old
enough to do it, you know, and it's time for
me to just say it's dad. I got to step
to the side a little bit. I stok at one
leg in it it's it's scary, but you know, but
so far it's been I mean it's been a blessing.
(40:18):
I mean when you can have your family do stuff
and know that they're doing it right and the best
that they can and as a parent, it's pretty gratifying.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
Bay Area it isn't doing too good right now. We
were here, We were here, we did a lot of
community work. I actually uh donated accurd in April twelfth
is actually my day here. But you have you do
a lot of foundation work here and what are you
up to around the city and how can we help
you know with what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (40:42):
Here right now? I think the city right now, all
of us are in the transition stage right now to
find out what I mean, now, when you lose the
Oakland A's is very tough Oakland's, it's going to be
tough there. I mean, you know, protecting that city is
very very important because crime is is not great here
right and we're in this transition to where we need
(41:04):
to put more and more value into our kids, and
more and more value into our education system, and just
in our leadership has to change. It's like things have
to start changing where we need to demand this from them,
not ask them. We need to demand this a long
time ago. We're giving I understand the youth of things,
(41:26):
but you're not ready to take over. I mean we
as the elders are even older than me or whatever.
We need to demand that respect from them, and we
need to demand it the right way and allow them
to take over it and do it the right way.
And once we do that and we can transition back.
We need to transition back a little bit. I think
(41:48):
we're trying to go too far sou forward, and we
need to come back and say, hey, wake up.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
First thing to come to mind, let us know guilty.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Pleasure my dog, my black miniature snauzer. Yeah, cycling, working
on the gym, being happy looks great.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
You're sixty, you're sixty, you're about to be sixty.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
No, I'm sixty. I'll be sixty one in July.
Speaker 2 (42:12):
Looks so you're aging backward.
Speaker 1 (42:13):
Benjamin Button, All right, I'm gonna take you a little
bit outside of your comforts right here, build your perfect
baseball player. Discipline. Who would you put for discipline? Feel
free to use yourself.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
No, that's too easy. The perfect it would be a
combination of people. Because I love so many like Ken
Griffy Junior is the key. I mean, Ken Griffy Junior
was if he never got hurt the way he did
would just be phenomenal. But you've got people like Corbera,
Albert pool Holds, Larry Walker, Todd Helton. I can go
(42:48):
on and on with just all around, Eric Davis, Barry Larkin,
Andre Dawson. I mean, there's so many of my general
Bobby Bene, yeah, I mean, my best friend and things
like that. I would, But if I had to pick
like the elite, I mean, I'm gonna go with Junior
(43:08):
because Junior was eighteen years old as a kid. He
came in and just electrified everything. Fortunately he just got
hurt during the times. But a kid that can do everything,
Vladimir Guerrel, I mean, if he could ever not swing
at everything, there's no one who beats that guy. He
(43:29):
can throw a ball from the fence all the way.
Hay and Larry Walker too, he had speed. He can
do it every I mean, there's so many players of
my generation that the competition level was so high amongst
us all that it's hard to just pick one individual,
(43:49):
you know, Yeah, sure, did some of us stand out? Yeah? Okay, right,
I mean, I'm not gonna knock myself down. Did I
stand out? Yeah, But if you're saying not choosing myself,
I have to choose King Griffy.
Speaker 4 (44:02):
We lost Ricky Anderson this year.
Speaker 3 (44:05):
And about Ricky, oh, we were tight from day one.
I mean, you guys understand, my dad played baseball, so
all of most of the players that came up admired
my father. So we all were friends at points even
when I was younger. So Ricky and I, you know,
been boys ever since I was little, just like mc
hammer and I've been friends ever since I because he
(44:27):
was in Oakland when my dad was going over there
and we were all friends. So there is there is
a but there's you know, the who I think would
have been probably you know, people talk about bo Jackson
and being in bo Jackson was a specimen he if
he never not heard either. But I'm never going to
deny Dian Sanders ever there. I mean, anybody can say
(44:48):
whatever the heck they want, but if you can play
two professional sports professionally and do it well, and he
played baseball well, and he played football great, okay, and
I think if he had time to play baseballs as
all the time. He would probably be there too as
a leadoff Hitterick sir Son, Who's then, who's the greatest
(45:10):
athlete when you can play two professional sports at the
highest level. I ain't in that category. Deon Sanders in
that category. Bo Jackson's in that category. There's players that
you know did did two sports professionally and trying to
play one hard enough to have to try to to Dion,
(45:32):
I don't. I don't think he was All Star, but
he all. I mean we were teammates. I saw Deon
Sanders hit the ball centerfield were in Florida. He had
a ground ball up the middle. It just got through
the centerfielder's leg, and Dion would staying on third base.
I went in the dugout in the back of the
clubhouse and I said, hit that. Rewind tape, please, because
I missed it. That's how fast he was. I mean,
(45:54):
just you know, when you're even me as good as
I was base running, the way he cut those bases,
I was like, whoa. And then all I want to
do is imitate it, you know, because that's my brain, right.
But I was never gonna be fast him, not even close.
I can look at you backwards and just man like,
that's crazy. When Meg can talk to you behind you go, come.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
On, seventy three home runs. What was your favorite part
about that journey that season?
Speaker 3 (46:22):
Consistency I was. I was consistent that year. That was
I felt it in I didn't feel it in spring
to I gotta tell you a story behind this. I
bet against myself, to be honest with you, because it
was really the worst year of my life because I
bet Sean Dunston the Mercedes and I lost. And in baseball,
we have a rule. If you and I have a
(46:43):
bet one on one and nobody hears it, then you
can reneg or do whatever you want, and then you
can be mad. But if you call you dude out
in front of the team, you have to honor that
bet or you get the beat down. Right, This is
my generation. When so Sean was, I was hitting balls
in spring training and I just felt locked in like
I had never felt in my entire life. I just
felt like, Wow, and Sean goes, You're going to break
(47:03):
the record. I'm like, you stupid. No one in the
planet's going to hit seventy home runs just because I
had a few good days of BP and I was
hitting home runs all over the place, and it's like,
you're nuts. And I always wait till this fall down,
you know, because good athletes and good hitters, we always
know we're going to come down. It's just how far
can we stop the fall? Right? Those are the good players, right,
because you're always going to fall. I don't know what happened,
(47:25):
I really, I really can't even explain it. I was
just so consistent and locked in to where I could
see things like this, and I could see it happening fast.
I mean I could tell you what pitch was coming.
It's like this, And it's not that I knew what
Pitt's coming. I could just calculate the situation like I
can read it as I like, you're going to do what?
And it's just you know how you have that feeling
(47:46):
and you know everyone has that moment. Mine just lasted
a long time and that was just it mean to
you home. It's been my home my whole life. I mean,
it's my hometown. So I think it'd be different I
played a different city or saying like, what's you know,
like Cleveland would be to me if I wasn't from
(48:08):
there something it would be different. But I was raised
here my whole life for since I was a baby.
I don't know anything else. So it's just home. Everyone
I knows, friends of mine, politicians, and we went to
high school together, the sheriff, you know, we together.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
We get in some ship. We gotta call it.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
That's all right, I called There's always there someone I
know or my family new or so it's just always
been home. I've never I don't know anything different.
Speaker 2 (48:36):
Right well, Barry Man, we appreciate you, We love you.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
There's a lot of us who love you out here
and would love to start seeing you do more of
this and share because there's so much greatness and we
all look at you at the top of the total falling.
I appreciate you just giving us a little bit of
time today.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
Man, Thank you, very appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (48:54):
And that's a wrap. The Legendary the Goat Barry Bonds.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
You can catch us on DraftKings Network and all the
Smoke Productions YouTube.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
We'll see you guys next week.
Speaker 4 (49:06):
M hm.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
Mm hmmm
Speaker 4 (49:17):
Mm hmmm mmm.
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Matt Barnes
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