Bonds in 4 | Baseball Bits 

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Noti gang

"He was like the easiest guy to pitch to because if it mattered you just walked him." - Greg Maddux

In San Francisco, the pedestrian crossings have an image of Bonds that appears when it's safe to walk.

Bonds embracing Jake Peavy after that flyout when Peavy actually challenged him down 2-0 is just so wholesome.

I shouldn’t say this. I’m gonna say it. Plenty of players in this era ate balanced breakfasts and yet, there was only one Barry Bonds

"And with that, The Anaheim Angels of California of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim". Yes, just yes.

My argument for Bonds for the hall, if you take away his years with steroids and just count the ten years he was clean you still have one of greatest players in league history

That Gagne vs. Bonds at bat is my favorite all time. The fact that they had this unspoken agreement from years before and Gagne actually stuck to it is one of the coolest moments in sports.

Amazing how he played 2004 without a bat

120 intentional walks in a season has to be one most unbreakable records in the sport. That's just mad!

I'm an old fart. I remember Ali. I lived through Jordan, Rice and Feder's primes... and not one of them dominated their sport like Barry. Watching him get nothing but garbage to hit game after game and then launching nearly every mistake was the most amazing thing I've seen in a lifetime of watching sports.

That Gagne vs Bonds was epic. I'm glad he mentioned how good of an eye Bonds had at the plate.

still in desbelief how bonds fouled a 101mph fastball to the water

I love how whenever I eat a balanced breakfast, I get insane plate discipline.

There are only 4 people who have more homeruns than Barry Bonds has intentional walks. They are Arod, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds himself.

Bonds and growing up in the Bay area was the coolest thing I can ever explain. Being a little kid watching him effortlessly hit homeruns had me in awe. I know he's hated but those years when I dreamed of being a ball player bonds was the one we all wished we where

The most unbreakable record in the MLB Most balanced breakfasts eaten over the course of 10 years

In 2002 I took my first born son to one of many Giants games we attended that year and he was only 5 at the time but he loved The City and especially PacBell Park (now Oracle). We'd get there early and I always bought a couple of baseballs before the game as my son was trying to get his first autograph of any Giants player. We had really good seats this one time, (section 121, about 4 rows up from the Giants dugout). As my son and I watched batting practice my son was in awe of the sheer power of major league hitters and who comes out of the batting cage and heading to the dugout? Jeff Kent. Kent is walking towards my son (I'm sitting in a chair behind my son reading the Giants program as my boy leans over the fence separating the field from the stands with a baseball in one hand and a ball point pen in the other)...he quickly asks me, "who's that coming daddy?" I look from the program and see who it is and I say, "That's Jeff Kent, be respectful." I see my son extend the ball and pen as Kent comes closer to the dugout and my son says in his sweet little voice, "Mr. Kent, may I have your autograph please?" Kent looks up at my son (who is quite adorable if I do say so myself, with his Giants cap that's a little too big for him), and Kent looks back down and walks into the dugout without saying anything. I see my son's shoulders deflate as I sit behind him. A part of me burns that Kent did not even acknowledge my boy....when out of nowhere, this other Giant comes up from the dugout where I couldn't see and stands up directly in front of my son....my son looks up at this giant of a man and my son's Giants hat nearly falls off from looking directly up towards the sky from the size of this man....but my son doesn't ask me who THIS Giant is....because he already knows....Barry fricken Bonds! Even I stand up to make sure I'm seeing what I'm seeing and as my son begins to say, "May I have your autograph Mr. Bonds...." Barry had already taken the ball out of my son's hand and was signing the ball for him! He hands the ball back to my son and fixes my boys Giants cap that was falling off. Bonds smiles and winks at my son, as I can't see my sons face because I'm behind him, but I'm sure his mouth is agape in awe. Barry goes to walk back in the dugout and my son catches himself and shouts louder than he wanted to, "THANK YOU MR. BONDS!!" My son turns around and with a victorious smile I will remember till the day I die...triumphantly extends his hand for me to see his signed Barry Bonds baseball. I walk over to where my son was standing and I try to peer into the dugout but I couldn't see Bonds from my perspective. From that moment, my son didn't want any more autographs. We walked to our seats 4 rows up and we sat together and admired the autograph he received from someone he didn't expect to receive it from. My son still has the ball to this day encased in a UV protected acrylic cube. He's 22 years old now and it sits on his desk in his room in my house. He's currently in college studying computer science (like his old man) and comes home for the summer and holidays but for my son and I, we'll always be grateful to Barry Bonds for that memory. Yea, I know he was juicing and that's how he was able to break Aaron's record and all....but the way I see it, A LOT of players were on steroids. So I can't place judgement on a guy when we don't know what the actual percentage of players were enjoying that "balanced breakfast". I mean, if Barry is on juice and the pitcher he's facing is also on juice (like Gagne)....doesn't that make it a level playing field? That's the way I see it anyway....and I know I'm being partial towards Barry for the way he treated my son....but there's a lot to say for a man KNOWN for not signing autographs to sign an autograph for a 5 year old kid....especially when it's your kid.

The batting eye, speed and glove alone make him hall worthy ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If you add the fact that even without steroids he’d have been the only 500-500 player...should have been a first ballot hall of famer

This is one of the best videos I've ever seen on RU-vid. Not hyperbole. The research, the writing, and the delivery is superb. It's why I keep coming back for more!

Joe Maddon had the best explanation for walking Josh Hamilton: "He's got 28 home runs and Marlon Byrd (hitting behind him) has 8. It's a no brainer."

That gentleman's agreement needs more publicity

Actually, that intentional walk with the bases loaded is one of the smartest managerial decisions I've ever seen. They only had one out left and was still up by one.

I wish Barry got more love man. He was so good in a stacked division filled with juice heads. He felt bad man, then he leveled the playing field

One of the more underrated storylines to Bonds playing in 2008: He would've had a shot at joining the 3000-hit club.

Barry Bonds is a great reminder to always eat your fruits and vegetables.

ahh...the golden years

Barry Bonds was like Lance Armstrong, everyone around them were eating a balanced breakfast, but all of the blame gets put on them

Thanks for the bud Selig part at the end... Very true and saddening.. he and team owners exploited players in the resurgence of baseball during the ped era, then they turned their face to the other side and pinned it on just the players.. just like the cubs did with Sammy Sosa.. the way they treated him after he was gone was shameful... But while he was there battling mark and helping them to sell tickets and merch everything was sweet

Notice how Barry Bonds became a giant when he went to the Giants?

As an 8 year old Padres fan I remember being really confused watching Bonds exit in his last game, wondering why the game was being put on hold for whoever this guy was. 15 years later, it was really nice being able to appreciate that exit and that hug in this video :')

The way he but the bat on the ball. The swing the “pull” is one of a kind. Idc what anyone says. He is the goat in my eyes. One of the best ever to play the game 💪🏻

I love the background info you give about the Gagne at-bat. Never knew about the gentleman's agreement. Well done!

Thank you for pointing out MLB's hypocrisy in embracing that clown, Bud Selig. Not only did he turn a blind eye to steroids, he's the only commissioner to have a World Series cancelled. He should be embarrassed to show his face and instead they act like he was great.

Just found this channel. You deserve an ESPN show, a Netflix show, something. The combination of sharp writing, fantastic research, excellently placed QUICK jokes for levity.... All paired with the clever video game theme and graphics. Just an incredibly well done channel. Thank you for the clearly hard work you put in.

Say what you will, this man easily could've hit 80hr and 800. But was not getting pitches. The greatest player ever.

Let me just appreciate that there is still new baseball content for a second during these difficult times. I mean, seriously thank you so much

7-time MVP, and was absolutely *robbed* of 2 more. That's nuts.

Regardless of the roids you still have to hit the danm ball. I think he's deserves to be there with the greats.

Man, growing up in the SF Bay Area as a kid and watching Barry Bonds was great. Say what you want about his PED use, watching him was so fun and nothing could have compared to it in baseball at the time. It was like watching a super hero come to the plate, and the way he would just blast homeruns with that signature swing and follow-through was something to see. Not to mention, the excitement of following his single season homerun record and total homerun record runs. Asterisk or not, Barry Bonds was and always will be my favorite baseball player and the memories of watching him as a kid, with my Dad (RIP), will never be forgotten. Thanks for this video, it brought back a lot of memories.

8:49 "The Anaheim Angels of California of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim"

I know the “balanced breakfast” must have been a meme for such a long time, but I find it absolutely hilarious.

As a giants fan born in 1996 Bonds made the first half of my years watching enjoyable and he’s the greatest I’ve ever seen play the game

Bonds circa 2001-2004 is the single most dominant athlete I’ve witnessed in any sport. Steroids or not, Bonds belongs in the hall. His career numbers pre steroids were already HOF worthy. 2001-onward is just the exclamation point.

Like him or not, Barry Bonds is a huge part of baseball's history.

He was in the discussion of “best player in baseball” for two decades. You can ignore the home runs and still make a great case for Cooperstown.

2002 was a rough year for me. My Giants lost in the World series, my Kings lost in the Western Conference Finals, and my Raiders lost in the Superbowl. I was 9 years old and I was devastated. Thankfully my Giants would spoil from 2010-2014. Still waiting for my Raiders and Kings to get back to winning year in and year out. I love BB #25 and it was so much fun to watch him break the single season homerun record, and the all time homerun record.

That was honestly a really nice and thoughtful way to sum up the story of Bonds without taking a clear stance. Man you are doing some really unique and interesting stuff when it comes to baseball stories. This was really enjoyable and it sorta hit the feels at the end of the video honestly.

That Gagne v Bonds part was so cool. Power on power!

"Barry Bonds is the only person to ever win 4 MVPs in their career" Mike Trout: For now atleast.

Bonds was so good oh my god. He was early on 101 mph fastball then he had the audacity to adjust to the same pitch and not be that early and hits a homer to center field. What a beast

I have watched all of your videos and this is, by far, your best! This is award winning! Please keep them coming. The next generation of baseball fans needs these videos! Thank you

Man, there was nothing more exciting in my 30+ years of watching baseball than a 2001-2004 Barry Bonds at bat. His vision and plate discipline were just other worldly. You felt like something was going to happen every pitch. It was just special.

Hot take: This felt like a slightly different video format to usual - but it was still very excellent

this is the greatest youtube video of all time and i will die on this hill

I loved the Bonds vs Gagne story, pretty cool piece of history you would never get from just watching on TV.

You know that you’re a scary hitter when you get intentional walked with the bases loaded

Your content is so good you must be taking steroids.

Fantastic video with both professional visual quality and gripping, thoughtful narration. Makes me want to see this expanded into a Netflix style mini series. Bonds may be universally despised but he was definitely fascinating, and this short think-piece really captures both the captivating and the polarizing nature of his presence and abilities. He's kind of the anti-Jordan, the GOAT that nobody wants to see win.

This video is actually incredible. Well laid out, well researched, well scripted, well edited, you checked off all the boxes man. I wish I had found your channel sooner. Keep up the awesome work.

Foolish BB, why do you always have to bring up terrible memories of my Pirates? It hurts, man

He was also intentionally walked with the bases empty a few dozen times

Wow, that was riveting. Thank you for putting this together!

When you watch his home runs all you can do is laugh. A thing of beauty to watch Barry bat back in the day.

Barry bonds to me is one of the greatest player ever to pick up a bat. He had great coordination and didn’t need the roids

At 4:26 you started to sound like Scott Stiener telling me Samoa Joe's chances of wining the three way match at Sacrifice

haven't really explored baseball RU-vid like that, with the season back im feeling it more than ever

I'm a lifelong Braves fan and really started watching in '91 when I was 10 but I've always admired Barry Bonds. He's a great player to say the least. Probably one of the best players that has ever played the game. And I know steroids make you stronger so you can hit the ball farther but they don't make you as good of a player as Bonds was. That was all him. Do I think he deserves to be in the HOF? Absolutely! So does Roger Clemens. And so does another one of the best hitters that's ever played, Pete Rose.

I'm a big, BIG, baseball fan from Italy. I started loving baseball in 2000, when I was 10 years old, thanks (also) to Barry Bonds. I can't be more grateful to him for giving me this incredible gift, the gift of loving baseball. And I can't even describe you how grateful I am to be able to learn more and more about baseball from your great videos. They are always interesting, perfectly well-made and full of love for baseball. Thank you and thanks Barry Bonds!

Bonds was my favorite player growing up, every day I would watch SportsCenter after school and see a new home run/broken record. This man deserves to be in the hall of fame

Great video. Love how you kept the original calls when showing the main replays.

Man your channel is awesome!! Love your passion for the game. Great work

I’m waiting for the part 4 of the Seattle Mariners series of sb nation. Edit: never expected to get 400 likes. I’m not begging but thank you for this, sb nation fans.

5:05 "Mark McGwife"

The full pronunciation of the various names of the Angels got me lol

Still probably your best. Incredible video. The Gagne bit is my favorite!

"Barry Bonds! Where Fantasy Becomes Reality!" -Michael Kay, August 7, 2007, probably

Life of a Don, lights keep glowing Coming in the club with that fresh sh** on With something crazy on my arm Uh-uh-hum, and here's another hit, Barry Bonds

Hey this was just cool to see Troy Percival here. My fathers friends were very close with Troy so I used to go to his house as a kid and he’d teach me and a few guys from my team pitching tips and lessons. Id also play with his son sometimes who was a bit younger than me if I remember right. Used to go and see him play on the angels all the time too. I just really looked up to him as a kid. Feel like I don’t see him talked about much though so it was just cool to not only see him mentioned but also to see someone give him the respect that I always thought he had. He seemed like a force to be reckoned with when I was younger.

What a great video. This is super well done. I'm happy I found your page.

I was there the night of Gagne. Jon Miller says it's the best at bat he ever saw, he is right.

Very creative way to depict the impact of Barry Bonds on MLB. I really enjoyed this analysis.

The best player to ever play baseball. Nobody scared the actual shit out of pitchers more than Barry did in his prime and it was a very long prime.

I absolutely love these videos because they evidently are entertaining to those who already know the ins and outs of baseball. But for me, who has followed the mlb the last few years, it works just as well with every video revealing a brilliant piece of sport history through incredible story telling

I really love this video. Bonds is an interesting figure who every baseball lover has a strong opinion on. I always like seeing videos that address his talents before and after the scandal without making him out to be an angel or a devil. I only hope some day videos about Ryan Braun will be made, and will be made with respect. In many ways he is the opposite of Bonds. Bonds ended his career hitting big numbers, being a baseball "bad boy," and being part of a scandal. That's how Braun began his career. He was a young, hot-shot, power hitting, MVP, with an out of control ego. But unlike Bonds, who left the scene amidst the scandal while getting to keep his asterisk numbers, Braun had a different path to face. Being young, he was on contract with the Brewers, so despite the scandal, they could not dump him. Braun had to keep playing in the city that was so disappointed in him. I'm sure it was hard for him. But how Braun responded is what makes him, in my opinion, one of the greatest men to play the game of baseball. He did not condemn his team. He did not insult the city. He did forsake the fans. He apologized, kept his head down, and played the game. Of course, his numbers were never as good, but he was still a solid player league wise and one of the better players on the Brewers. He kept playing. He never quit. Even though the Brewers were less than great, he stuck with him and they stuck with him, for better or worse, forced to or not. Then the Brewers got good again. Yelich, Moustakas, Grandal, Suter, Hader, led by Craig Counsel, and a now veteran Ryan Braun. On a team filled to the brim with young talent, there's old man Braun. And he isn't on the outskirts as a pariah, no, he's part of the team. They love him and he loves them. Yelich has mentioned on countless occasions how much of a mentor Braun has been to him. Braun is included in all the funny skits and stunts they do. When Yelich was injured in the post-season push of 2019, Braun even wore Yelich's jersey under his own, in Miami heat! In every promo and every interview, Braun speaks glowingly about, as he says, "his only team." He loves the whole Brewers community, and we love him. Ryan Braun begs the question. What makes a great man great? A great man can be a Mike Trout. He can put up amazing numbers and stats while being likable in the locker-room and the community alike. A great man can be a Jeff Francoeur. He can put up average numbers, but be so kind and good and lovable that he becomes a legend for being the nicest man to play the game. Or maybe a great man can be a Ryan Braun. He can make a mistake, but refuse to let that mistake define him, and become one of the greatest players ever on a team that loves him, forgives him, and is happy to call him one of ours.

I grew up as and am still a Giants fan. Bonds is my favorite player of all time and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Awesome video, man. The breakdown of that matchup between Gagne and Bonds was epic. I remember that season, the dude was totally unhittable - and he got completely outplayed there by Bonds.

I come back to this video very couple months. Greatest ball player ever

The most unappreciated GOAT to ever live. People don’t realize he switched his swing to uppercuts when the Giants moved into that new park with the RF porch. Today it’s just considered launch angle.

Bonds was a gifted player, especially hitter, and I'm surprised people haven't emulated his style. Swung a relatively small bat, and still choked up, stood close to the plate, and enabled himself to get the sweet spot on the ball...all the time! Sure, he had talent, but he also understood the physics involved in hitting...something today's hitters don't get!

While some records may deserve an asterisk due to PEDs, I'm too much a casual to say what exactly they should be, there is absolutely no doubt that Bonds 100% deserves to be in the hall of fame. PEDs don't magically make you a god of baseball, or else Bonds wouldn't be head and shoulders above everyone else from the same era who were doing exactly the same thing he was.

excellent work brother!! appreciate you giving bonds love. you covered him the way he was supposed to be covered

Haven't been this excited for a Foolish Baseball video since Blaze Alexander was tearing it up for the White Sox

I could have watched 20 more minutes. Your videos always bring a special perspective to things people might not think of. The game has so much nuance that people miss. I love how you always bring it out.

Dude. Top notch! Loved every moment.

I was watching the intentional walk and my mind was absolutely blown. Genuine jaw drop moment.

As a Giants fan the 2002 World Series remains the greatest sports disappointment of my life.

I've watched every video you've made and this was my favorite. I grew up watching Bonds and have mixed feelings about him being a Braves fan for obvious reasons. I watched his 71st HR at my great grandparents and HR #756 at my parents house and it still feels like yesterday. Seems like I watched more Giants games growing up than Braves just to see all the records he was breaking. You can't do all of what I did without having some form of like for the guy. Great video, FBB.

Fav new youtuber. These are fantastic. Keep up the great work my dude.