March 6, 2025 • 50 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 (00:00):
Speaks to the Plannet.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'll go by the name of Charlamagne the God. And
guess what, I can't wait to see y'all at the
third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival. That's right, We're coming
back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April twenty six at Poeman
Yards and it's hosted by none other than Decisions, Decisions
May Be Be and Weezy. Okay, we got the R
and B Money podcast. We're taking Jay Valentine. We got
the Woman of All Podcasts with Sarah Jake Roberts. We
(00:22):
got Good Mom's Bad Choices. Carrie Champion will be there
with her next sports podcast, and the Trap Nerds podcast,
with more to be announced. And of course it's bigger
than podcasts. We're bringing the Black Effect marketplace with black
owned businesses, plus the food truck court to keep you
fed while you visit us. All right, listen, you don't
want to miss this. Tap in and grab your tickets
now at Black Effect dot Com Flash Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Festival All Star twenty twenty five, San Francisco. Jack has
(01:12):
been a good run, 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. He called me like a week and
a half ago. He's like, Matt, I think I got Barry,
Like Barry who because either Barry Sanders or Barry Bonds.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
I'm like, I don't believe you. He's like, no, I
promise you.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
He's like, hit this lady, and I hit Lisa and
we hit it off and now man, welcome to the show.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
Barry Bonds man. You Yeah, I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Seven time MVP, fourteen time All Star, eight Gold Gloves,
all time leader, and home runs single season home run leader,
the greatest baseball player of all time.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
When you hear that, what comes to your mind.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
I don't really talk about it. I let my peers
talk about it. I always tell people, are you good
at something?
Speaker 4 (02:01):
They'll talk about it.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
You don't need to say anything.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
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.
Speaker 7 (02:15):
As much as I know.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
And then you.
Speaker 6 (02:17):
Know, I always tell people always ask me, like how
you do it? I'm like, just stay around long enough
for someone to talk about you. That's pretty much is
just don't be a commercial, right, you know, if you
want to be really good at something, you just you
don't have to be doing it a long time.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
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 highest level
I do.
Speaker 7 (02:46):
I look back and it's different.
Speaker 6 (02:50):
I have this, you know, like you talk about Michael Jordan,
you can talk our IQ is like way up here, tiger.
Speaker 7 (02:56):
You know, it's just so high.
Speaker 6 (02:58):
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 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
(03:18):
what I mean? 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?
Speaker 7 (03:28):
Or why did you do this?
Speaker 6 (03:29):
And and you know, 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 3 (03:49):
Greg Maddix once said, 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 fameer, 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. Is that
(04:09):
is that more satisfying to you?
Speaker 7 (04:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (04:12):
That's that's that's important. 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
(04:32):
list greater than that. I don't care who you are,
what you are. If you have your peers talking about you,
you did something.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Well, we're here now for NBA All Star Were you
here in two thousand for the All Star Game?
Speaker 8 (04:46):
Evince No I watched ons I watched.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Yeah, that was one of the best ones.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Were you close to any NBA players in your time?
Speaker 6 (04:55):
Jordan and I kind of came up together. We were
in Chicago and Jordan first came in league. We used
to hang out in Chicago all the time. He was
at the Bulls and stuff.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And like that. Two of the.
Speaker 6 (05:08):
Great I tell you, Michael Jordan was before he even
became the most famous person ever. Him tired and we
were in Chicago and 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.
(05:29):
And I ain't never seen a line of people that
wanted 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, it 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
(05:49):
a couple of security guys there watching. Michael was so nice.
He was just signing auto grass when We're trying to
grab something to eat, and I'm over here going I'm
Barry Hello. You know what it's like to have some
like 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.
Speaker 7 (06:08):
But he was so he was already.
Speaker 6 (06:11):
Large before k became larger than anything. And I will
always remember that 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 even if we talk and we haven't
talked in a long time, like we talked to thinks
(06:31):
like last year we had a conversation not too long ago,
and it always seems like we've never.
Speaker 7 (06:36):
Missed a beat. And that's what that's what's really good about.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
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.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Was everything with you, Gus?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Was it more just a genuine conversation friendship or was
there some competitiveness even in the conversation.
Speaker 7 (06:56):
We played two different fields, so two different.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Well he tried, he tried to come to your field.
Speaker 7 (07:00):
Well, that wasn't gonna happen. I mean, I love Mike,
but that wasn't gone.
Speaker 5 (07:07):
Now, do you have actual advice baseball?
Speaker 7 (07:10):
No, I got never asked him advice and basketball. I
knew he was that good, and you know, but uh.
Speaker 6 (07:19):
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 iq of vision of you know, the type of
players we were, and you know, like with my career,
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 Gwnn here, Pete Rose here,
(07:43):
you know, William May's here, Hank Aaron there, and you know,
we're able to see all these qualities in each individual player,
and then you kind of invent yourself. I just wanted
to be a great hitter. I knew I had power,
I knew I could do certain things. But my dad,
I'd always told me, you know, be a great hitter.
Don't chase the fence. Chase the fence. You're going to lose.
(08:05):
Be a great hitter. And that's that's all I.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
Wanted to do.
Speaker 6 (08:07):
So I had to take Tony Gwenn as a great hitter,
p Rose at a great hitter, Rod carw and I
had to take contact 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
(08:30):
percent or thirty percent or ten percent of what you
don't do well, that increases what you do well, so
it kind of balances them together.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
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 that they did
that you kind of picked.
Speaker 6 (08:47):
Up on 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?
Speaker 7 (09:05):
Right?
Speaker 6 (09:05):
The goal of hitting is 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
(09:28):
practice to you every single day, 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 had to figure out how to master batting
practice first, because this guy is trying to help me
you know, So how do.
Speaker 7 (09:41):
I can direct that?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Now?
Speaker 6 (09:43):
I'm going to piece it to speed. Now I have
to understand what my swing technique is and then understand
the velocity of a pitch and the velossity 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.
Speaker 7 (10:03):
I don't care how many people over here. I can
still squeeze it through you.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
It's not like you're gonna 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 picture's standing on
the mount going. I got you out, No, the second
basement did a downfielder did?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (10:24):
This guy? You were already adequated. So we took all
these people off the field. You would lose so much
and be really crazy.
Speaker 6 (10:30):
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, hit the
line drive to a short stop or hit the line
drive to the outfielder and he made a catch. Now
I want to try to beat them both. You can't
(10:51):
one on one. I can fight, but I can't fight
two on one.
Speaker 7 (10:53):
I'm going to lose.
Speaker 6 (10:54):
So I have to refocus and go right back to
here and go, let me try to do that again.
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 going to play chess constantly. Right, But
in theory, there's a lot more to the game than
(11:15):
it is. Because he's sixty feet six inches and he
has to throw a ball seventeen inch home plate within
this gap. Well, lots of physics tell me he can
only do it so many times. Even if I just
stand there and never sweep, he's only gonna be able
to do it so many times. And then mathematically he
has to come to where I get the advantage.
Speaker 7 (11:37):
It's just that's just.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
My idea of breakdown.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
He just gave you so many layers of the.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
Yeah, it's just it's just it's hard to explain where
my brain goes.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
You know.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
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?
Speaker 7 (11:56):
Are you stupid?
Speaker 6 (11:57):
Well, that's how my brain was in baseball. I'm like,
you know, I'll get the questions like what do you
think about so 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 excited over the first city of a home run.
I'm like, you know, okay, we got nine innings. I
don't jump enjoy.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
You know.
Speaker 6 (12:17):
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 only why.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
I can do it that works for me.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
For you, that's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Did you and Mike ever talk about signing to Jordan Brand?
Speaker 7 (12:33):
No, we never did that.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Was.
Speaker 6 (12:35):
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,
feli came along, they offered me the world and for
(12:57):
me at that time, and I was like perfect, And
so I mean, I'd love to be with Jordan now,
you know, Mike, I'm right here.
Speaker 7 (13:04):
You know, you know, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
But in nineteen ninety two slam Dunk Contest visit Deon
Sanders Chris Carter crazy, how was that hance on you?
Speaker 6 (13:18):
No, people need to know the truth because that's a
damn lie.
Speaker 7 (13:24):
I got lucky as hell, yeah real.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
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 5 (13:36):
Me too.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
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.
Speaker 7 (13:51):
You know, those guys.
Speaker 6 (13:51):
Could jump out the gym, and Dion just went cuckoo
for summer reasons. I got lucky through the ball in
the air and it bounced it and I got it,
and that was everything I had.
Speaker 7 (14:03):
I shot that hell out of myself.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
Dian already did a great you know, some great moves
up there and under his legs or behind his back
and everything else, and only had to do is just
do the same thing.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
But he wanted to get a little bit back.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
And just like some of the dudes last night at
the slam dunk, and he missed it and then that's
how I beat him.
Speaker 7 (14:22):
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 1 (14:33):
They need to bring that back.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
I think that.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Was they do.
Speaker 7 (14:36):
I think they.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Yeah, might come. He took off.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
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 have killed hisself.
He would slipped because he was going so fast and
hung and his whole body swung in the throat was
like man and thank god he held on that.
Speaker 6 (15:02):
Those high jumpers many different.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Obviously Dad played ball.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
What are some of your fondest memories going to the
ballpark as a child and being a ball boy.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
My dad was a hitting genius in his head, I mean,
and he could hit two.
Speaker 7 (15:20):
His own personal life is one of gotten away from
my father.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
But his mind was very struck, 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 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
(15:44):
was never enough 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 Sheffield, can tell
you some really good stories about my dad when he
was training with that. 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 bat you have?
(16:06):
I said four? He said, why did you have four?
I'm like, he ain't even happy over the two. You know,
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
(16:28):
forget this. I was in the batting cage with my
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.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
It's just so.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
I was with my son at this time. He was little,
and he said, Nikolai, why don't you stand behind home plate?
And he said, good, up there, son, Barry, and I
want you to hit. I said, well, my son back
there by.
Speaker 7 (16:54):
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 had just say bro at that time, I
say it here, I said, pop.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Dad, love you.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
I never said that to my father. I said, Nick, like,
get off this kide. 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
your mind, pretend it's him now.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
Swing. I've popped every single ball.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
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 3 (17:34):
Did that ever blur the lines of dad and 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 fine 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 7 (17:56):
No? With me, it was different. I accepted him for
who he was. I knew who he was.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
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 my dad doing this? Why is he challenging me?
We're not he's not at home. We're not at home
(18:24):
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, his he was just it was something I needed.
It's weird, it's kind of hard to explain, but I
needed that. I needed my dad to be just a jerk, you.
Speaker 7 (18:43):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
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.
Speaker 7 (19:02):
I didn't care about anybody else.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
I didn't care about it.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
It was none that had to do with fans and
none to do with anything it was 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
(19:25):
us played in the outfield two together, but apart right.
That's always my goal was to.
Speaker 7 (19:31):
Play left field.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
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.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
And I want in my own.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
Position because I wanted to complete that circle. And then
I knew my own talent. I didn't have the arm
like WILLI or my dad did.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
I didn't.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
I knew I was quick to the baseball, and I
owe that to Bill Verdon, one of my outfield coaches.
And I knew my ability, and I wanted to stay
within my ability.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
When did you start training.
Speaker 6 (20:00):
When my son was born nineteen eighty nine, When I
got in eighty six, I mean, I was the 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, it's like, shall sleep when I'm dead?
Speaker 7 (20:11):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Shoot?
Speaker 7 (20:13):
Who cares?
Speaker 6 (20:13):
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, 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
(20:36):
unbelievable manager I ever had my entire life.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
And don't get me wrong.
Speaker 6 (20:39):
Dussy Baker and Felippe Alu are up there, don't get
me wrong. But he was my first right and so
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.
Speaker 7 (20:56):
That's not me.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
That's never been my role. So my son was and
all I did was trained in the snow in Pittsburgh.
I ran every day and then I said, I'm not
hitting leading off anymore. And before when I went into
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
(21:19):
wanted to trade me, but he believed in me. I said, Coach,
I'm going to spend my whole life and that's the
I want m v P. And then after that I
started training with Roder Craig Jerry Rice, and all I
just started. I just went off the deep end and
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 3 (21:37):
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 and all that. That's hard.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
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 in the afternoon, and it's every day except the weekends.
Speaker 7 (22:00):
Every day.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
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 7 (22:06):
Depends what on written rules you're talking about.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
What you can talk about.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
I can talk about anything you want. This is twenty
twenty five. People say whatever they want now days. You know,
back when I was there, people didn't say would do
it they want? Now to day you say whatever you want.
You get kudos for it. Now you get followers, I guess,
and social media.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
You just say.
Speaker 7 (22:26):
All you gotta do is say as everybody wants to
see it now, you know, so, I mean, but.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
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 rookie coming up, you had to go
through initiations.
Speaker 7 (22:51):
Yeah, you paid your dues.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Damn sure back in those days where you know, I
didn't have a locker when I first came in. You know,
Li Mazilli had Li Mozil. He was my locker mate,
which and he was the coolest cat ever too.
Speaker 7 (23:03):
But he would sit his locker in.
Speaker 6 (23:06):
My locker right here, and he put his ashtray right
in front in the.
Speaker 7 (23:09):
Middle of my locker. And he smoked.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
My locker was on the floor with on little hangars,
you know, a little roll out things, 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 there
(23:33):
and you know, and leaves like, how you doing, kid,
I'm good, fair, And you respected the veterans, and you
sat in the front of the bus like all rookies
had to sit in front of the bus, all three of.
Speaker 7 (23:44):
Us, you know. And then we didn't have charter fights.
Speaker 6 (23:47):
We took commercial fights where you had to sit on
the plane with other people at the same time.
Speaker 7 (23:51):
We didn't have that in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 6 (23:52):
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. Go to the
baggage claim. They said, bing, you got to go to
the baggage claim and get all the stuff. But I'm
sitting in bags claim like this, and nobody's there and
I'm going, this is crazy.
Speaker 7 (24:08):
And then somebody comes and the bus already left. You
know what, everybody knows that it's kind of stuff.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
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 give them their luggage.
Speaker 7 (24:25):
To like four in the morning. We had a lot
of things.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
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 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.
Speaker 7 (24:44):
And it was fun. I mean, not a good time.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
It's like that in basketball now to it ain't no
veteran present.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
There's zero.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
Man, these kids are like bruh. 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 walk by you like you exist,
(25:13):
you don't even know anything, but just I mean, it's fine,
it's their game. Doesn't bother me none.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
You know.
Speaker 7 (25:18):
Sometimes you got to hit rock bottom to come over here.
Speaker 6 (25:21):
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'll be like, oh, you must be
two for thirty, you know. I go like this, I'm like,
you must be two for thirty. You need a little
you need Lord in your hand, You need some church
(25:42):
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 just 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 always
tell them, you've done this before you even met me.
(26:05):
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
you're on, even when you're in high school litle league,
there's always somebody better, or you were the best either
(26:26):
or it's gonna full circle itself. But you just gotta
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 youre. 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,
you know right, Let's be the best vers yourself. I'm
only here to help you. I'm not trying to challenge you.
(26:47):
I can't do that anymore. 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
you get to that journey you're choosing. And if I can,
(27:09):
I can. If I can't, kick me to the curb
and go somewhere else.
Speaker 7 (27:11):
You don't know what I mean. It's okay. You ain't
hurt my feelings. You know what I mean. So that's it.
It's all liked.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
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 7 (27:22):
And you know, I love working with all of them.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
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,
you're always having to revamp yourself right, and it's taken
(27:46):
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
worked with, or Dexter Fowler back in the days and
stuff like that. It doesn't matter Alex Rodrigue I worked with.
It's that puzzle that I enjoy. It's not a favorite.
Alex was easier because he's already the lead of the league.
Speaker 7 (28:08):
Right, we don't.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
Our conversations are different. And understanding that each conversation I
have with each person is different. You can't this one
method is.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
Not going to work with this guy. He doesn't.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
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 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?
(28:41):
If you're really good at something, it's telling him they
can't do something. They gonna show you they can do it. Right,
What did I just It's just a mind shift, right,
it's a mind shift because he already has a 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 you don't really need me, you
(29:01):
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 a if you're in a professional sport,
you're great, no question, because there's so little of you there.
Come on, brother, remember you are good.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
You gotta work with.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
That ten a hundred mile fastballs pissed to you today
you're hitting any of.
Speaker 7 (29:21):
Them out one hundred.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
That's easy right now today, I.
Speaker 7 (29:25):
Don't care how hard you throw a baseball.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
They gone.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
There ain't no way you can throw a baseball sixt
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 you just
go like this?
Speaker 7 (29:35):
Boom boom. All I did was change this object to
a bat. I ain't gott to change nothing. I just
change the object. Now, if you're asking.
Speaker 6 (29:52):
Me to do something spectacler, that would take time for
my body to get.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
Used to it.
Speaker 7 (29:56):
At sixty but just going up there, but to go
up there and hit it. And I don't care how
hard you think. As long as I can see it,
I hit it.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
That's crazy, great though, don't.
Speaker 6 (30:08):
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 3 (30:14):
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 6 (30:25):
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
(30:49):
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?
Speaker 7 (31:09):
Yeah, I mean I could say yes, that's true. We
all know that.
Speaker 6 (31:11):
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.
Speaker 5 (31:22):
Right.
Speaker 6 (31:22):
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 1 (31:30):
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 the game of basketball.
Speaker 7 (31:46):
The other racer.
Speaker 6 (31:47):
If we're going to be technical, white races always dominated baseball.
I mean 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?
Speaker 7 (32:00):
You got to start Latinos.
Speaker 5 (32:01):
That's what I'm start Asians.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
Yeah, you got star whites right.
Speaker 6 (32:06):
When I played baseball, you had me King Griffyth Junior,
Eric Davis, Ozzie Smith McGee.
Speaker 7 (32:12):
I can go on and on and on and on.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
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 right? So what is
that an industrial problem? The industry needs to fix it.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
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 7 (32:53):
It is very expensive. I mean, that's what five hundred dollars.
It's like crazy.
Speaker 6 (32:58):
I mean, I do something else. I mean gloves are
three hundred dollars. I mean you're at almost two thousand
dollars right now just to play baseball with spikes. Equipment,
just equipment. We're talking about just with spikes, you know,
and stuff like that. And it's hard. But it still
comes back to if you don't have enough. Like the NBA,
(33:19):
there's so much equals or football it's balanced.
Speaker 7 (33:24):
Baseball it is not as balanced.
Speaker 6 (33:26):
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, or Mom, I'll go get
a paper out, or Dad, I'll go do this and
play baseball. There's not enough of us they see it.
I'm retired, you know, I'm retired, Kenny. We're all retired now.
(33:50):
It's either industrial we all have to get together and
start communicating and talking and trying to find a balance,
or you take the younger group and six three percent
you got and try to bounce 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.
(34:11):
I mean you probably have more Black kids want to
play tennis because it's Serena and Restulm there out there,
because there you're seeing it and it's like a tennis
racket and just some tents.
Speaker 7 (34:20):
I'm going to go.
Speaker 6 (34:21):
You know, I could do that, you know, but there's
not enough of us to inspire our community.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
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 training and
then the game is the reward. I feel like with
AU basketball it's one practice and the game is everything.
(34:49):
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 6 (34:57):
Japanese baseball has 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.
Speaker 7 (35:16):
Stuff and players as well.
Speaker 6 (35:19):
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
(35:40):
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 Otani and stuff like that. They're starting to
catch up. But at the time, we were always bigger, stronger,
you know, in our game. And it's just always been
like that. But you know, now you can see that
(36:02):
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 all time we care.
You over here playing league, you better staying on. Don't
go back now and start beating on us. You know,
we have fun in that way. But and that's the competition.
(36:22):
It's it's it's fun.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
Thoughts.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
I mean, I think he came in and has taken
MLB by storm and then signed a monster contract.
Speaker 4 (36:29):
Thoughts on just his.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Ability to do hit the ball the way he does
and also pitch and just the versatility of his game.
Speaker 6 (36:36):
The pitching and hitting has been outstanding. For what he's
done in base running and 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.
Speaker 7 (36:48):
The game has just changed.
Speaker 6 (36:50):
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 is not gonna hit two
home runs without seeing one go 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.
(37:12):
They take batting practice all day. They take batting practice
at one, two, three, four, five, 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 as 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 limbo, drive around,
(37:34):
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. 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 at back our possibility. So my thing is I
(37:55):
have to be a little more defensive and be more
of a contact hitter to get out of a problem
than well, they can just do and hit, hit, and
sometimes I think it could be a disadvantage. But a
towny 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
(38:15):
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,
and come out of the bullpen and throw it in
in or two 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 it's 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.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
I like, no fix broke.
Speaker 5 (38:40):
This is good.
Speaker 7 (38:41):
I'm good piece, this is great.
Speaker 6 (38:42):
But I think coming out of the bullpen, he could
really dominate current day.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
You got your daughter witch and you talked about working
out what brings you joy today?
Speaker 6 (38:51):
My kids taking over everything I wouldn't. I don't do interviews.
I've never done hard.
Speaker 8 (38:57):
We appreciate it and my daughter is like took over
and she just said, Dad, you need to step back
and let us do this.
Speaker 6 (39:07):
And so I'm learning to shut up, learning hunsh a
cart a little bit. I'm learning to allow them to
dictate this new generation that I'm not overly comfortable with,
but at the same time I need to adapt to
(39:28):
and so I'm I'm allowing.
Speaker 7 (39:30):
Them to take over and say, Dad, you need to
be here.
Speaker 4 (39:32):
We're gonna start seeing you more on social media, and.
Speaker 7 (39:35):
That's already started. They got this stuff going.
Speaker 6 (39:38):
Crazy, and I'm just like, what are you doing? I
don't even understand this. What are you liking? Why are
you tagging him? I don't even know him. I'm like,
I don't want anybody on my phone, you know. It's
like I'm always like, what are you doing? It's like,
so they took it, like cause I ride my bike
all the time. I cycle a lot, so I have
(39:58):
Strava and you know, my swift and stuff, and we
give likes on to each other for working out and training.
And so my daughter had to explain to me it's
the same thing. It's like, Dad, you're you're appreciating what
she's 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
(40:19):
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.
Speaker 7 (40:25):
I'm not doing you know.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
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.
Speaker 7 (40:34):
Oh that's good.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
If you guys need some help with some ideas we
got Yeah, she's the boss.
Speaker 6 (40:40):
We'll to the head of the Yeah, when you get six,
you got to learn to step down. 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.
Speaker 7 (40:56):
I got a step to the side a little bit.
Speaker 6 (40:58):
I stiok at one leg in it, you know. But
so far it's been I mean, it's been a blessing.
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 1 (41:11):
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 accord 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 here right now?
Speaker 6 (41:29):
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 not great here right and we're in this
transition to where we need to put more and more
(41:50):
value into our kids and more and more value into
our education system, and just in our leadership has to changed,
like have to start changing. Where we need to demand
this from them, not ask them.
Speaker 7 (42:05):
We need to be this a long time ago.
Speaker 6 (42:08):
We're giving I understand the youth of things, but you're
not ready to take over. I mean we, as the
elders are even older than me. 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
(42:29):
that and we can transition back. We need to transition
back a little bit. I think we're trying to go
too far fu forward, and we need to come back
and say, hey, wake up.
Speaker 4 (42:38):
First thing to come to mind, let us know guilty.
Speaker 6 (42:40):
Pleasure my dog, my black miniature snauzer.
Speaker 7 (42:48):
Yeah, cycling, working on the gym, being happy.
Speaker 4 (42:53):
I mean, you look great. You're sixty, you're sixty, you're
about to be sixty.
Speaker 7 (42:56):
No, I'm sixty. I'll be sixty one in July.
Speaker 4 (42:58):
So you're aging back with Benjamin.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
But all right, I'm gonna take you a little bit
outside of your comforts round here. Build your perfect baseball
player discipline. Who would you put for discipline and feel
free to use yourself?
Speaker 6 (43:10):
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 got people like Corbera,
Albert Poolthols, Larry Walker, Todd Helton. I can go on
(43:34):
and on with just all around, Eric Davis, Barry Larkin,
Andre Dawson. I mean, there's so many of my general
Bobby Benilla, 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 because Junior was
(43:55):
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.
Speaker 7 (44:14):
He can throw a ball from the fence all the way.
He and Larry Walker too. He had speed.
Speaker 6 (44:19):
He can do what 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. You know, Yeah, sure, did some of us
stand out?
Speaker 7 (44:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (44:38):
Okay, right, I mean I'm not going to knock myself down.
Did I stand out?
Speaker 5 (44:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (44:42):
But if you're saying not choosing myself out to choose
King Griff.
Speaker 5 (44:48):
We lost Henderson this year, Ricky.
Speaker 7 (44:55):
Oh, we were tight from day one.
Speaker 6 (44:56):
I mean, you guys to 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
was in Oakland when my dad was going over there
and we were all friends. So there is there is
(45:18):
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 stay
whatever the heck they want. But if you can play
two professional sports professionally and do it well, and he
(45:41):
played baseball well, and he played football great, okay, And
I think if he had time to play baseball as
all the time, he would probably be there too as
a leadoff hittericks Son, Who's then, who's the greatest athlete
when you can play two professionals sports at the highest level.
(46:02):
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 once
hard enough to have to try to to.
Speaker 7 (46:17):
Dion. I don't.
Speaker 6 (46:18):
I don't think he was All Star, but he all.
I mean, we were teammates. I saw Deon Sanders hit
the ball centerfield. We were in Florida. He had a
ground ball up the middle. It just got through the
centerfielder's leg, and Dion was 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.
Speaker 7 (46:37):
That's how fast he was.
Speaker 6 (46:39):
I mean, 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 going to be
fast him, not even close. Dean could look at you
backwards and just like, that's crazy. When Meg can talk
(47:01):
to you behind you go come.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
On seventy three home runs. What was your favorite part
about that journey that season?
Speaker 7 (47:08):
Consistency? I was. I was consistent that year. That was.
Speaker 6 (47:14):
I felt it in I didn't feel 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
bet one on one and nobody hears it, then you
can reneg or do whatever you want, and then you.
Speaker 7 (47:32):
Can be mad.
Speaker 6 (47:33):
But if you call your 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 the record.
Speaker 7 (47:49):
I'm like, you, stupid. No one in the planet's going
to hit.
Speaker 6 (47:52):
Seventy home runs just because I had a few good
days of BP and I was hitting home runs all
over the places.
Speaker 7 (47:56):
It's like, your nuts.
Speaker 6 (47:57):
And I always wait to 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?
Speaker 5 (48:07):
Right?
Speaker 6 (48:07):
Those are the good players, right, because you're always going
to fall. I don't know what happened. 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
(48:28):
as I like, you're going to do what And it's
just you know how you have that feeling and you
know everyone has that moment. Mine just lasted a long
time and that was just it mean to you. 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
(48:49):
city or saying like what's you know, like Cleveland would
be to me if I wasn't from there, so it
would be different. But I was raised here my whole life,
ver since I was a baby. I don't know anything else.
It's just home. Everyone I knows, friends of mine, politicians,
and we went to high school together, and the sheriff,
you know, we.
Speaker 4 (49:07):
Broke together, we get in some ship. We gotta call it.
Speaker 7 (49:11):
That's all right, I called me.
Speaker 6 (49:14):
There's always there's someone I know. Are my family new
or so it's just always been home. I've never I
known anything different.
Speaker 3 (49:22):
Right, Well, Barry Man, we appreciate you, We love you.
There's a lot of us who love you out here,
and we love to start seeing you do more of
this and and share because there's so much greatness and
we all look at you at the top of the
total Faller. I appreciate you just giving us a little
bit of time today, man.
Speaker 5 (49:38):
Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (49:40):
And that's a wrap the legendary the Goat Barry Bonds.
You can catch us on DraftKings Network and all the
Smoke Productions YouTube.
Speaker 4 (49:47):
We'll see you guys next week.
Speaks to the Plannet.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'll go by the name of Charlamagne the God. And
guess what, I can't wait to see y'all at the
third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival. That's right, We're coming
back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April twenty six at Poeman
Yards and it's hosted by none other than Decisions, Decisions
May Be Be and Weezy. Okay, we got the R
and B Money podcast. We're taking Jay Valentine. We got
the Woman of All Podcasts with Sarah Jake Roberts. We
(00:22):
got Good Mom's Bad Choices. Carrie Champion will be there
with her next sports podcast, and the Trap Nerds podcast,
with more to be announced. And of course it's bigger
than podcasts. We're bringing the Black Effect marketplace with black
owned businesses, plus the food truck court to keep you
fed while you visit us. All right, listen, you don't
want to miss this. Tap in and grab your tickets
now at Black Effect dot Com Flash Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Festival All Star twenty twenty five, San Francisco. Jack has
(01:12):
been a good run, 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. He called me like a week and
a half ago. He's like, Matt, I think I got Barry,
Like Barry who because either Barry Sanders or Barry Bonds.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
I'm like, I don't believe you. He's like, no, I
promise you.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
He's like, hit this lady, and I hit Lisa and
we hit it off and now man, welcome to the show.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
Barry Bonds man. You Yeah, I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Seven time MVP, fourteen time All Star, eight Gold Gloves,
all time leader, and home runs single season home run leader,
the greatest baseball player of all time.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
When you hear that, what comes to your mind.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
I don't really talk about it. I let my peers
talk about it. I always tell people, are you good
at something?
Speaker 4 (02:01):
They'll talk about it.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
You don't need to say anything.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
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.
Speaker 7 (02:15):
As much as I know.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
And then you.
Speaker 6 (02:17):
Know, I always tell people always ask me, like how
you do it? I'm like, just stay around long enough
for someone to talk about you. That's pretty much is
just don't be a commercial, right, you know, if you
want to be really good at something, you just you
don't have to be doing it a long time.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
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 highest level
I do.
Speaker 7 (02:46):
I look back and it's different.
Speaker 6 (02:50):
I have this, you know, like you talk about Michael Jordan,
you can talk our IQ is like way up here, tiger.
Speaker 7 (02:56):
You know, it's just so high.
Speaker 6 (02:58):
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 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
(03:18):
what I mean? 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?
Speaker 7 (03:28):
Or why did you do this?
Speaker 6 (03:29):
And and you know, 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 3 (03:49):
Greg Maddix once said, 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 fameer, 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. Is that
(04:09):
is that more satisfying to you?
Speaker 7 (04:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (04:12):
That's that's that's important. 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
(04:32):
list greater than that. I don't care who you are,
what you are. If you have your peers talking about you,
you did something.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Well, we're here now for NBA All Star Were you
here in two thousand for the All Star Game?
Speaker 8 (04:46):
Evince No I watched ons I watched.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Yeah, that was one of the best ones.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Were you close to any NBA players in your time?
Speaker 6 (04:55):
Jordan and I kind of came up together. We were
in Chicago and Jordan first came in league. We used
to hang out in Chicago all the time. He was
at the Bulls and stuff.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And like that. Two of the.
Speaker 6 (05:08):
Great I tell you, Michael Jordan was before he even
became the most famous person ever. Him tired and we
were in Chicago and 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.
(05:29):
And I ain't never seen a line of people that
wanted 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, it 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
(05:49):
a couple of security guys there watching. Michael was so nice.
He was just signing auto grass when We're trying to
grab something to eat, and I'm over here going I'm
Barry Hello. You know what it's like to have some
like 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.
Speaker 7 (06:08):
But he was so he was already.
Speaker 6 (06:11):
Large before k became larger than anything. And I will
always remember that 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 even if we talk and we haven't
talked in a long time, like we talked to thinks
(06:31):
like last year we had a conversation not too long ago,
and it always seems like we've never.
Speaker 7 (06:36):
Missed a beat. And that's what that's what's really good about.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
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.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Was everything with you, Gus?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Was it more just a genuine conversation friendship or was
there some competitiveness even in the conversation.
Speaker 7 (06:56):
We played two different fields, so two different.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Well he tried, he tried to come to your field.
Speaker 7 (07:00):
Well, that wasn't gonna happen. I mean, I love Mike,
but that wasn't gone.
Speaker 5 (07:07):
Now, do you have actual advice baseball?
Speaker 7 (07:10):
No, I got never asked him advice and basketball. I
knew he was that good, and you know, but uh.
Speaker 6 (07:19):
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 iq of vision of you know, the type of
players we were, and you know, like with my career,
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 Gwnn here, Pete Rose here,
(07:43):
you know, William May's here, Hank Aaron there, and you know,
we're able to see all these qualities in each individual player,
and then you kind of invent yourself. I just wanted
to be a great hitter. I knew I had power,
I knew I could do certain things. But my dad,
I'd always told me, you know, be a great hitter.
Don't chase the fence. Chase the fence. You're going to lose.
(08:05):
Be a great hitter. And that's that's all I.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
Wanted to do.
Speaker 6 (08:07):
So I had to take Tony Gwenn as a great hitter,
p Rose at a great hitter, Rod carw and I
had to take contact 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
(08:30):
percent or thirty percent or ten percent of what you
don't do well, that increases what you do well, so
it kind of balances them together.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
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 that they did
that you kind of picked.
Speaker 6 (08:47):
Up on 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?
Speaker 7 (09:05):
Right?
Speaker 6 (09:05):
The goal of hitting is 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
(09:28):
practice to you every single day, 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 had to figure out how to master batting
practice first, because this guy is trying to help me
you know, So how do.
Speaker 7 (09:41):
I can direct that?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Now?
Speaker 6 (09:43):
I'm going to piece it to speed. Now I have
to understand what my swing technique is and then understand
the velocity of a pitch and the velossity 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.
Speaker 7 (10:03):
I don't care how many people over here. I can
still squeeze it through you.
Speaker 6 (10:05):
It's not like you're gonna 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 picture's standing on
the mount going. I got you out, No, the second
basement did a downfielder did?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (10:24):
This guy? You were already adequated. So we took all
these people off the field. You would lose so much
and be really crazy.
Speaker 6 (10:30):
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, hit the
line drive to a short stop or hit the line
drive to the outfielder and he made a catch. Now
I want to try to beat them both. You can't
(10:51):
one on one. I can fight, but I can't fight
two on one.
Speaker 7 (10:53):
I'm going to lose.
Speaker 6 (10:54):
So I have to refocus and go right back to
here and go, let me try to do that again.
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 going to play chess constantly. Right, But
in theory, there's a lot more to the game than
(11:15):
it is. Because he's sixty feet six inches and he
has to throw a ball seventeen inch home plate within
this gap. Well, lots of physics tell me he can
only do it so many times. Even if I just
stand there and never sweep, he's only gonna be able
to do it so many times. And then mathematically he
has to come to where I get the advantage.
Speaker 7 (11:37):
It's just that's just.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
My idea of breakdown.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
He just gave you so many layers of the.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
Yeah, it's just it's just it's hard to explain where
my brain goes.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
You know.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
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?
Speaker 7 (11:56):
Are you stupid?
Speaker 6 (11:57):
Well, that's how my brain was in baseball. I'm like,
you know, I'll get the questions like what do you
think about so 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 excited over the first city of a home run.
I'm like, you know, okay, we got nine innings. I
don't jump enjoy.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
You know.
Speaker 6 (12:17):
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 only why.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
I can do it that works for me.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
For you, that's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Did you and Mike ever talk about signing to Jordan Brand?
Speaker 7 (12:33):
No, we never did that.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Was.
Speaker 6 (12:35):
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,
feli came along, they offered me the world and for
(12:57):
me at that time, and I was like perfect, And
so I mean, I'd love to be with Jordan now,
you know, Mike, I'm right here.
Speaker 7 (13:04):
You know, you know, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
But in nineteen ninety two slam Dunk Contest visit Deon
Sanders Chris Carter crazy, how was that hance on you?
Speaker 6 (13:18):
No, people need to know the truth because that's a
damn lie.
Speaker 7 (13:24):
I got lucky as hell, yeah real.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
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 5 (13:36):
Me too.
Speaker 6 (13:37):
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.
Speaker 7 (13:51):
You know, those guys.
Speaker 6 (13:51):
Could jump out the gym, and Dion just went cuckoo
for summer reasons. I got lucky through the ball in
the air and it bounced it and I got it,
and that was everything I had.
Speaker 7 (14:03):
I shot that hell out of myself.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
Dian already did a great you know, some great moves
up there and under his legs or behind his back
and everything else, and only had to do is just
do the same thing.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
But he wanted to get a little bit back.
Speaker 6 (14:16):
And just like some of the dudes last night at
the slam dunk, and he missed it and then that's
how I beat him.
Speaker 7 (14:22):
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 1 (14:33):
They need to bring that back.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
I think that.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Was they do.
Speaker 7 (14:36):
I think they.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
Yeah, might come. He took off.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
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 have killed hisself.
He would slipped because he was going so fast and
hung and his whole body swung in the throat was
like man and thank god he held on that.
Speaker 6 (15:02):
Those high jumpers many different.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Obviously Dad played ball.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
What are some of your fondest memories going to the
ballpark as a child and being a ball boy.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
My dad was a hitting genius in his head, I mean,
and he could hit two.
Speaker 7 (15:20):
His own personal life is one of gotten away from
my father.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
But his mind was very struck, 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 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
(15:44):
was never enough 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 Sheffield, can tell
you some really good stories about my dad when he
was training with that. 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 bat you have?
(16:06):
I said four? He said, why did you have four?
I'm like, he ain't even happy over the two. You know,
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
(16:28):
forget this. I was in the batting cage with my
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.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
It's just so.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
I was with my son at this time. He was little,
and he said, Nikolai, why don't you stand behind home plate?
And he said, good, up there, son, Barry, and I
want you to hit. I said, well, my son back
there by.
Speaker 7 (16:54):
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 had just say bro at that time, I
say it here, I said, pop.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Dad, love you.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
I never said that to my father. I said, Nick, like,
get off this kide. 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
your mind, pretend it's him now.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
Swing. I've popped every single ball.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
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 3 (17:34):
Did that ever blur the lines of dad and 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 fine 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 7 (17:56):
No? With me, it was different. I accepted him for
who he was. I knew who he was.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
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 my dad doing this? Why is he challenging me?
We're not he's not at home. We're not at home
(18:24):
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, his he was just it was something I needed.
It's weird, it's kind of hard to explain, but I
needed that. I needed my dad to be just a jerk, you.
Speaker 7 (18:43):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (18:44):
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.
Speaker 7 (19:02):
I didn't care about anybody else.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
I didn't care about it.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
It was none that had to do with fans and
none to do with anything it was 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
(19:25):
us played in the outfield two together, but apart right.
That's always my goal was to.
Speaker 7 (19:31):
Play left field.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
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.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
And I want in my own.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
Position because I wanted to complete that circle. And then
I knew my own talent. I didn't have the arm
like WILLI or my dad did.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
I didn't.
Speaker 6 (19:48):
I knew I was quick to the baseball, and I
owe that to Bill Verdon, one of my outfield coaches.
And I knew my ability, and I wanted to stay
within my ability.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
When did you start training.
Speaker 6 (20:00):
When my son was born nineteen eighty nine, When I
got in eighty six, I mean, I was the 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, it's like, shall sleep when I'm dead?
Speaker 7 (20:11):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (20:12):
Shoot?
Speaker 7 (20:13):
Who cares?
Speaker 6 (20:13):
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, 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
(20:36):
unbelievable manager I ever had my entire life.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
And don't get me wrong.
Speaker 6 (20:39):
Dussy Baker and Felippe Alu are up there, don't get
me wrong. But he was my first right and so
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.
Speaker 7 (20:56):
That's not me.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
That's never been my role. So my son was and
all I did was trained in the snow in Pittsburgh.
I ran every day and then I said, I'm not
hitting leading off anymore. And before when I went into
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
(21:19):
wanted to trade me, but he believed in me. I said, Coach,
I'm going to spend my whole life and that's the
I want m v P. And then after that I
started training with Roder Craig Jerry Rice, and all I
just started. I just went off the deep end and
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 3 (21:37):
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 and all that. That's hard.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
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 in the afternoon, and it's every day except the weekends.
Speaker 7 (22:00):
Every day.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
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 7 (22:06):
Depends what on written rules you're talking about.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
What you can talk about.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
I can talk about anything you want. This is twenty
twenty five. People say whatever they want now days. You know,
back when I was there, people didn't say would do
it they want? Now to day you say whatever you want.
You get kudos for it. Now you get followers, I guess,
and social media.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
You just say.
Speaker 7 (22:26):
All you gotta do is say as everybody wants to
see it now, you know, so, I mean, but.
Speaker 6 (22:34):
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 rookie coming up, you had to go
through initiations.
Speaker 7 (22:51):
Yeah, you paid your dues.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
Damn sure back in those days where you know, I
didn't have a locker when I first came in. You know,
Li Mazilli had Li Mozil. He was my locker mate,
which and he was the coolest cat ever too.
Speaker 7 (23:03):
But he would sit his locker in.
Speaker 6 (23:06):
My locker right here, and he put his ashtray right
in front in the.
Speaker 7 (23:09):
Middle of my locker. And he smoked.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
My locker was on the floor with on little hangars,
you know, a little roll out things, 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 there
(23:33):
and you know, and leaves like, how you doing, kid,
I'm good, fair, And you respected the veterans, and you
sat in the front of the bus like all rookies
had to sit in front of the bus, all three of.
Speaker 7 (23:44):
Us, you know. And then we didn't have charter fights.
Speaker 6 (23:47):
We took commercial fights where you had to sit on
the plane with other people at the same time.
Speaker 7 (23:51):
We didn't have that in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 6 (23:52):
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. Go to the
baggage claim. They said, bing, you got to go to
the baggage claim and get all the stuff. But I'm
sitting in bags claim like this, and nobody's there and
I'm going, this is crazy.
Speaker 7 (24:08):
And then somebody comes and the bus already left. You
know what, everybody knows that it's kind of stuff.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
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 give them their luggage.
Speaker 7 (24:25):
To like four in the morning. We had a lot
of things.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
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 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.
Speaker 7 (24:44):
And it was fun. I mean, not a good time.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
It's like that in basketball now to it ain't no
veteran present.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
There's zero.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
Man, these kids are like bruh. 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 walk by you like you exist,
(25:13):
you don't even know anything, but just I mean, it's fine,
it's their game. Doesn't bother me none.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
You know.
Speaker 7 (25:18):
Sometimes you got to hit rock bottom to come over here.
Speaker 6 (25:21):
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'll be like, oh, you must be
two for thirty, you know. I go like this, I'm like,
you must be two for thirty. You need a little
you need Lord in your hand, You need some church
(25:42):
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 just 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 always
tell them, you've done this before you even met me.
(26:05):
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
you're on, even when you're in high school litle league,
there's always somebody better, or you were the best either
(26:26):
or it's gonna full circle itself. But you just gotta
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 youre. 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,
you know right, Let's be the best vers yourself. I'm
only here to help you. I'm not trying to challenge you.
(26:47):
I can't do that anymore. 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
you get to that journey you're choosing. And if I can,
(27:09):
I can. If I can't, kick me to the curb
and go somewhere else.
Speaker 7 (27:11):
You don't know what I mean. It's okay. You ain't
hurt my feelings. You know what I mean. So that's it.
It's all liked.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
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 7 (27:22):
And you know, I love working with all of them.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
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,
you're always having to revamp yourself right, and it's taken
(27:46):
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
worked with, or Dexter Fowler back in the days and
stuff like that. It doesn't matter Alex Rodrigue I worked with.
It's that puzzle that I enjoy. It's not a favorite.
Alex was easier because he's already the lead of the league.
Speaker 7 (28:08):
Right, we don't.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
Our conversations are different. And understanding that each conversation I
have with each person is different. You can't this one
method is.
Speaker 7 (28:17):
Not going to work with this guy. He doesn't.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
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 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?
(28:41):
If you're really good at something, it's telling him they
can't do something. They gonna show you they can do it. Right,
What did I just It's just a mind shift, right,
it's a mind shift because he already has a 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 you don't really need me, you
(29:01):
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 a if you're in a professional sport,
you're great, no question, because there's so little of you there.
Come on, brother, remember you are good.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
You gotta work with.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
That ten a hundred mile fastballs pissed to you today
you're hitting any of.
Speaker 7 (29:21):
Them out one hundred.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
That's easy right now today, I.
Speaker 7 (29:25):
Don't care how hard you throw a baseball.
Speaker 5 (29:26):
They gone.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
There ain't no way you can throw a baseball sixt
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 you just
go like this?
Speaker 7 (29:35):
Boom boom. All I did was change this object to
a bat. I ain't gott to change nothing. I just
change the object. Now, if you're asking.
Speaker 6 (29:52):
Me to do something spectacler, that would take time for
my body to get.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
Used to it.
Speaker 7 (29:56):
At sixty but just going up there, but to go
up there and hit it. And I don't care how
hard you think. As long as I can see it,
I hit it.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
That's crazy, great though, don't.
Speaker 6 (30:08):
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 3 (30:14):
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 6 (30:25):
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
(30:49):
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?
Speaker 7 (31:09):
Yeah, I mean I could say yes, that's true. We
all know that.
Speaker 6 (31:11):
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.
Speaker 5 (31:22):
Right.
Speaker 6 (31:22):
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 1 (31:30):
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 the game of basketball.
Speaker 7 (31:46):
The other racer.
Speaker 6 (31:47):
If we're going to be technical, white races always dominated baseball.
I mean 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?
Speaker 7 (32:00):
You got to start Latinos.
Speaker 5 (32:01):
That's what I'm start Asians.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
Yeah, you got star whites right.
Speaker 6 (32:06):
When I played baseball, you had me King Griffyth Junior,
Eric Davis, Ozzie Smith McGee.
Speaker 7 (32:12):
I can go on and on and on and on.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
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 right? So what is
that an industrial problem? The industry needs to fix it.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
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 7 (32:53):
It is very expensive. I mean, that's what five hundred dollars.
It's like crazy.
Speaker 6 (32:58):
I mean, I do something else. I mean gloves are
three hundred dollars. I mean you're at almost two thousand
dollars right now just to play baseball with spikes. Equipment,
just equipment. We're talking about just with spikes, you know,
and stuff like that. And it's hard. But it still
comes back to if you don't have enough. Like the NBA,
(33:19):
there's so much equals or football it's balanced.
Speaker 7 (33:24):
Baseball it is not as balanced.
Speaker 6 (33:26):
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, or Mom, I'll go get
a paper out, or Dad, I'll go do this and
play baseball. There's not enough of us they see it.
I'm retired, you know, I'm retired, Kenny. We're all retired now.
(33:50):
It's either industrial we all have to get together and
start communicating and talking and trying to find a balance,
or you take the younger group and six three percent
you got and try to bounce 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.
(34:11):
I mean you probably have more Black kids want to
play tennis because it's Serena and Restulm there out there,
because there you're seeing it and it's like a tennis
racket and just some tents.
Speaker 7 (34:20):
I'm going to go.
Speaker 6 (34:21):
You know, I could do that, you know, but there's
not enough of us to inspire our community.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
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 training and
then the game is the reward. I feel like with
AU basketball it's one practice and the game is everything.
(34:49):
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 6 (34:57):
Japanese baseball has 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.
Speaker 7 (35:16):
Stuff and players as well.
Speaker 6 (35:19):
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
(35:40):
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 Otani and stuff like that. They're starting to
catch up. But at the time, we were always bigger, stronger,
you know, in our game. And it's just always been
like that. But you know, now you can see that
(36:02):
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 all time we care.
You over here playing league, you better staying on. Don't
go back now and start beating on us. You know,
we have fun in that way. But and that's the competition.
(36:22):
It's it's it's fun.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
Thoughts.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
I mean, I think he came in and has taken
MLB by storm and then signed a monster contract.
Speaker 4 (36:29):
Thoughts on just his.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Ability to do hit the ball the way he does
and also pitch and just the versatility of his game.
Speaker 6 (36:36):
The pitching and hitting has been outstanding. For what he's
done in base running and 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.
Speaker 7 (36:48):
The game has just changed.
Speaker 6 (36:50):
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 is not gonna hit two
home runs without seeing one go 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.
(37:12):
They take batting practice all day. They take batting practice
at one, two, three, four, five, 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 as 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 limbo, drive around,
(37:34):
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. 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 at back our possibility. So my thing is I
(37:55):
have to be a little more defensive and be more
of a contact hitter to get out of a problem
than well, they can just do and hit, hit, and
sometimes I think it could be a disadvantage. But a
towny 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
(38:15):
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,
and come out of the bullpen and throw it in
in or two 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 it's 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.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
I like, no fix broke.
Speaker 5 (38:40):
This is good.
Speaker 7 (38:41):
I'm good piece, this is great.
Speaker 6 (38:42):
But I think coming out of the bullpen, he could
really dominate current day.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
You got your daughter witch and you talked about working
out what brings you joy today?
Speaker 6 (38:51):
My kids taking over everything I wouldn't. I don't do interviews.
I've never done hard.
Speaker 8 (38:57):
We appreciate it and my daughter is like took over
and she just said, Dad, you need to step back
and let us do this.
Speaker 6 (39:07):
And so I'm learning to shut up, learning hunsh a
cart a little bit. I'm learning to allow them to
dictate this new generation that I'm not overly comfortable with,
but at the same time I need to adapt to
(39:28):
and so I'm I'm allowing.
Speaker 7 (39:30):
Them to take over and say, Dad, you need to
be here.
Speaker 4 (39:32):
We're gonna start seeing you more on social media, and.
Speaker 7 (39:35):
That's already started. They got this stuff going.
Speaker 6 (39:38):
Crazy, and I'm just like, what are you doing? I
don't even understand this. What are you liking? Why are
you tagging him? I don't even know him. I'm like,
I don't want anybody on my phone, you know. It's
like I'm always like, what are you doing? It's like,
so they took it, like cause I ride my bike
all the time. I cycle a lot, so I have
(39:58):
Strava and you know, my swift and stuff, and we
give likes on to each other for working out and training.
And so my daughter had to explain to me it's
the same thing. It's like, Dad, you're you're appreciating what
she's 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
(40:19):
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.
Speaker 7 (40:25):
I'm not doing you know.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
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.
Speaker 7 (40:34):
Oh that's good.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
If you guys need some help with some ideas we
got Yeah, she's the boss.
Speaker 6 (40:40):
We'll to the head of the Yeah, when you get six,
you got to learn to step down. 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.
Speaker 7 (40:56):
I got a step to the side a little bit.
Speaker 6 (40:58):
I stiok at one leg in it, you know. But
so far it's been I mean, it's been a blessing.
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 1 (41:11):
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 accord 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 here right now?
Speaker 6 (41:29):
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 not great here right and we're in this
transition to where we need to put more and more
(41:50):
value into our kids and more and more value into
our education system, and just in our leadership has to changed,
like have to start changing. Where we need to demand
this from them, not ask them.
Speaker 7 (42:05):
We need to be this a long time ago.
Speaker 6 (42:08):
We're giving I understand the youth of things, but you're
not ready to take over. I mean we, as the
elders are even older than me. 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
(42:29):
that and we can transition back. We need to transition
back a little bit. I think we're trying to go
too far fu forward, and we need to come back
and say, hey, wake up.
Speaker 4 (42:38):
First thing to come to mind, let us know guilty.
Speaker 6 (42:40):
Pleasure my dog, my black miniature snauzer.
Speaker 7 (42:48):
Yeah, cycling, working on the gym, being happy.
Speaker 4 (42:53):
I mean, you look great. You're sixty, you're sixty, you're
about to be sixty.
Speaker 7 (42:56):
No, I'm sixty. I'll be sixty one in July.
Speaker 4 (42:58):
So you're aging back with Benjamin.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
But all right, I'm gonna take you a little bit
outside of your comforts round here. Build your perfect baseball
player discipline. Who would you put for discipline and feel
free to use yourself?
Speaker 6 (43:10):
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 got people like Corbera,
Albert Poolthols, Larry Walker, Todd Helton. I can go on
(43:34):
and on with just all around, Eric Davis, Barry Larkin,
Andre Dawson. I mean, there's so many of my general
Bobby Benilla, 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 because Junior was
(43:55):
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.
Speaker 7 (44:14):
He can throw a ball from the fence all the way.
He and Larry Walker too. He had speed.
Speaker 6 (44:19):
He can do what 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. You know, Yeah, sure, did some of us
stand out?
Speaker 7 (44:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (44:38):
Okay, right, I mean I'm not going to knock myself down.
Did I stand out?
Speaker 5 (44:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (44:42):
But if you're saying not choosing myself out to choose
King Griff.
Speaker 5 (44:48):
We lost Henderson this year, Ricky.
Speaker 7 (44:55):
Oh, we were tight from day one.
Speaker 6 (44:56):
I mean, you guys to 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
was in Oakland when my dad was going over there
and we were all friends. So there is there is
(45:18):
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 stay
whatever the heck they want. But if you can play
two professional sports professionally and do it well, and he
(45:41):
played baseball well, and he played football great, okay, And
I think if he had time to play baseball as
all the time, he would probably be there too as
a leadoff hittericks Son, Who's then, who's the greatest athlete
when you can play two professionals sports at the highest level.
(46:02):
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 once
hard enough to have to try to to.
Speaker 7 (46:17):
Dion. I don't.
Speaker 6 (46:18):
I don't think he was All Star, but he all.
I mean, we were teammates. I saw Deon Sanders hit
the ball centerfield. We were in Florida. He had a
ground ball up the middle. It just got through the
centerfielder's leg, and Dion was 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.
Speaker 7 (46:37):
That's how fast he was.
Speaker 6 (46:39):
I mean, 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 going to be
fast him, not even close. Dean could look at you
backwards and just like, that's crazy. When Meg can talk
(47:01):
to you behind you go come.
Speaker 3 (47:02):
On seventy three home runs. What was your favorite part
about that journey that season?
Speaker 7 (47:08):
Consistency? I was. I was consistent that year. That was.
Speaker 6 (47:14):
I felt it in I didn't feel 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
bet one on one and nobody hears it, then you
can reneg or do whatever you want, and then you.
Speaker 7 (47:32):
Can be mad.
Speaker 6 (47:33):
But if you call your 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 the record.
Speaker 7 (47:49):
I'm like, you, stupid. No one in the planet's going
to hit.
Speaker 6 (47:52):
Seventy home runs just because I had a few good
days of BP and I was hitting home runs all
over the places.
Speaker 7 (47:56):
It's like, your nuts.
Speaker 6 (47:57):
And I always wait to 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?
Speaker 5 (48:07):
Right?
Speaker 6 (48:07):
Those are the good players, right, because you're always going
to fall. I don't know what happened. 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
(48:28):
as I like, you're going to do what And it's
just you know how you have that feeling and you
know everyone has that moment. Mine just lasted a long
time and that was just it mean to you. 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
(48:49):
city or saying like what's you know, like Cleveland would
be to me if I wasn't from there, so it
would be different. But I was raised here my whole life,
ver since I was a baby. I don't know anything else.
It's just home. Everyone I knows, friends of mine, politicians,
and we went to high school together, and the sheriff,
you know, we.
Speaker 4 (49:07):
Broke together, we get in some ship. We gotta call it.
Speaker 7 (49:11):
That's all right, I called me.
Speaker 6 (49:14):
There's always there's someone I know. Are my family new
or so it's just always been home. I've never I
known anything different.
Speaker 3 (49:22):
Right, Well, Barry Man, we appreciate you, We love you.
There's a lot of us who love you out here,
and we love to start seeing you do more of
this and and share because there's so much greatness and
we all look at you at the top of the
total Faller. I appreciate you just giving us a little
bit of time today, man.
Speaker 5 (49:38):
Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (49:40):
And that's a wrap the legendary the Goat Barry Bonds.
You can catch us on DraftKings Network and all the
Smoke Productions YouTube.
Speaker 4 (49:47):
We'll see you guys next week.
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Stephen Jackson
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