The MLB’s all-time home run record could have returned to the New York Yankees organization, and the No. 25 could have been on a plaque in Monument Park instead of in J.C. Escarra’s locker.
If only George Steinbrenner was patient.
Legendary former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds shared an anecdote about how close he came to becoming a member of the Yankees on Netflix during the teams’ Opening Night meeting at Oracle Park.
Bonds, of course, left the Pittsburgh Pirates in free agency and chose the Giants over the Yankees. Bonds won five MVP awards, under the shroud of steroids controversy, and set both the single-season home run record (73) and the all-time record for most homers in MLB history (762) during his 15-season tenure with the Giants.
Barry Bonds Nearly Signed With the Yankees
Bonds hit free agency after winning second NL MVP award in 1992 and slashed .311/.456/.624 with 34 home runs and a National League-high 109 runs scored. He helped the Pirates come within inches of the World Series, since they fell to the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS on Francisco Cabrera’s famous single that scored Sid Bream in Game 7.
The Pirates weren’t going to afford Bonds, and Steinbrenner, as was his wont back then, made a huge play to sign the five-tool player who had just turned 28 years old.
The Yankees had ties to Bonds, since both his father Bobby and cousin Reggie Jackson had memorable tenures in the Bronx. Steinbrenner had even convinced Bonds on a contract, but his legendary impatience got in the way.
Bonds told the story of what happened next during his brief half-inning stint in the booth with Matt Vasgersian, CC Sabathia and Hunter Pence.
“Steinbrenner got on the phone and they called us and they told me, âBarry, weâre gonna give you the money [and make you] the highest-paid player — but you have to sign the contract by 2 this afternoon,’â Bonds said, “and I said, âExcuse me? and I just hung the phone up.â
Steinbrenner’s faux pas was the Giants gain, since Bonds, a native of Riverside, California who went to high school at Junipero Serra in San Mateo, signed a six-year, $43.75 million contract that made him the highest-paid player in baseball.
“I went to go get lunch and Dennis Gilbert, my agent, said, âDo you know what you just did?!ââ Bonds said. âAnd Iâm like, âDo you know what he just said?!â
â⦠By the time I walked down the street to go get lunch, I just said, âLemme just think about this.â The Giants called me, and I said, âIâm going home.ââ
George Steinbrenner’s Miss Worked Out for the Yankees
It’s hard to argue that losing out on Bonds worked out for the Yankees — even though his deal in San Francisco ended up being a huge bargain.
The Yankees never did solve their black hole in left field, but they still won four World Series in a five-year span and claimed six AL pennants in nine seasons between 1996-03.
If they were paying Bonds, the Yankees may not have had money to re-sign Bernie Williams in free agency in 1998 or bring in Alex Rodriguez in 2004. Rodriguez, of course, was a catalyst for the Yankees’ most recent title in 2009.
So what happened worked out for everyone, even if Bonds never did win the World Series and might have hit 900 home runs if he spent 15 years hitting at the short porch in right field instead of at cavernous Oracle Park.
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