Former Cy Young winner Eric Gagne reveals unforgettable at-bat with Barry Bonds after bold agreement that led to epic showdown
On Sunday, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Eric Gagne reflected on an epic showdown with MLB legend Barry Bonds. The incident in question took place when Gagne and the Dodgers took on Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants during the 2004 season.
In a clip uploaded to the "Foul Territory" page on X (formerly Twitter) dated December 15, the 2003 NL Cy Young award winner talked about how he had a prior agreement with Bonds. Per Gagne, if the two faced off in the last inning of the game and it was a situation where the tying run was not a home run away, Gagne would throw just one off-speed pitch and the rest would be fastballs.
When things transpired that way, Gagne held up his end of the argument, resulting in an epic at bat.
"As a baseballer, you want to compare yourself with the best of the best, and Barry was the best. For me to be on the mound, facing him, mano a mano. I won't say we had a bet, but we had an agreement, that I was going to face him, [if he had the chance to score] three runs or less [with a home run]. So, I was proud of that" Gagne said [0:41]
Eventually, after a lengthy at-bat, as Bonds managed to make contact with several pitches to stay alive, the Giants superstar finally connected and got hold of a fastball, sending a towering drive to center field worth two runs.
"[After he hit the home run] He looked at me, and he tipped his hat, and he ran the bases quickly, which is very rare for Barry, so that was amazing. Best time of my life on the pitching mound. The next day, I was very sore, but Paul Lo Duca (Gagne's catcher at the time) thought I was a little crazy not to throw a changeup. But, we had an agreement." Gagne added [0:55]
Despite being denied a route to Cooperstown, Barry Bonds gets well-deserved recognition from the Pittsburgh Pirates
Legendary hitter Barry Bonds is often regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time with a .298 batting average, 762 home runs and 1996 RBIs over 22 seasons spent in the big leagues.
Bonds also boast several personal accolades that would make anyone envious of the iconic hitter. He finished his remarkable career with 14 All-Star caps, seven NL MVP awards, eight Golden Gloves and 12 Silver Slugger awards.
Despite his extraordinary stats, allegations of using performance-enhancing drugs have led to Bonds being denied induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bonds has received recognition from his former teams since his retirement. First, the San Francisco Giants inducted him onto their 'Wall of Fame' in 2020, also retiring his number 25 jersey, before the Pittsburgh Pirates, with who Bonds began his big league career, honored the 60-year-old's contributions to the sport in 2024.
In a ceremony in August 2024, Bonds was inducted into the Pirates' Hall of Fame along with Jim Leyland, who was his manager during the six years he spent in Pittsburgh.
After Bonds' speech on the big day, the crowd at PNC Park made sure to do their bit, as they loudly chanted the name of one of the finest players to have put on the famous black, white and gold.