"If you weren't patient, he will bury you" - When Barry Bonds recalled Greg Maddux as the greatest 'technician' pitcher he faced
One of the greatest MLB players of all time and arguably the greatest hitter to play in the Major League, Barry Bonds struck fear in the minds of pitchers during his illustrious career.
Although he seemingly got the best of every pitcher he faced, the seven-time NL MVP acknowledged having a tough time against a few left-handed pitchers. But Bonds had a special respect for Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, one of his toughest adversaries.
In a conversation with former World Series winner CC Sabathia and his co-host Ryan Ruocco on the "R2C2" podcast in July 2023, Bonds named the toughest pitchers he faced. He said (29:20):
"It just depends what era eight? Any tough pitcher for me would be a lefty. So, CC would be a tough pitcher for me, Randy Johnson obviously was be tough pitcher for me. John Candelaria was super tough for me. Jesse Roscoe was super tough for me. Even John Tudor was tough for me. Tom Glavine was tough. I can on and on and on to all the lefties.
"The best technician pitcher was Greg Maddux. Maddux was the best technician. Greg Maddux knew the philosophy of hitting. At the same time I understood the philosophy of pitching. As he matured, he was probably the best technician type of pitchers I faced."
When Ruocco joked that he'd have to look up to the numbers when Bonds faced Maddux, the San Francisco Giants legend quipped:
"I did pretty well (with a chuckle). It was a battle; it was tough. If you weren't patient enough, he'll bury you; if you didn't have enough patience, he'll bury you and bury you fast. It will frustrate you enough to make you have a bad day."
Greg Maddux, a four-time Cy Young winner, is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers of the game. While he didn't have great speed on his pitches, the first-ballot Hall of Famer is often lauded for his remarkable accuracy and the ability to read hitters.
Barry Bonds and Greg Maddux relieve famous battle from 1998
Barry Bonds and Greg Maddux faced each other several times, with the two greats going back and forth with their mindgames. Baseball fans got an insight into their rivalry when MLB Network shared a clip from Maddux's documentary, "One of a Kind," in August.
The video showcased Barry Bonds and Maddux recalling their thoughts while viewing their matchup from 1998 in Atlanta on a tablet. It was intriguing to see two geniuses trying to outwit the other.
While Barry Bonds got the better of Greg Maddux by hitting him for a home run, the ace allowed only one more home run to Bonds from 1999-2007.