The Yankees won the opening game against the Giants by 7-0. But while the final scoreboard looks dominating, Aaron Judge couldn’t get over his struggle since the WBC. Booes were heard all around in Oracle Park, but as per veteran Barry Bonds, Judge’s impact on the team is more than just hitting. In the pre-game show before the first pitch, Bonds rallied for Judge, only concluding that he himself was the “best teammate ever.” The fans, however, don’t seem amused by this declaration.

“I may not have talked to anybody off the field. That was just me. Alright? But on that field, I was probably the best teammate you would ever have. I took more walks for my team. Got on base for my team. And that’s what baseball is about…” Bonds boasted about himself during the MLB Opening Day pre-game show.

Well, Bonds’ claim about taking more walks for the team couldn’t be countered. He drew 2,558 walks during his 22-season career, and that’s a record. Especially in 2004, Bonds set a record with 120 intentional walks in a single year. So, taking intentional walks for the team’s good deserves a clap as a great team player. But is he the best teammate ever? Fans don’t think so.

Despite the hitting records Bonds has with his name, he was also infamous for being too self-centric. With the Giants, he reportedly had his own dedicated space in the locker room. Bonds was also permitted to bring in a personal team of trainers, bodyguards, and a personal videographer.

His infamous tussle with Jeff Kent during a game against the Padres in 2002 proved his icy relationship with his teammates. Reportedly, during a game against the Padres, Kent and Bonds got physical in the dugout over an on-field error of third baseman David Bell.

Sure, when it comes to on-field character, Bonds was a different persona. He did what was deemed best for the Giants. His presence in the lineup forced pitchers to walk him, which benefited the hitters around him.

Now, as Aaron Judge continues to struggle at the batter’s box, Bonds came to his rescue. “If you want to talk about team, that’s the man I want on my team. If you want to talk about character, that’s the man I want on my team… Aaron Judge brings that to his team every day. Year in and year out,” Bonds said before the opening game.

Judge went completely silent against the Giants, finishing off with 0-for-5 with four SOs. But as per Bonds, more than just the hitting numbers, it’s Judge’s character that stands out. Sure, Aaron Judge’s influence as captain deserves praise. He is known to keep the dugout tightly knit and groom the players.

Remember how he calmed Jazz Chisholm last April when the latter was ejected against the Reds. Judge is even sacrificing himself with intentional walks, as he set a new AL record with 36 intentional walks last year. So, while Bonds’ praise for Aaron Judge seems to work with the fans, they are far from impressed as Bonds boasted himself as the best teammate ever.

Fans call out Barry Bonds over his boasting

Fans recall Bonds’ history with the Giants as they wonder how Bonds could be the best teammate.

“Ask Jeff Kent how good a teammate Barry was,” one fan said. The 2002 dugout fight was surely a stain for Barry Bonds, but Kent also acknowledged his on-field dominance. “He was a guy that I motivated and pushed — we knocked heads a little bit. He was a guy that motivated me, at times in frustration, in love at times,” Kent talked about his love-hate relationship with Bonds.

“Didn’t he give Andy Van Slyke the bird when Van Slyke told him to move in right before Francisco Cabrera’s hit in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS?” Another fan recalls Bonds’ issue with Slyke. Reportedly, in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS, Bonds allegedly avoided  Van Slyke’s call to move in several steps in left field. It resulted in the Braves winning the game; Bonds was to be blamed. 

So, as per the fans, that’s another example of Bonds’ “teammanship.”

“CHEATED THE GAME PERIOD,” another fan added. “Dude…you cheated till your head was the size of a beach ball. Nobody cares what you think,” another added.

Well, Barry Bonds was associated with PED usage since his involvement with the BALCO scandal. While he never failed an official MLB drug test, federal investigators seized documents during the BALCO raid. Those documents included private, positive steroid test results for Bonds from 2000 and 2001.

So, fans believe that PED was the reason behind the astronomical numbers of Bonds. “You CAN NOT be a ‘best’ teammate if you are aloof off the field,” another user added.

So, while Bonds boasts about his on-field numbers, fans are not on the same page to consider him the best teammate. Because of his off-field antics and PED claims, his latest claim is not sitting well with the fans.