Twenty years ago, Torii Hunter delivered one of the most memorable plays in MLB All-Star Game history, when he robbed Barry Bonds of a home run in center field.
Ahead of Tuesday night’s Midsummer Classic in Los Angeles, Hunter joined 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” to recall that special moment in Milwaukee and what he heard from Ichiro Suzuki and Bonds after making the grab.
Torii Hunter recalls robbing Barry Bonds at 8:55 mark
Before the game, Hunter had a feeling he might rob a dinger. He got his chance just three batters into the first inning when Bonds came up with two outs and no one on.
“Before I went out there, I was running, I was like, ‘Hey, that’d be cool to rob a home run,’” Hunter told Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky. “When I got out there, then they said, ‘Now batting, Barry Bonds.’ I said, ‘Don’t hit it to me, don’t hit it to me.’ Lo and behold, this dude hits the ball and I’m like, ‘Ah, man.’ I took a courtesy jog out there because I thought it was far gone. Then the wind kinda brought it back and I’m like, ‘Ooh, I might have to jump up and get this and give it a good try.’ When I jumped up, I got up higher than normal, I caught the ball and I came down.”
What happened next surprised Hunter, who was appearing in his first career All-Star Game for the Minnesota Twins.
“Ichiro was next to me and was like, ‘Holy’ you know,” Hunter said. “I said, ‘Wait a minute – I didn’t know you spoke English.’”
That’s a great lil Ichiro nugget right there.
The play will be remembered and replayed on YouTube for decades to come. Not only for Hunter’s amazing grab, but for the way Bonds reacted afterwards.
“I trot off the field and he went high, pretending like he was giving me a high five,” Hunter said. “Then he went low and put me up and put me on his shoulder like a rag doll. Guy was strong. It was just a great moment man. One of the best hitters in the game of baseball, best hitters I’ve seen with my eyes. I don’t know about people before, way before I was born, but I know with my eyes, I’ve never seen a hitter hit like Barry Bonds. To take a home run from him, I was thankful. He said, ‘Great catch, kid.’”
At that point in baseball history, Bonds was an absolute titan, as he had hit 73 home runs the season before and was in the midst of winning his second of four straight MVP awards. Hunter was 26 and en route to winning his second of nine consecutive Gold Gloves as one of baseball’s most electrifying fielders.
When Bay Area baseball fans think of Hunter, this is usually the first thing that comes to mind.
“In my mind, it’s one of the greatest moments in my career,” Hunter said. “It’s the All-Star Game, everybody’s watching, my people in Arkansas was watching, the whole world was watching, my state that I was playing in and the team I was playing for. I just feel like it was a great moment. Not my greatest catch, but my greatest moment.”
If you go to Hunter’s Twitter profile, you’ll see there’s a picture of him and Bonds as his avatar. Hunter said that he and Bonds have become friends over the years and recently reconnected at a charity event in Los Angeles during the All-Star festivities.
“Barry’s cracking jokes, we’re laughing,” Hunter said. “He’s a different person. I love everything about him right now. … It seems like he’s an outdoorsmen. He’s outside, he’s hiking, bike riding, in the mountains and doing different things like that. It’s like he’s enjoying his life, smiling more and he has many show dogs and different things like that. He’s doing great investments. We talk about pretty much everything and just to see someone living his best left and he ain’t going back and forth with you guys (the media).”
Hunter also advocated for Bonds and Clemens to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
“He’s definitely a Hall of Famer,” Hunter said. “I know all that stuff that happened, but he’s never tested positive or anything like that. I think he should be in there. Roger Clemens should be in there. Hopefully the Veterans Committee in December votes these guys in, we need those guys in the game.
“I don’t care what you say, no one can take one swing in three at-bats – hasn’t swung at all – and in one swing homer. Nothing can make you do that but talent. To tell my grandkids, ‘Hey, I saw one of the best hitters to ever play the game and his name was Barry Bonds.’ And I’ll continue to say that.”
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