Barry Bonds has been at the center of controversy for the better part of the last 20 years, and will likely follow him forever.
Major League Baseball’s home run king remains out of the Hall of Fame because of his ties to performance-enhancing drugs, but many voters also left him out because of his character.
Bonds has maintained that, aside from taking the BALCO «cream,» he never took steroids and never failed a drug test.
However, he was found guilty of obstructing justice in 2011 during an investigation into a steroid supplier. His conviction was overturned in 2015.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants kneels in the outfield during a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 8, 2004. (Steve Grayson/Wire Image)
But the only notion about himself that Bonds says is true is that he wasn’t the most approachable teammate.
«I wasn’t the best kid in the clubhouse, that’s for sure, but on the ball field, I took my walks, I took my hits, I did everything I could to give my teammates a chance to do their job.» , Bonds said on the «R2C2» podcast with Ryan Ruocco and CC Sabathia.
Ruocco thought that was a startling admission, so when he asked Bonds why he said that, Bonds told the truth.
«Because it’s a business and people don’t understand that I took it as a business,» Bonds said. «Most of the teams, they all thought I was being a d—, but really, I wasn’t at all. I love you, I respect you, I would help you in any way.
«I’m not going to tell you what I do because we don’t know how long we’ve been teammates. And in a teammate factor is you’ll go to another team’s market to get traded, and then you’ll say it.» someone what I told you…
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 756th career home run against Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals on August 7, 2007 at AT&T Park in San Francisco. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
«There’s no way I’m going to tell anyone what I do. I’m not going to tell you what I see. I’ll give you a general conversation to help you out, but I don’t know how long.» They will be teammates. And this is a business, so I protect my business. you will see?’ I see a launcher. ‘What throws?’ Balls and strikes. And they say, ‘Why do you have to be a d—?’ And I’m like, ‘Why do you take this personally?'»
THE PIRATES PLAYERS ARE COMPLAINTED IN THE MLB FOR PLAYING IN UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY; ANDREW MCCUTCHEN MASKS ON
HBO announced last month that it has launched production on a documentary highlighting Bonds, who remains one of the most controversial and notorious baseball players of all time.
San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds hits his 663rd home run during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at SBC Park on April 17, 2004, in San Francisco. (Michael Zagaris/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Bonds won seven MVPs en route to his record 762 home runs, which many consider illegitimate. His 73 home runs in 2001 and his 232 walks, 120 intentional passes and .609 on-base percentage in 2004 remain single-season records. His No. 25 is retired by the Giants.