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Barry Bonds Shares How Close He Was To Signing With Yankees And How George Steinbrenner Screwed It Up

Barry Bonds joined the Netflix broadcast during the New York Yankees' 7-0 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night and shared a story that would have completely shifted the landscape of not only his career, but Major League Baseball as a whole.After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bonds became a free agent in 1992. Fresh off a career season at the plate, hitting 34 home runs and posting a batting average of .311, teams around the league battled for his signature. Bonds ultimately signed a six-year deal worth just under $44 million to join the Giants and stayed in San Francisco for the remainder of his career, but as he explained it, that almost wasn't the case, he was extremely close to becoming a Bronx Bomber.George isn't here anymore, so I can tell the truth, right?" Bonds began. "I would've been with the Yankees, but Steinbrenner got on the phone and called us and told me, 'Barry, we're going to give you the money — the highest-paid player at that time — but you got to sign the contract by 2 o'clock this afternoon. And I said, 'Excuse me?!' And I just hung the phone up.""And I went to go get lunch, and Dennis Gilbert, my agent, they were like, 'Do you know what you just did?!' I'm like, 'Did you know what he just said?!'" Bonds continued. "I just said, 'Forget it.' By the time I walked down the street to go get lunch, I said, 'Let me just think about this.' The Giants called me, and I said, 'I'm going home.'"Bonds' mention of the 2 o'clock deadline is new information. The Times reported in ‘92 that the Yankees had given Bonds two days to accept the offer, which still could have been the case and Steinbrenner wanted an answer by 2 o'clock on that second day, but the report also suggested the sixth year on the contract was a major sticking point as well.New York went on to win the World Series in 1996 and then went on a three-year run from 1998 to 2000 after missing out on Bonds, who was a 12-time All-Star with the Giants, a two-time National League batting champion, and hit 586 of his 762 career home runs, the most ever, while in San Francisco.Bonds, who retired in 2007, never won a World Series.

Read moreBarry Bonds Shares How Close He Was To Signing With Yankees And How George Steinbrenner Screwed It Up

"Unwatchable": Netflix MLB Debut Sparks Massive Fan Outrage After Embarrassing Blunder

Major League Baseball's new-look "Opening Night" has come and gone. The Yankees throttled the Giants, 7-0. Aaron Judge struck out four times. Max Fried was unhittable. Tony Vitello probably misses Knoxville at the moment. You know, usual opening night stuff for MLB. The big story around Wednesday, though? Netflix. This was the streaming giant's foray into baseball, and buddy, it was a rocky little ride. Now, that's to be expected. There were always going to be bumps in the road, and there were several here. Elle Duncan was insufferable and didn't know what home plate was. Seems like a problem for an MLB pregame show. I'm not quite sure what the point of Jameis Winston was. The scorebug was for folks with 20/20 vision only, and even then, it was a stretch. The interview with Rob Manfred was pathetic. Lauren Shehadi was, frankly, the only good part of the broadcast because she's a pro, and she's a star for obvious reasons. Otherwise? It was tough. But all of that pales in comparison to what Netflix did – or, better yet, missed – in the fourth inning. For the first time in MLB history, ABS was used. Unfortunately, we'll never get to see it:Goodness gracious. What a miss by Netflix here. What an absolute swing and a miss. HOW does the producer not switch to the scoreboard here? There are a billion camera operators in this production, and you're telling me NONE of them were dialed in on the scoreboard?We've talked about this ABS system for years now. Years. We just spent all spring training watching clips of it. People bitched and moaned all throughout the World Baseball Classic because it wasn't in use. And then, on Opening Night, we finally get a challenge in the fourth inning. The first EVER ball/strike challenge in MLB history … and Netflix missed the entire thing because they were interviewing Tony Vitello in the dugout. Amazing. It's not like it all happened too quick, either. It didn't. The batter had to tap his helmet. The umpire had to call timeout. He had to announce it to the crowd (dumb). They all had to stare at the scoreboard and wait a few seconds. Netflix had plenty of time to switch over and, at the very least, show us the review. But they just … missed the entire thing! The whole sequence. Gone. Poof. Never happened. They never showed the actual pitch, or the actual ABS in use. They only briefly showed the batter and umpire staring at a screen that WE COULDN'T SEE! Oh well. What's done is done. We don't have to deal with Netflix again until the Home Run Derby. I assume they will have the kinks worked out by then. Thank God they've got four months, too, because they're gonna need all the time they can get. 

Read more"Unwatchable": Netflix MLB Debut Sparks Massive Fan Outrage After Embarrassing Blunder

The 2026 Masters Gnome Has Been Revealed – And It May Be The Last Ever

The Masters is its own universe, and the ruler of that universe is a gnome.If you know anything at all about the culture of the Masters, you're well aware of the gnome. Every year since 2016, excluding 2017 when Augusta National didn't sell a gnome, the club has released a new edition of the Masters gnome, and it is the item to buy.The Masters recently revealed the 2026 version of the gnome, and it's the most unique yet.Beyond the stylish Masters vest and the gnome holding a cup of coffee, he's also holding an umbrella, a functional umbrella at that.The full-size gnomes retail for $49.50 while the smaller versions retail for around $30, and both sell out almost instantly during tournament week. Demand is so high that patrons are limited on how many they can purchase. While there is absolutely a lure and mystique around the tiny statue, there is also huge value on the secondary market that people in the business of making a quick buck have taken advantage of over the years.Ryan Carey, founder and owner of Golden Age Auctions, recently told Golf Digest he predicts that an original Masters gnome from 2016 will sell for more than $10,000 when he auctions one off in April. Another interesting tidbit from the piece is the mention that there are "whispers" that 2026 could be the final year of the gnome at Augusta National.There has always been an ‘underground’ market for Masters items and a huge set of consumers on eBay, but it's fair to say things have gotten out of hand when it comes to the gnomes. On top of that, the Masters is in the business of making money for the Masters, and that's it. There isn't one item of food or memorabilia that features any other logo or mention of another company.

Read moreThe 2026 Masters Gnome Has Been Revealed – And It May Be The Last Ever

Riley Gaines Shows Lazy Libs What A Hot Mom Looks Like, Maggie Sajak's Opry Dress & Military Draft Order!

An MLB (fake) Opening Night Hump Day? I mean, who has it better than us? We've made it (not really). It's here (not really). Baseball is BACK (tomorrow). Do I love MLB? Yes. Of course. I'm fired up to get this season started. I'm fired up to have an actual game to watch tonight. But …It ain't Opening Day until tomorrow, when I see 12 games on at once in the 4 p.m. hour. THAT, boys and girls, is the real Opening Day. I'm a purist at heart, and baseball should never, ever follow the NFL model like they're doing tonight. It just doesn't feel right. I contend that every single Opening Day game should be played under the sun. That's baseball at its finest. AND we're putting tonight's opener on … Netflix? Good Lord. Again, I'm going to watch, obviously. But it won't feel real until tomorrow afternoon. That being said, welcome back, baseball. Let's have a good season so we can all lock out on Dec. 2 and completely ruin all the momentum we've built up over the past few years!Anyway, welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps – the one where Riley Gaines shows the lazy Libs what a real woman looks like. And hey! This one comes with a bonus cameo from Pablo Torre!What else? I've got Maggie Sajak at the Grand Ole Opry, Melania walking with a robot that resembled Joe Biden, a quick look at the draft, and new Providence basketball coach Bryan Hodgson showing off his SEC wife. Whew. What a LINEUP for the fake Opening Day of baseball season! Grab you a ballpark beer for $19 and settle in for a Hump Day 'Cap!For my baseball students in class today … if you don't have Netflix, will you subscribe to watch tonight's game? Google tells me the lowest tier costs $8, and I assume that comes with a free trial? If not, Netflix says you can cancel at any time. Would you pay $8 to watch Yanks-Giants tonight? On one hand, $8 is $8. That's basically a gallon of gas! On the other hand, you could – and will – forget that you purchased said subscription, and then figure it out in six months when you've racked up a $50 bill. I did that a few years ago when the NFL had the audacity to put the Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game exclusively on Peacock. Crooks! I bought it, obviously, and then forgot about it, obviously, until MONTHS later. Months. That's how they get you, and it works every time. Anyway, I have Netflix for free because I switched to T-Mobile last year. I also get every single baseball game for free all season long. Yes, for you T-Mobile customers out there, this is your yearly reminder to redeem the greatest deal in sports before March 30:Again, it's the greatest deal in sports. I don't know how MLB and T-Mobile get away with it every year – especially this year with all the new streaming deals – but they do. There is no shot I'd buy the package if I didn't have T-Mobile. I used to do what any American worth his or her salt would do, and use my dad's login. But not anymore! I'm an adult now, and it's time for me to make my own way. Thank you, T-Mobile!OK, let's leave the diamond and head to the court (sort of) to check in on the state of Providence basketball. Because if I know one thing about this class, it's that you all leave and breathe Providence basketball!This is what it's all about, folks. Bryan Hodgson gets it. Happy wife, happy life. I'd imagine this new gig took some convincing with her, too, because leaving USF for Providence ain't exactly fun. You're going from Tampa to Rhode Island. Not a lot of folks choose that path in life. Frankly, they choose the reverse path. Lord knows you couldn't pay me enough to leave Florida for the Northeast. No shot. And now Hodgson has to tell his wife to leave the beautiful beaches of Florida – the West Coast ones are especially nice – and move to the Northeast? Yeah, he was always going to throw this line in there. He had no choice. Anyway, welcome to the show, Jordan Norris. This one is going to be a star. You can see it. I can see it. All of Rhode Island saw it yesterday. OK, let's rapid-fire this Hump Day class into a big night of MLB humping! First up? Who's ready for #DraftSZN?! Nope. Not the NFL Draft. The Military Draft! That just can't be a good sign for our recruiting efforts at the moment, right? I spoke to OutKick's crack military guy, David Hookstead, and he agreed. If it has to do with blowing stuff up or Wisconsin athletics, I listen to Hook. Anyway, congrats to all who are now eligible! Last summer – the first time we attacked Iran – I brushed up on the draft rules in case things really went south. Here you go!If congress and the president were to reinstate a military draft, the Selective Service System would conduct a national lottery to determine the order in which registered men ages 18–25 are called for service. The lottery assigns a random number to each birth date, establishing the priority of call within each age group. Men turning age 20 during the calendar year of the lottery are called first, followed by those turning 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. Men turning 19 and 18 would only be called if additional personnel are needed. Individuals are no longer eligible once they reach age 26.If you really wanna dive in, go ahead and visit the official military draft website HERE. Enjoy!Look, we have to laugh through the pain, right? That's what we do here. And just imagine the numbers a "Nightcaps Live from Iran" would do?! Can't wait. OK, let's lighten up the mood on our final Hump Day of March. Melania Trump walking down the hall with a robot this morning was … something:Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? That's how Joe Biden walked for four years, right? I mean … right? It's literally Joe Biden's walk. On a separate note, I'm not a fan of this. This is how it starts. Hell, it's already started. This is just the next step. Where do you reckon "Figure 03" would be drafted? Which round? Next? Did Maggie Sajak dominate the Grand Ole Opry this week, or WHAT?Draft Shmaft! We have Maggie Sajak to get us through the hard times. She'll do just fine. What a #content run. Finally, on the way out, let's check in on the self-righteous sports media!Congrats to Pablo for being nominated for an … investigation … that was a compete load of crap! They're nothing if not self-serving. Amazing. I'm sure Riley is beat up about it. Take us home!OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).Which round are you going in? Email me at [email protected].

Read moreRiley Gaines Shows Lazy Libs What A Hot Mom Looks Like, Maggie Sajak's Opry Dress & Military Draft Order!