VIDEO: Barry Bonds Gives Strong Response When Asked What Would Happen If He Faced Satchel Paige

Thursday night was a night for honoring the legends of the Negro Leagues as MLB visited Rickwood Field in Alabama. On this site, so many of the pre-integration league’s stars demonstrated their skills.

But, while Barry Bonds and others made the trip to honor the Negro League stars of old, he made it clear he would still dominate them.

Before the Cardinals faced off against the Giants, the discussion panel, which included modern MLB legends such as Derek Jeter, Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., David Ortiz, and the Godson of the recently departed Willie Mays, talked about the significance of Rickwood and MLB’s presence there. However, they also talked about how they would match up against the Negro League legends.

Yankees Hall of Famer Derek Jeter specifically asked Bonds how he would approach an at-bat against Negro Leagues great Satchel Paige.

Bonds’ answer did not disappoint.

“Me?! Gone,” he said. “You have lost your mind, Jeter. Gone. It’s simple. Gone. Read about it on ESPN.

“You gotta believe in yourself. If I don’t believe in me, who gonna believe in me?”

Ken Griffey Jr., in particular, seemed taken aback by Bonds’ bravado.

“I’m drag bunting,” Griffey said. “We gonna race to first.”

Bonds and his 762 home runs, as well as other hitting accolades, are well known. For a refresher, Paige was way ahead of his time. He was rumored to have thrown between 100 and 105 mph regularly. Even more impressive, is that Paige maintained his dominance throughout his career. Paige entered the Negro Leagues in 1927 at the age of 20. He posted an ERA of 2.39 that season. Fast-forward over 20 years, in his first year in MLB with the then-Cleveland Indians, Paige nearly equaled his 1927 ERA by posting a 2.48.

And he did this against MLB competition.

Bonds deservedly gets dinged for being a steroid user. However, he was a frequent All-Star and MVP or MVP candidate nearly every year of his career before he gained 40 pounds and started hitting balls to Mars.

In any event, Bonds is not short on confidence.