Former San Francisco Giants Player Backs Barry Bonds' Claim With Incredible Story

After Barry Bonds made a headline-grabbing claim about hitting a 100 mph fastball, a former San Francisco Giants player gave an incredible story that might back up the legend's statement.
Jun 23, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) reacts after being hit by a wild pitch from the San Diego Padres in the seventh inning at AT&T Park
Jun 23, 2018; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) reacts after being hit by a wild pitch from the San Diego Padres in the seventh inning at AT&T Park / John Hefti-Imagn Images
In this story:

San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds made headlines with his recent claim that he could still hit a 100 mph fastball even at his age of 60 years old.

While people might be quick to dismiss that, it also should be remembered that Bonds not only was one of the greatest hitters of all time with 12 Silver Slugger Awards and two batting titles as a power hitter, but he also led Major League Baseball in walks and on-base percentage during his final season at the age of 42 while slashing .276/.480/.565.

The folklore of Bonds is hard to ignore when it comes to this claim, and former Giants player Andrew McCutchen added even more fuel to that fire when sharing an incredible story about the seven-time MVP.

"... You could hear the whip of his bat, unlike anything I've seen at that present time. He slips from the torque and the slippery dress shoes on the turf and the ball goes straight up into the net above him. Now, There was a tv that was bout 5 feet above the net of our cage. The ball was hit so hard that it hit the tv screen and completely shattered it. Mind you, the ball didn't go thru a hole of any sort. The net just stretched far enough because of Bonds' power. I say all of that to say this, I believe him," he said as part of his story on social media.

That's pretty remarkable to consider.

McCutchen, who won NL MVP in his own right during the 2013 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, not only was one of the best players in baseball at one point, but he was also surrounded by some of the game's best in the mid-2010s at multiple All-Star Games.

For him to not have ever heard something like the sound of Bonds swinging highlights just how incredible the legendary slugger was with a bat in his hand.

Now, it should be pointed out that this occurred about seven years ago when Bonds was in his early-50s, so with Father Time able to put some more mileage on his body, it still is hard to believe he could hit a 100 mph heater.

But McCutchen says he believes the legend.

And after reading the story he shared, it's safe to say Bonds might have a fighting chance at putting his bat on a ball traveling that fast, even at 60 years old.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai