“I Sleep Next to Him”- Barry Bonds Once Paid a Bizarre Tribute to an MLB Legend Who Also Serves as a Godfather

Published 01/15/2023, 6:03 AM EST

Willie Mays, known as the “Say Hey Kid,” is a baseball legend, renowned for his impressive combination of speed and power at the plate, as well as his iconic defense in the center field. With 660 home runs and membership in the 3,000-hit club, he is considered one of the best all-around players in Major League history.

Another player who has left a lasting impact on the game is Barry Bonds, known as the “Home Run King.” He is also recognized as an all-round player, earning a record seven NL MVP awards, 12 Silver Slugger awards, and 14 All-Star selections.

Barry Bonds’s prank on Willie Mays

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Not only is Barry Bonds a legendary player in his own right, but he also has a special connection to Willie Mays – he is May’s godson and mentee. In a playful nod to their relationship, Bonds once shared a photo on Instagram of Mays caught in a deep slumber, with Bonds himself beaming right beside him.

The caption that Bonds wrote with the picture was cheeky, yet very appreciative of Mays. It read, “Yes he sleeps. #SayHey Willie Mays and yes I sleep next to him. I am so proud to have the best God Father in the world. I love you and everything that you have done for me and my family Willie.”

How did this relationship come to be?

Willie Mays and Bobby Bonds (Barry Bonds’ father) were more than just teammates during their time together on the San Francisco Giants from 1968 to 1972 – they were also trailblazers in baseball history. Mays was nearing the end of his notable career when Bobby Bonds joined the team, a rising star who was just starting his journey.

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Home Run King Barry Bonds Was Once Seen Hanging Out With One of the Greatest Boxers of All Time

But their connection went beyond the ballpark. Bobby Bonds used to bring his five-year-old son to the clubhouse. Where the young Bonds would spend his days chasing fly balls on the field with his father and from then on his godfather, Willie Mays.

In an interview with SFGate, Mays opened up about that time, “When Barry was about 5, he used to come to my locker because I had four or five cases of bubble gum. I would take Barry out to center field, and he would hang with me.”

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Now that is a sweet beginning of their decades of the relationship as not only a godfather and a godson but also as a mentor and mentee.

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Written by:

Garima is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports. She has recently graduated as a Master's student in Media and Communications. She is an avid reader and an ardent cinema fan.

Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar

“I Sleep Next to Him”- Barry Bonds Once Paid a Bizarre Tribute to an MLB Legend Who Also Serves as a Godfather

Barry Bonds’s prank on Willie Mays

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