Tim Benz: A 'nice' Pirates Hall of Fame induction for Barry Bonds was a simple way to remember some complicated times

As layered and complex as Barry Bonds’ legacy is in Pittsburgh — and throughout all of baseball — he summed up Saturday’s induction to the Pirates Hall of Fame in the most simple words possible.

“It’s nice,” Bonds said with a smile. “It’s just very nice. The word … very nice.”

That wasn’t always the word to describe how things were during Bonds’ time in Pittsburgh. Whether it was frustration with fans, occasional dust-ups with the media, an all-too-public argument with his manager or anger with the franchise over his contract status, “nice” was rarely a word used to describe his Pirates career or the PED controversy that followed him after he left.

Dynamic. Legendary. Unforgettable. Breathtaking.

Those words are much more elaborative, yet far more appropriately applied to describe Bonds’ seven years in Black and Gold.

But, yeah. For what happened Saturday, “nice” will work.

It’s nice that the organization’s best player of the last 45 years came back to be enshrined. It’s nice that, for the first time in a decade, the two-time MVP was applauded by the fans and acknowledged as the franchise icon that he is. It’s nice that his face is on a plaque in the outfield at PNC Park as a permanent memory of his days dominating the National League as a Pirate instead of the angst associated with the memories of his departure.

It would’ve been even nicer if Bonds had never left. Fantasies usually are … nice.

“No question he was a great player here. With the accomplishments, celebrating that portion of his career committed to Pittsburgh seemed appropriate,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting told TribLive. “He’s a fantastic Pirate and becoming a great ambassador for the game.”

Bonds in a gold jacket pic.twitter.com/EeDYOO4gnD

— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) August 24, 2024

Listening to Bonds talk Saturday, it’s almost like there were never any bad times to remember at all.

He gushed about his connection to the city and the Pirates for drafting him. His first apartment on Mt. Washington. His neighbors. The fact that his kids were born at Magee-Women’s Hospital. His Pirates teammates and manager Jim Leyland, who was also inducted Saturday.

He even waxed poetic about Pittsburgh fans when they did get on him.

“They booed us when we needed it. We were always grateful for that,” Bonds said. “And you cheered us when we needed your help. And we always appreciated that, too. We respected that. And I will always remember that about Pittsburgh fans.”

Of course, there were more complexities to Bonds’ stint here than just those fond memories.

There were individual playoff struggles and NLCS defeats. His controversial rebuke of the fans for getting on Bobby Bonilla when he returned to Three Rivers Stadium as a New York Met in 1992. His decree that he would “haunt” the franchise if he didn’t get a contract offer of his liking two years removed from free agency. He had that famous blow-up with Leyland in spring training and plenty of surly exchanges with reporters.

On Saturday, though, those things were forgotten for Bonds.

Well, maybe not forgotten, but not important. Not close to as important as knowing that his Pirates career was being immortalized in the same way as Roberto Clemente’s, Willie Stargell’s and Dave Parker’s.

“History and the game of baseball are very important to everybody. Everyone should have some form of education behind it. These platforms keep that education alive,” Bonds said. “The ones that are before them, the ones that are before me are the greatest teachers. They need to remember us for always, because we are the best teachers. We could teach you things that no one else could ever teach you because we’ve been there.”

Now, 32 years removed from the last time Bonds patrolled left field at Three Rivers Stadium, those memories need a little help to stay alive. Bonds’ enshrinement should help in that regard.

“They got to see one of the greatest players to ever play this game,” Leyland said of Pirates fans who were around when Bonds was in Pittsburgh. “It was an honor to sit back after 33 years managing and think I got to manage one of the greatest to play this game. That’s something awfully special.”

As was getting to see Bonds and Pittsburgh reconnect for the first time since he awarded Andrew McCutchen his MVP trophy in April 2014.

That day, the moment was more about McCutchen. Saturday, while Leyland and two-time World Series champion Manny Sanguillen were also inducted, was about Bonds and his fans who once cheered for him before he headed off to San Francisco, where so many of his personal records were written.

Bonds left after the 1992 NLCS heartbreak. He often came back to boos as a Giant.

Saturday, it was all cheers.

It was nice.

Listen: Tim Benz interviews Jim Leyland about getting inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame on Saturday.