Bonds' Yankees Snub: A Baseball What-If

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Barry Bond's recently shared a wild story from his career about nearly joining the New

York Yankees.

After leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates with two national league most valuable player awards,

he became a free agent.

That's when Yankees owner George Steinbrinner, called with a promise of baseball's biggest

contract ever.

The offer sounded great at first, but it came with a strict deadline.

Steinbrinner demanded Bond sign by 2 p.m. that very afternoon.

Bond's wasn't having it.

He immediately hung up the phone, shocking his agent Dennis Gilbert, who later asked what

on earth he'd just done.

Instead, Bond signed with the San Francisco Giants, the team near his Bay Area hometown,

whereas father Bobby had also played.

There, he claimed five more MVP awards and smashed 586 home runs.

This, what if tale, reminds us how one quick decision shaped baseball history, keeping

Bond's a Giants icon while sparing fans the sight of those bombs, landing in Yankee

stadiums, short right field.