SF Giants legend Barry Bonds' story on nearly joining Yankees feels almost too good to be true

Opening Night between the SF Giants and New York Yankees was a stinker on the field as San Francisco got blown out, but Giants fans at least got a treat as Barry Bonds recounted how he almost became a Yankee.

Bonds was part of the pregame coverage for Netflix's broadcast of the game but he came up to the booth for one inning and shared a story about how he nearly signed with the Yankees when he was a free agent.

Barry Bonds could have been a Yankee in an alternate universe

Bonds prefaced his story by saying that he was only comfortable sharing it now that George Steinbrenner, the former owner of the Yankees, had passed away.

Bonds said, "Well I would have been a Yankee but Steinbrenner got on the phone and he called us and told me, 'Barry we're going to give you the money to [make you] the highest paid player...but you have to sign the contract by two o'clock this afternoon.'"

Bonds then said that he hung up the phone after this ultimatum and went to grab lunch to think about things which made him realize that he wanted to come home and join the Giants. Maybe Bonds embellished the story a little bit as there are other reports that the Yankees did not make as high of an offer as Bonds was seeking, but if it is even half true it is pretty remarkable.

Streinbrenner and Bonds possess two of the biggest egos that the game of baseball has ever seen so it is not a shock that an ultimatum like that from "the Boss" would have rubbed Bonds the wrong way.

Thankfully for Giants fans, Bonds did in fact come home and had an incredible rest of his career. He spent the next 15 years of his career in San Francisco and won five National League MVP awards, helped ensure the Giants remained in San Francisco, and helped inaugurate a beautiful new ballpark by the Bay.

There may not be a San Francisco Giants anymore without Bonds so the Giants owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Home Run King. Plus, one of Bonds' most epic career homers came against the Yankees so that moment would have never happened had he joined the pinstripes.

More than a few Giants fans may have wished Bonds was in San Francisco's lineup on Opening Night against the Yankees as the Giants had just three hits and were shut out by New York. Bonds has always remained in great shape so even at the age of 61 he could probably still hit a few balls into McCovey Cove.

Bonds is the GOAT so Giants fans will forever be thankful that Steinbrenner ticked Barry off enough to get him to come home and join the franchise that his father, Bobby, and godfather, Willie Mays, played for.