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When Dominic Smith opted out of his minor-league deal with the Yankees, he didn’t necessarily think the Giants would be his next employers.
“To be honest, there were a few other teams,” Smith said. “When the Giants called, obviously, it made the most sense.”
For a few reasons. Mostly, it was a splendid opportunity to play regularly in the big leagues. Also the chance to play on the West Coast; he’s from Southern California. He also revealed he has an affection for Oracle Park and Giants franchise history.
One more reason: Barry Bonds.
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“I’m a big fan of Barry,” Smith said. “Just happy he’s here. I’m going to see what I can pick up.”
The Giants’ new first baseman is more than a Bonds fan. He looks at the home run king and Giants legend as an idol. Hopefully a mentor. And a source of inspiration and important link to baseball’s past.
Smith’s long-standing admiration for Bonds runs so deep that a few years ago, while playing for the Mets, he asked to interview him. Bonds obliged. Next thing Smith knew, he and Bonds were engaging in a fascinating conversation as part of an MLB Network production that was shown live on Instagram and showcased on other platforms.
“We went live for an hour,” Smith said. “We could’ve gone longer. He wasn’t done talking. They kind of wrapped it up on us a little fast. He’s such an interesting and amazing man. With his knowledge, you could talk to him for hours.”
Since joining the Giants as part of Buster Posey’s roster shakeup, they’ve won four straight one-run games including Saturday’s 3-2 thriller over the Braves, decided on Matt Chapman’s walk-off homer. Smith has contributed to the run on both sides of the ball, and through it all, he has made sure to check in with Bonds, who often spends significant time before night games at the Oracle Park batting cage to be available to hitters.
There will be plenty of opportunities for Smith to seek advice from the hitting guru, who’s now 60 and last played 18 years ago.
“His numbers speak for themselves. They’re ridiculous,” Smith said. “He had years where he had higher than .700 slugging percentages, which is league-average OPS right now, which is unheard of. He had OPS-plus seasons of more than 200. It means he’s more than 100 points better than the average player. Come on. I could go on and on about his numbers.
“I believe he should be in the Hall of Fame. I believe he should have his name out there for more people to understand how great he was.”
That was part of Smith’s motivation for interviewing Bonds in February of 2021 on the eve of his fifth season with the Mets. Smith asked his agency, Roc Nation Sports, to help hook him up. Once the arrangement reached fruition, Smith asked Bonds about everything from his career highlights to his relationships with other baseball icons to making the sport more accessible to young African Americans.
For someone who doesn’t interview people for a living, Smith came off as comfortable and conversational — if he turns to broadcasting after his playing days, it would be no surprise — though he admitted he was extremely nervous at first. But he said Bonds made it cozy for him.
“I feel we don’t really have that platform where players shine light on other players,” Smith said. “You kind of get lost when you’re out of the game. Players, fans, they kind of forget some of those great players. I just really wanted to highlight him because of how dominant he was. There’s just none better.”
Smith grew up in Compton, in the South Central section of Los Angeles which has been known for crime, drugs, and gang violence. He’s a product of Major League Baseball’s RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program and MLB’s Compton Youth Academy, allowing him to play ball around the country and world.
“Without the MLB’s academy, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.
Always feeling a need to give back to his community, Smith runs a foundation with two of his close childhood buddies, Ron Miller and Tim Ravare. The mission for Baseball Generations (BBG) is to make the game accessible to kids by providing resources, equipment, life skills programs, and opportunities to play and succeed on and off the field.
It receives assistance from other big-leaguers and corporations and is mostly geared toward inner-city kids in Los Angeles. Smith said he’d like to incorporate his off-field work into Bay Area communities, especially if he can stick around with the Giants.
“It’s a way for us to let them know we can’t use where we come from as a crutch,” Smith said. “Our paths may be a little bit different, but we can still get to where we want to be, whether it’s playing baseball or working off the field. You can be a coach. You can be a broadcaster. You can be a beat writer. You can be anything.
“When I got to the big leagues, yeah, it was fun and great, but it didn’t feel whole. Giving back to where I came from and making an impact in life feels really good. I’m proud of being able to do that. To impact these kids and see their lives change over the years is something I really care about.”
Smith loved baseball from a very young age, and his favorite team was the Angels. The 2002 World Series was a rough memory for Giants fans, especially the Game 6 meltdown, but those were Smith’s guys. He was 7 years old but can still recite the lineup featuring Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson, Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus, Adam Kennedy, David Eckstein, Scott Spiezio, and Bengie Molina.
“They had a ton of great ballers,” Smith said. “I wanted to emulate my game after them. These guys were scrappy, they played hard, they made it tough on opponents.”
Giants fans don’t need a reminder. Had the Giants held on in Game 6, the undisputed World Series MVP would have been Bonds. The young Smith admired Bonds even back then, and all these years later, he said Bonds “was one of the main reasons I started playing baseball.”
In the 2021 interview, Smith and Bonds spoke heavily on race and the challenges Black players have faced from the Negro Leagues to the current game.
There was plenty of baseball discussed, too. Smith asked Bonds which of his records would never be broken, and Bonds said the .609 on-base percentage from 2004 when he walked a whopping 232 times. Bonds broke down Smith’s swing and encouraged him to “master batting practice” — in other words, take full advantage of pitches from the BP pitcher to direct the ball “anywhere you want.”
Bonds was grateful for the conversation and platform, saying, “Maybe it helps people understand us a little bit more because we’ve got a lot to give.”
Smith was thrilled to get the interview four years ago and seems thrilled to have access to Bonds once again.
“I’m just happy he’s here so I can chat with him,” Smith said.
The Giants are happy Smith is here, too.
“This is a great place to be,” he said. “I used to love coming here as a visiting player. To be here as a home player, I can see why players love it. You realize how much fans are into the game. They come out, they support, they cheer. It’s electric. That’s what you dream of. With the bay, it’s so beautiful. With all the history, there’s just something about it, I just feel good here.
“I could only imagine what it was like when Barry was here playing with all the sellouts and the boats in McCovey Cove. Hopefully I can get some splash balls real soon.”