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Former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star pitcher Ricky Bottalico must have been watching the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night.
The pre-show aired on Netflix that included Elle Duncan, Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols and Anthony Rizzo replayed Bonds’ fight with Bottalico in 1998. Bottalico tackled Bonds during a game between the Phillies and the San Francisco Giants, causing the only time Bonds took the mound.
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Ricky Bottalico of the Philadelphia Phillies throws during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. (Jonathan Kirn/All Sports)
While Duncan said Bottalico swore he missed the pitch, Bonds denied it.
“No, he didn’t, he didn’t run away,” Bonds said. “He’s a good pitcher and a good man. In that situation, it was part of the game of baseball during that time, and I accepted it.”
Bottalico rejected Duncan’s idea that the ball got away from him when he appeared on 97.5 The Fanatic on Tuesday before the MLB All-Star Game took place in Philadelphia.
“That’s a blatant lie.” said. “I’ve told the story on this show, I’ve told the story on NBC Sports Philadelphia, I’ve told the story. They told me to go in and punch Barry Bonds. It’s that simple.
Elle Duncan attends the 7th Annual Sports Power Brunch: Celebrating the Most Powerful Women in Sports at the Four Seasons San Francisco on February 4, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Jeff Schear/Getty Images)
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“When it happens, in the papers the next day and all that back then, I had to say I didn’t do it on purpose or I’d get suspended for a month. It’s that simple. Yeah, we had to lie back then.”
Bottalico said he returned to the locker room and his coaches told him, “Don’t tell me you did it on purpose.”
“Elle, bad, bad, bad, oh, did I say bad? Bad,” he added.
Bottalico said the team was frustrated with Bonds because he stole a base when the Giants were up seven runs. He said he shouldn’t even pitch that day because he was coming off surgery and had already shown up the night before.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ricky Bottalico is shown in action on the mound. (Photos by RVR/USA TODAY Sports)
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The right-hander made one All-Star Game appearance in his career: the 1996 season. That year, he had a 3.65 ERA in 69 appearances. He played five consecutive years for the Phillies before becoming a journeyman reliever in the league.
