Barry’s Babe and the Fine Mr. Michal – by Rick Michal

Barry Bonds wasn't even in the majors yet, and I think he'd just been drafted by the Pirates out of Arizona State University. It was probably 1982 when I was 27 and still single.

I was at O'Hare Airport getting ready to board a plane on a business trip for this local golf magazine that I was working for at the time. I was in line to go thru security and ahead of me was this knock-out blonde, poured into this teeny little white dress that showed all her curves and plenty of leg. On top of that, she was in these black high-heal pumps that would click and clack as she walked through the terminal, and I was memorized. I didn't normally do this, but it's like the Holy Spirit alighted on me, and I ran up to catch her as she walked to her plane. I struck up a conversation and used the old "I'm a golf writer" line. Turns out she was an ASU student on her way back to school, and she said something about her boyfriend plays golf and he used to be an ASU player who'd been drafted. And I said I'm a baseball fan, who is he, and she says Barry Bonds. Well, baseball geek I am I almost spit out my teeth, because even then he was trumpeted by Baseball America as the next big thing. So even though it looked like I could've gotten her phone number if I'd asked (because she did seem interested, in that "I'm not interested but if you pursue me you never know where you'll get" sort of way), wimp that I am I said a few gosh and golly-gees and then went on my way.

I do know that Bonds later married a white woman and I've always wondered if this girl was it. I am pretty sure now that he's married to a black woman, so it has to be that his marriage to the white woman failed because all that time she was thinking of me. (!)