Bret Boone expresses family's respect for Barry Bonds' hitting approach

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Barry Bonds' hitting approach made you stop what you were doing to turn on the Giants game. It was an affinity baseball had never seen. 

Reds first baseman Joey Votto once told NBC Sports California that Bonds had an uncanny abillity to pull fly balls, and Votto would watch him obsessively. The Boone family is no different.

Bret Boone spent 14 seasons in MLB across five teams and comes from an extensive bloodline in the game. He spoke to Daniel Flores on the "Dansportsnews and Friends" podcast recently and shared a story about his grandfather Ray, who gushed about Bonds. But that gushing might be an understatement as Ray said the seven-time MVP was a better hitter than legendary Ted Williams.

Boone's grandfather, Ray Boone, a two-time MLB All-Star, would tell endless stories of the players he would share the dugout with to the point where Bret would remind him he's heard the story before. But it was ahead of the time Ray passed away in 2004 when he admitted the hot take, if you will.

Ray had to use a chalkboard to communicate since he was unable to talk. 

Bret said Ray, who spent three decades as a scout for the Red Sox, was talking about former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy and how he had a bright future ahead of him and "has a chance to be good."

It must have reminded him of Bonds because he said his grandfather proclaimed: "And yes, Barry Bonds is a better hitter than Ted Williams."

[RELATED: Bruce Bochy explains what it was like managing Bonds]

For Ray to utter the sentiment was a big deal as Bret explained. He, of course, came from that old-school era that he loved to say was the best in baseball history.

Bob Boone, Bret and Aaron's dad, also had an extensive career in the game that included seven Gold Glove Awards with four All-Star selections and a 1980 World Series ring. He too agreed with Ray.

"No question" the greatest hitter he's ever seen was Bonds.

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