Barry Bonds nears return to MLB
It’s about time home run king got opportunity
It might look and smell like a publicity stunt, and it sure has been easy to poke fun at the Miami Marlins over the years, but you want to know the truth?
Hiring Barry Bonds to be a hitting coach could be a stroke of genius.
The controversial home run king is on the verge of reaching an agreement with the Marlins to become their new hitting coach, splitting duties with Frank Menechino, two people with direct knowledge of the discussions told USA TODAY Sports.
The Marlins have offered Bonds the job, and, barring a last-minute change of heart, Bonds plans on accepting it, the two people told USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were ongoing.
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has been a staunch supporter of Bonds for many years, including when the slugger broke Hank Aaron’s home run record in 2007 amid allegations of steroid use. But Bonds has backing beyond the owner, with new manager Don Mattingly and Menechino on board with the move.
Bonds, 51, was a guest hitting instructor in the San Francisco Giants’ spring training camp two years ago and has been open to returning to the game as a full-time coach. He was hoping it would be in the Bay Area, where he has lived since selling his Los Angeles mansion for $22 million last year.
“I know the game of baseball,” Bonds told USA TODAY Sports this year. “I know hitting. And I know it better than anybody.”
The hiring would draw enormous scrutiny and a fair amount of criticism given Bonds’ link to steroids. Then again, he never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
And a federal appeals court in April overturned his felony conviction for obstructing justice for the testimony he gave before a federal grand jury about his connection to PEDs produced by the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO).
Really, with the exception of Hall of Fame voters, baseball has been able to forgive many of those tainted by PED use.
So why shouldn’t Bonds be welcomed back?