Barry Bonds - Hitting Coach

[shnsajax]

He says he wants to return, would you hire him?

[jersey cubs fan]

He says he wants to return, would you hire him?

 

No. The guy was an amazingly gifted hitter with a flawless approach at the plate, but my guess is he would not be able to teach what made him so great to others.

 

On the other hand, if you've got a solid hitting coach situation in the minors and don't really need a guy in the majors to reteach guys how to hit, it couldn't hurt to have a guy with that flawless approach influencing players to be a little more patient.

[UMFan83]

Stranger things have happened (Mark McGwire getting hired for a hitting coach). But Bonds is a huge dick, I can't see people enjoying his presence on the team as a coach. At least he's apparently giving up his talk that he still wants to return to play.

[daske17]

I'd give him a shot at spring training as an instructor pending the outcome of his prosecution. The guy had an amazing ability to hit regardless of steroids.

 

Given his personality, I think that would be a good opportunity to gauge his ability to coach.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

He says he wants to return, would you hire him?

 

No. The guy was an amazingly gifted hitter with a flawless approach at the plate, but my guess is he would not be able to teach what made him so great to others.

 

On the other hand, if you've got a solid hitting coach situation in the minors and don't really need a guy in the majors to reteach guys how to hit, it couldn't hurt to have a guy with that flawless approach influencing players to be a little more patient.

That and he's a dick.

[imb]

has he ever been able to relate to anyone in his life? i mean, this is a mostly uneducated opinion, but i doubt he would be able to get his points across.

[ELCABALLO45]

has he ever been able to relate to anyone in his life? i mean, this is a mostly uneducated opinion, but i doubt he would be able to get his points across.

 

I picture him trying to teach a prospect and the prospect not agreeing with him and Bonds just flipping out.

[NewUserName]

Maybe Jim Leyland will bring him in to help the Tigers:)

[Northside Blues]

No. The guy was an amazingly gifted hitter with a flawless approach at the plate, but my guess is he would not be able to teach what made him so great to others.

 

He could teach that. It's kind of important. Anyways, like others have said no because he would probably irritate people too much. I do think it'd be worth a flyer if his ego was in check, maybe say 8 or 9 years after he's out of the game like McGwire.

[ConstableRabbit]

Rule #1: Wear an elbow guard that sticks out 4 inches and lean over the plate.

 

 

Any questions?

[Northside Blues]

Reed Johnson says hi.

[chuckywang]

This guy is arguably the most talented baseball player that ever lived. Of course you hire him.

[Guest]

This guy is arguably the most talented baseball player that ever lived. Of course you hire him.

 

Actually, that's an extremely good reason not to hire him.

[Soul]

He might be great with other players, though, where he was terrible with the media. They'd be asking him for advice where everyone on the outside was asking him about drugs.

 

I think I'd hire him. I'm not sure I believe he wants to be a mere hitting coach though.

[javy knows my name]

He might, but there's a lot on anecdotal evidence to the contrary. By all accounts, his teammates hated him his whole career

[mike2482]

He might, but there's a lot on anecdotal evidence to the contrary. By all accounts, his teammates hated him his whole career

 

Jeff Kent would agree with that statement.

[SouthSideRyan]

He might, but there's a lot on anecdotal evidence to the contrary. By all accounts, his teammates hated him his whole career

 

Jeff Kent would agree with that statement.

 

Jeff Kent's teammates would say the same about him.

[mike2482]

He might, but there's a lot on anecdotal evidence to the contrary. By all accounts, his teammates hated him his whole career

 

Jeff Kent would agree with that statement.

 

Jeff Kent's teammates would say the same about him.

 

Yeah they were both awful.

[questionmarkgrace]

He says he wants to return, would you hire him?

 

No. The guy was an amazingly gifted hitter with a flawless approach at the plate, but my guess is he would not be able to teach what made him so great to others.

 

On the other hand, if you've got a solid hitting coach situation in the minors and don't really need a guy in the majors to reteach guys how to hit, it couldn't hurt to have a guy with that flawless approach influencing players to be a little more patient.

 

 

I think what made bonds great before and while on roids is that he was selfless at the plate, he made up for it with his antics in the dugout though. The thing I always noticed is that he choked up on the bat to get better control, something I rarely see with guys like aramis swinging out of their shoes.

 

But Bonds would probably be a terrible hitting coach just as Ted Williams was as coach. THe guys did it too naturally and that initself cannot be taught nor can the instincts that come with it.

[SouthSideRyan]

I too am sick of Aramis Ramirez swinging out of his shoes and striking out 200 times a year

[Bull]

I too am sick of Aramis Ramirez swinging out of his shoes and striking out 200 times a year

???

sarcasm?

[jersey cubs fan]

I too am sick of Aramis Ramirez swinging out of his shoes and striking out 200 times a year

???

sarcasm?

 

Read post above his.

[Bull]

I too am sick of Aramis Ramirez swinging out of his shoes and striking out 200 times a year

???

sarcasm?

 

Read post above his.

 

I did. I'm hoping its sarcastic mockery.

[baseballfan50]

Based on my non-expert opinion, you have to see whether he can actually teach the players anything or not.

 

His past could be one strike against him, but McGwire is a hitting coach, so it's not the only criteria. To me, though, Bonds doesn't look like he would be good with the young players. I don't know him personally, though.

 

And a team has to be willing to hire him. La Russa likes McGwire so he hired him. Before the season started McGwire addressed what he did (which everybody knew about) and apologized and took questions from reporters. After a while, people kind of didn't care as much because everything was out in the open. It didn't make what he did right, but it helped to clear the air.

 

I would think if Bonds ever wants to get into baseball again (if he can) he has to admit what he did and face the media. That said, even before he apologized, McGwire probably wasn't as hated as Bonds because McGwire didn't break as many records and he retired in 2001 (I think?), so McGwire wasn't really in the limelight of suspicion as long as Bonds was. McGwire did retired, whereas Bonds kept playing and (most likely) kept juicing.

 

Really, personality makes a big difference. Bonds comes across as arrogant, whereas notsomuch with McGwire, especially since he returned. The attitude of the potential coach makes a huge difference, because the best player is not necessarily the best coach.