Barry Bonds is looking to keep a low profile as he returns to San Francisco this weekend.
Bonds, the MLB’s all-time home-run leader, is now the hitting coach with the Miami Marlins. Bonds’ Marlins play in San Francisco this weekend, and as Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News reports, the Giants offered to hold a pre-game ceremony Friday for him to finally be placed on the club’s Wall Of Fame. Bonds declined, telling the Giants he didn’t want to distract from his new gig in Miami.
“He said, ‘Hey, look, I don’t know if that’s fair to my new role. I’ve been hitting coach for 15 games and now I’m going to be honored by the Giants?’ ” Giants CEO Larry Baer told the Mercury News.
“He wasn’t sure that was appropriate or fair to the Marlins. And to Barry’s credit, I think this was a very good call on his part.”
It’s hard to knock Bonds’ reasoning. He’s just started his tenure as Marlins hitting coach to rave reviews. While he certainly deserves to be honored, it would be too soon for this induction. The two sides found a way to still recognize Bonds in a smaller way Friday, though; the Marlins had him turn in the lineup before the game, and he received substantial applause from the fans:
Barry Bonds got a warm welcome as he turned in the @Marlins lineup card before Friday's game.https://t.co/3sUE4fC4ZY
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) April 23, 2016
Baer told Brown that he respects Bonds and tried to find a role for him in the Giants organization before he joined the Marlins. He said there’s no bad blood between the two, as they stay in “close touch.” The Giants do want to honor Bonds and vice versa, and I’m sure sometime soon, when the timing is more appropriate he will be inducted. For now, Bonds wants to take things one day at a time and not cause too much of a scene in his role with the Marlins. You have to respect him for that.
