SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JULY 10: Former Major League Baseball player Barry Bonds talks to Ryan Howard #6 of the Philadelphia Phillies during batting practice before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on July 10, 2015 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

The Miami Marlins made the biggest-name hiring when they announced former Giants home run champion Barry Bonds would become the team’s new hitting coach.

The move was seen as controversial, given Bonds PED history and the Marlins being the Marlins. Reaction from managers around the league seemed to be positive, however. The move made sense from a baseball standpoint, as Bonds was one of the greatest – if not the greatest – hitter in major league history, so hiring him as a hitting coach is probably worth a shot. Miami’s new manager, Don Mattingly, who will be Bonds’ boss, seems to agree.

The knowledge is there,” Mattingly told Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports. “You know he understands exactly, probably at a level that maybe not very many may understand, but also a guy that came through a pretty good teaching. His dad was a good teacher. Willie Mays was a pretty good teacher, he’s his Godson. So he’s from a good teaching background. And his attitude of wanting to be good. When Barry Bonds tells me he wants to be good at something, I think he’s going to be good.”

Mattingly wagers that the 51-year-old could still suit up.

Barry could play, I bet,” he said. “He looks like he could still play.”

While Mattingly was clearly joking, we think, looking at the Marlins lineup, Bonds would legitimately have a chance to hit more home runs than everybody not named Giancarlo Stanton and Justin Bour. There hasn’t been a player-coach in a long time, as Cincinnati Reds legend Pete Rose last accomplished the feat with the Reds from 1984-1986. Bonds would give many people a reason to watch the Marlins for the first time.

So it’s extremely unlikely (read: impossible) Bonds ever suits up in the big leagues again, but how much fun would it be if he did. Even for one more at-bat?

[Yahoo Sports]

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