Barry Bonds Wants To Become Hitting Coach

SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire's single-season home run record. Now he wants to follow Big Mac into the coaching profession some day.

Bonds spoke just outside the San Francisco Giants' clubhouse before Game 1 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.

"I love being home. I love being here," he said.

When asked if he'd like to do more than just cheer on his former team in the future, Bonds said he would be interested in becoming a hitting coach in the future.

"I have a gift and sooner or later I have to give it away," Bonds said. "I have to share it. Hopefully I'll get the opportunity here."

Bonds broke McGwire's single-season home run record with 73 in 2001 and went on to surpass Hank Aaron's career mark of 755 in his final season in 2007. The seven-time NL MVP hit 762 career home runs.

McGwire, who retired in 2001, returned to the game this season, back in uniform as hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. The team announced earlier this week that he would be back for a second season.

Before the start of his first spring training as a coach, McGwire ended years of denials and a self-imposed exile by admitting that he had used steroids and human growth hormone on and off for a decade, starting before the 1990 season and including when he broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record in 1998.

Bonds, 46, has also been accused of taking steroids. He is scheduled to go to trial in March on charges that he lied to a federal grand jury in 2003 when he denied knowingly taking steroids.

Bonds, who has never officially announced his retirement, still holds season tickets in San Francisco but has made infrequent visits back to his old ballpark. This was his third trip this season. He came back in April for a reunion of the 2000 NL West champions and last week to throw out the ceremonial first pitch during the NL championship series against Philadelphia.

While there are only a handful of Giants left from his final season in 2007, Bonds said he knows most of the players and has enjoyed watching the team make the postseason for the first time since his departure.

He said it would mean a lot to the city if the Giants could win their first World Series title since moving to San Francisco in 1958.

Comments

[iuriggs6]

12:34 PM on 11/01/2010

He would be great at teaching young players how to treat teammates like dirt, the media like dirt and how to take steroids without getting caught...

[bmwracer]

12:28 AM on 11/01/2010

Can you be a coach from jail?

[yankeefan771]

07:35 PM on 10/31/2010

Strength and conditioning coach.

[Puller58]

05:39 PM on 10/31/2010

I'm tempted to chalk this up to his attorney putting him up to this to try and curry favor with potential jurors.

[hazbro24]

01:10 PM on 10/31/2010

He can teach hitters his vaunted "syringe stance".

[Clevelandinwi]

07:50 AM on 10/31/2010

He probably has a new PED to peddle to the Giant players.

[Clevelandinwi]

08:36 PM on 10/30/2010

Can't mlb do something about these 'cheaters' getting back into the game? mcguire in St Louis and now bonds in San Francisco? C'MON.

[frank day]

08:44 PM on 10/30/2010

Because they're all 'clean' now. (rolls eyes)

[deanleto]

09:00 PM on 10/29/2010

sure, but not here....

it's time for us to move on...

[Forester]

04:50 PM on 10/29/2010

We are paying Bonds 5mill a year right now. He should be cutting the grass and washing the big glove at the very least.

[frank day]

08:45 PM on 10/30/2010

Paid for a job well done.

[Clevelandinwi]

07:49 AM on 10/31/2010

Cheating is worth 5mil?

[thatguy715]

04:06 PM on 10/29/2010

The Giants are crazy not to hire the best hitter of his generation (and the best player) to be their hitting coach. Come on! This is a no-brainer.

[Clevelandinwi]

08:37 PM on 10/30/2010

You forgot 'worst cheater'.

[thatguy715]

03:50 PM on 10/29/2010

And not to be a Griffey hater, but he was not as good as Barry, nor was he a more complete player. Griffey was a great fielder, but Barry won eight Gold Gloves. Griffey definitely had a stronger arm, but in every meaningful offensive category, OBP, Slg, walks, Barry was superior.

[tcny]

02:13 AM on 10/30/2010

Bonds was a good fielder until the "juice" made him too muscle-bound to move effectively.

[Schoolgirl666]

08:42 AM on 10/31/2010

Loved Barry, but 'cmon he never had a good arm....that was his only flaw. until the drugs, of course....yea, he made a few outs throwing to home, but those were the exception.

[Clevelandinwi]

08:38 PM on 10/30/2010

....and a cheater.

[thatguy715]

03:47 PM on 10/29/2010

Nice to see so few Barry haters on here. Maybe people are finally admitting how great he was, juice or no juice.
The guy was the best hitter I ever saw. Best eye for the strike zone (he hit .370 the first year he ever cared about batting average). He had a season where he hit 46 home runs and struck out 41 times.
Best power/speed combination of all time, as evidenced by the fact that he is the only member of the 500/500 club (home runs/stolen bases), the only member of the 400/400 club, and the only member of the 350/350 club.
We miss you Barry. I know you juiced and I know you're not easy to get along with, but you were better than anyone you ever played against.

[flyers]

03:24 PM on 10/30/2010

I totally agree with you that Bonds was the greatest player of my generation, but unfortunately his stats are inflated because of steroids use, so he will always have his detractors. The sad thing is that he was a Hall of Famer BEFORE he started using steroid probably around the late 90's! If he would stayed clean, he would have never hit 73 HR's in a season, nor would have broken Aaron's career HR record either, but he would have probably ended up with 600+ HR's, and probably rank in the top 10 players of all-time. But he was dumb enough to make a deal with the devil and take steroids to lengthen his career and have some outrageous stats from 2000-2004, and he will have an asterik next to his name because of that. Pretty tragic if you ask me.

[Clevelandinwi]

08:43 PM on 10/30/2010

....as long as you remember that he was a cheater.

[hazbro24]

01:12 PM on 10/31/2010

Griffey Jr. was the best hitter of that era. Sweetest swing, no juice inflated stats, and hitting against juiced pitchers.

[Supersteel]

09:30 AM on 10/29/2010

I don't think Barry will be asked back.

Besides the steroids, the trial, and what not, he doesn't have a great reputation personality wise.

[frank day]

10:29 AM on 10/29/2010

Says the press, his teammates? Not so miuch.

[GreenAmbition]

11:48 PM on 10/28/2010

Mark McGwire is now coaching people in STL as a batting coach who are clearly better than him clean, than he during his 'alleged' enhancement period. Why not BB since the NBL has lowered it's standards to accept MM.

[Spartan112]

08:35 AM on 10/29/2010

I'm sorry, but I have to ask...is there a complete sentence somewhere in that mess that I'm missing?

[Clevelandinwi]

08:39 PM on 10/30/2010

bonds is a cheater. Easy. Just say it.

[gdfreethinker]

10:20 PM on 10/28/2010

"Yo, Buster. You need a little more of the clear."