Reports: Bonds to become Marlins hitting coach

The Miami Marlins are a team known for grabbing headlines, for better, or for worse. The Marlins became front page news yesterday when their plans to offer their open hitting coach position to former Pirates and Giants slugger Barry Bonds. The move was met with mixed reaction from fans and detractors alike.

Many fans were excited at the prospect of Bonds mentoring young slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Steroids or no steroids Bonds collected the most hits over his 22 seasons with the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates. Bonds could help in the development of young slugger Giancarlo Stanton along with the rest of the Marlins young and impressionable roster. With his immense knowledge of the art of hitting, Bonds could unleash the untapped potential in several of the Marlins young players.

Jun 28, 2015; Sonoma, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants former player Barry Bonds looks on before the Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Some fans, however, are more skeptical about the move to bring Bonds in as the new hitting coach.  With his links to steroids, and reputation for being a loose canon, many fans fear he could be the wrong kind of influence on the Marlins locker room. Bonds is well noted for his trouble with teammates, issues in the clubhouse, and overall mistreatment of fans. Also, Bonds was linked to Victor Conte and BALCO labs, a independent laboratory linked to supplying steroids to many high profile athletes.

Maybe Barry Bonds is a changed man. Gone are his days of blowing up on teammates, epic spouts of anger and steroids. Maybe he legitimately wants to help young players find their footing in major league baseball.

On the other hand, maybe he’s just a star looking to recapture is glory days. Maybe nothing has changed and he’s still the easily frustrated, hot-headed player who spent many seasons destroying the San Francisco clubhouse.

Regardless, Bonds is reported to have been offered the job, and some sources are saying he is taking it. What his impression, his legacy, and his influence will be is to be determined.