Don Mattingly, the new manager of the Miami Marlins, was one of the best hitters in the 1980s through the 1990s while playing for the Yankees. Another left handed hit machine from that era, Barry Bonds, had even better numbers in most categories. Now it appears the two might work together in Miami, bringing together two former greats that mastered the art of hitting the baseball.
update: marlins target Bonds for hitting coach & there’s hope he accepts (but backlash begins!) https://t.co/kwWHCNAs62
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 1, 2015
The Marlins look like they are aiming at adding Bonds to the coaching staff in the hopes to make a run at a rather winnable NL East next season. The Marlins finished 23rd in all of baseball in batting average, hitting just .260 as a team. They also ranked 29th in home runs, and considering they have one of the best power hitters the league has seen in a while (Giancarlo Stanton), they need all the help they can get. Granted, Stanton only played in 74 games due to injury, but he still lead the team in home runs, telling everyone that Miami needs more depth and a new perspective at the plate. Barry Bonds’ name will always spark controversy due to the steroid allegations he’s received. This is not the first time a “steroid era” star has been hired as a hitting coach. In 2010, Mark McGwire was hired as the St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach, and for three seasons the Cardinals had an explosive offense. Now, Big Mac serves as the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach.
Bonds has more bitterness attached to his name than McGwire, but nobody can argue that Bonds knows how to hit. Don Mattingly has proven he is a solid manager at the MLB level, so Miami should get better regardless. If Bonds is hired by the Marlins to aid Don Mattingly, look for a bit of a media circus, but most of all, look for improved batting numbers from Miami. They couldn’t get much worse, anyway.
