A recent article on Miami Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds explains how he regrets the way he acted during his illustrious playing career.
Barry Bonds is a name that is polarizing amongst baseball fans.
The current Miami Marlins hitting coach holds the MLB record for home runs, with 762, and is likely to hold that record for a long time. Alex Rodriguez is the closest active player with 693, but it does not appear like he will hit 69 home runs in the next two seasons.
Both Bonds and Rodriguez have been accused of using PEDs during their respective careers, but only Rodriguez was caught.
Bonds was always suspected of cheating, and his outwardly negative attitude during his career did nothing to help his view in the public eye.
An article on SportsOnEarth.com explains how Bonds regrets the way he acted and the way he was portrayed.
"“Me. It’s on me. I’m to blame for the way I was [portrayed], because I was a dumbass. I was straight stupid, and I’ll be the first to admit it,” said Bonds, nodding in the visitors’ dugout at Turner Field last week, when he was in Atlanta during his first year as the hitting coach for the Miami Marlins. “I mean, I was just flat-out dumb. What can I say? I’m not going to try to justify the way I acted toward people. I was stupid. It wasn’t an image that I invented on purpose. It actually escalated into that, and then I maintained it. You know what I mean? It was never something that I really ever wanted. No one wants to be treated like that, because I was considered to be a terrible person. You’d have to be insane to want to be treated like that. That makes no sense.”"
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Bonds goes on to explain how the pressure put on him at a young age as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates led to the way he came off to the media. He also explains how he tried to drop the image, but was encouraged by teammates to keep it up.
Anyone who had the success and natural talent Bonds had was sure to draw criticism for every minor mistake he made both on and off the field. He had the choice to try to portray himself as the guy everyone likes, but it is not something required of a star player.
It is not that he was this crude, mean individual, he just did not fit the All-American folk hero persona given to some professional athletes.
Bonds explains how he likes to live his life in the article:
"“People never really see me out that much. When they do, I only like to deal with a small group of people. Even now, I take a shower, dress quick and just go home. I’d rather play sports and be active than to really hang out with people. I don’t know how else to explain what I just said, but that’s who I really am.”"
Bonds has been able to re-emerge as a good guy this season as the Miami Marlins’ hitting coach. His team’s .272 batting average is good for fifth in all of baseball, and he seems to be adjusting well to the coaching scene, just like his former counterpart Mark McGwire is doing with the San Diego Padres.
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Bonds has been out of the league since 2007, so his image should continue to improve as the years pass and the animosity toward him dwindles. Admitting he was did nothing to help his own image should be a great first step toward healing that image.