People in the spotlight follow a set storyline. Those who are famous must be individuals good of the heart, serving as an inspiration to others. When that narrative is broken, the masses label them as villains. The same happened to Barry Bonds, the home-run king of Major League Baseball.

Fans largely consider the former San Francisco Giants player to be controversial, least because of the PED accusations that follow him like a shadow. His ‘anti-social’ nature bears the brunt of public dislike because Bonds was never too forthcoming with the media. But another reason for popular dissent was that the retired slugger seemingly refused to teach his ways to teammates.

Barry Bonds Apparently Refused to Mentor His Teammates

The sheer joy that came from watching Bonds play baseball is unmatched by any player. Whether watching him live or on TV, eyes stayed glued to him. The power that Bonds exuded with his hitting remains one of the greatest in MLB and players of the time knew it. Apparently, Bonds’ teammates wanted to learn trade secrets but he refused.

In his book Barry Bonds: A Biography, John Bloom writes in the epilogue on page 118, “Bonds refuses to mentor his teammates in ways that might help them become better hitters because, in the contemporary free agent market, he is afraid they might end up playing against him and using the skills that he taught to defeat the Giants.”

Already widely disliked, the former slugger dug his own grave if these claims are true. Owing to the extreme media attention he received, Bonds never developed the best relationship with them. But his teammates were seemingly not safe from seeing his selfish side either.

Interestingly, Bonds was later hired as a hitting coach for the Miami Marlins but it was disastrous, to say the least.

Bonds’ Hitting Coach Career Flopped Spectacularly

As a youngster, the Home Run King received baseball training from his father as well as his godfather. While Bobby Bonds never quite lived up to his potential, he was a great player. And what can be said about Willie Mays that hasn’t already been spoken?

READ MORE – “All About the Bottom Line Man” – When Ex-Marlins Giancarlo Stanton Weighed In on the Reports of Barry Bonds Becoming Their Hitting Coach

The duo coached Bonds throughout his early days and after retirement, Barry passed on his learnings to the Marlins. Or at least tried to. According to former Miami Marlins president David Samson, “He would sleep in the clubhouse. He would not pay attention during games. He did not work hard. It was a complete disaster.”

While many in his life still have kind words to say about him, voters used either his personality issues or his steroid association to keep Bonds from the Hall of Fame. What a twisted story it has become.

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