Former Pirates Manager Gets Major Praise from Barry Bonds
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates had both Hall of Famers, outfielder Barry Bonds and manager Jim Leyland, on the same team and it yielded great results.
Bonds and Leyland both made it to the Pirates in 1986, with Bonds making it up from the minor leagues and Leyland starting his first MLB managerial job that season too.
Leyland commanded respect from Bonds and it showed on the baseball field, as Bonds excelled throughout his seven seasons at the MLB level with the franchise.
Bonds slashed .275/.380/503 with 984 hits, 220 doubles, 36 triples, 176 home runs, 556 RBIs, 251 stolen bases and 611 walks to 590 strikeouts with Pittsburgh
Bonds ranks fifth all-time in Pirates history for home runs, seventh all-time for stolen bases and eighth all-time for his .503 slugging percentage. His overall WAR (Wins Above Replacement) at 50.3 is seventh best, while his 11.2 Defesnive WAR ranks tied for sixth with Sanguillién.
He also was the National League MVP and All-Star in 1990 and 1992 and won three straight Gold Glove Awards and Silver Slugger Awards from 1990-92. He hit 33 home runs and stole 52 bases in 1990, one of only three players to join the 30-50 club. He also hit 34 home runs and stole 39 bases in 1992, with 127 walks to 69 strikeouts.
Bonds spoke on his training regiment during his time in the MLB on the podcast, All The Smoke, with former NBA veterans, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes.
He discussed how he spoke with Leyland about not wanting to hit leadoff in the lineup, but rather in the No. 5 spot.
Leyland, knowing Bonds well, shut him down, but also supported his decision and kept the Pirates from trading him in 1992, when he won his second MVP award.
Bonds praised Leyland as his best manager that he ever had in his life and the two earned enshrinement into the Pirates Hall of Fame last summer.
"And in 1989, I was leading off in Pittsburgh at that time and Jim Leyland, my manager, who’s the most unbelievable manager I’ve had in my entire life and don’t get me wrong, Dusty Baker and Felipe Alou, don’t get me wrong, but he was my first," Bonds said.
"Pittsburgh was the best for me at that time. So I was leading off, and I had never been a leadoff hitter and I’m like, “I’m not leading off. I’m leading the team in home runs,” but yet I got like 40 RBIs or something like that. That’s not me that’s never been my role.
"So my son was born. All I did was train. Out in the snow in Pittsburgh I ran every day and then I said, “I’m not leading off anymore.”
"When I went into the locker room to talk to Leyland, the only thing he says is, “I already know what you’re in here [for] and don’t you say a damn word to me. You my No. 5 hitter, sink or swim kid.
"Cause he knew they wanted to trade me, but he believed in me. I said, “Coach, I’ll mess with you my whole life.” and that’s the year I won MVP."
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.