Home Run King Bonds Back In MLB

Major League Baseball's all-time home run king, Barry Bonds, has been one of the leading faces in the game's steroid era and for that the great slugger has long been condemned by the sport. 

After taking small steps over the past few years, trying to get back into the game by working as a special, spring training hitting instructor with San Francisco Giants, Bonds seems to be getting a shot to get back into the game full-time.

With reports circulating for the past week that Bonds was in the running for one of two hitting coach positions with the Miami Marlins, the club announced their official coaching staff for the 2016 season with Bonds slated as the team's top hitting coach.

Bonds, who boasts a career slash line of .298/.444/.607 and 762 home runs, joins a team with a bevvy of young, potential star hitters, led by All-Star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, that under performed last season, after setting high expectations. He also takes over for incumbent hitting coach Frank Menechino, who will reportedly stay on as Bonds' assistant.

It will be interesting to see how Bonds is welcomed back into the game and how he works with the younger players throughout out the course of the season. Throughout his career, Bonds had issues with teammates and the media, which along with the steroids drama, marred his tremendous 22-year stint in the Majors.

Whether or not people like Bonds because of the steroid issues that follow him around, he was still an amazing hitter and one that stands alone atop one of the top records in the game. If he is truly passionate about helping younger hitters become better ball players and is back in the game for the right reasons, he should be a great asset to new manager Don Mattingly's team.