Alex Rodriguez prepares for his comeback with coaching from Barry Bonds:
Barry Bonds, who spent time tutoring Giants hitters last season — Michael Morse credited Bonds after his majestic pinch homer in the pennant clincher — has broadened his teachings to other players. One of his students, Dexter Fowler, was traded Monday from the Astros to the Cubs.
A-Rod continues to have a tin ear when it comes to how the public perceives him, and this won’t help. Bonds, however, was not only a great hitter, but a student of how to be a great hitter. Barry even took lessons from watching David Eckstein swing:
Eckstein’s hitting coach — his brother Ricky — happened to be on the trip.
“I couldn’t believe it,” David said. “I looked over one day, and there’s Barry with my brother, talking about the fundamentals of what I do.”
Trade secret? Nah. Eckstein gave it up.
“It’s all in the first three inches,” he said, “starting the swing, keeping my hands in.”
Bonds quickly adapted it into his swing.
If Mark McGwire can be a hitting coach, so can Bonds. If nothing else, it shows that Alex is serious about his comeback.
Tin ear or no, this could be exactly what A-Rod needs. No one seemed to care less about facing hostile crowds than Bonds.
Mitch » Yes, I agree. My guess is A-Rod needs to get his hip movement right to get his swing back. Bonds has a great eye for detail, and could get Alex to adjust to his new hips.
I don’t care. Until the media & ownerships and front offices admit to their complicity I’ll just consider this the less flawed era. The greater flawed era was segregation, when great players were kept out.
That aside, it’s easier for a lesser player to coach a greater player because he has to figure out things that the greater player knows by instinct but isn’t aware of.
Now a great player coaching a great player, those are conversations that will leave us with our heads hurting.