Jim Leyland will be among attendees for Barry Bonds’ jersey retirement
Despite their notorious fireworks from nearly three decades ago, it’s nothing but love between Barry Bonds and one of his former managers.
Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported on Thursday that retired skipper Jim Leyland, who managed Bonds on the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992, will be among the attendees for Bonds’ San Francisco Giants jersey retirement ceremony this weekend. The list also includes several other of Bonds’ former teammates, former managers, and other baseball greats.
#SFGiants list of attendees for the Barry Bonds number retirement on Saturday include: Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, Willie Mays, Jim Leyland, Dusty Baker, Bobby Bonilla, Ray Durham, Robb Nen, Kirk Rueter, Royce Clayton, Will Clark, Eric Davis.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) August 9, 2018
Of course, Bonds and Leyland were involved in one of the most famous spats in baseball history when the latter cursed out the former in a profane rant during spring training in 1991. Bonds would leave the Pirates to sign with the Giants a couple years later.
While the two men appear to have since buried the hatchet, we can’t help but notice that there is another notable ex-Bonds antagonist who is not on that list of attendees.