Barry Bonds Returns to Celebrate Andrew McCutchen MVP Award

Welcome back to Pittsburgh Barry Bonds.  We wanted Bonds back when he might actually be able to help the team, as a special instructor, but hell this is about baby steps I guess.

The Pittsburgh Pirates know exactly how to finally get fans into PNC Park a bit early on Opening Day.  Celebrating the 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen is the big occasion on Opening Day and one would think that would be enough.  Unfortunately all of us know that while McCutchen did great things in 2013, the iconic attraction of Bonds is going to bring out the best of Pittsburgh.  And

possibly

definetly the worst.

But the coolest thing about the return of Bonds is this.  The growing young Pirates fan base will get to see Bonds.  (While skipping school!)  It kills us that we aren’t going to be there, but we can appreciate all of you that will be.  If you’re a Dad taking your son, explain what Bonds meant to the Bucs.  Of course he isn’t going to give a real shit, because Andrew McCutchen looks much cooler than the now skinny again Barry Bonds, so maybe you will just be reminiscing on your own.

We are cool with that too.

Barry Bonds is hated by the media in Pittsburgh.  He’s never going to be waxed about poetically, and that’s a shame.  But at least for one day, Dads and Moms, sisters and brothers, whoever and whoever will get to explain what Bonds meant to them and what he meant to a town that was in love with its Pirates.

McCutchen has been able to do everything that Bonds didn’t do.  Cutch made baseball cool again.  He did it with his smile, not his polarizing frown.  Cutch did it with blood, sweat and tears almost single handidly on occasion, carrying the Pirates out of the darkness that was created when Bonds and winning baseball departed the city.  Cutch signed a deal to keep him in Pittsburgh.  Bonds took a big payday to escape the city where he murdered baseballs on his way to two MVP’s.

Some fans are going to spend a few minutes remembering the greatness of Bonds.  Others won’t be so kind.

We have faith that the Pirates are going to be able to choreograph the event with flawless timing.  It’s pretty important that the Bucs do this correctly.  You know, so that those who decide to let Bonds feel their pent up wrath, will be drowned out by those fans that will be there to celebrate the current superstar, not the flawed one.

Maybe next year Bonds can come back and we can do this all over again for Cutch?  I would be cool with that.