Pittsburgh Review

PITTSBURGH – When the Pirates hired Jim Leyland as their manager ahead of the 1986 season, the headline in the newspaper asked, “Jim Who?” At the time, it was a fair question. Leyland never played in the Majors and only had one stop in his Major League coaching career with the White Sox. He was largely unknown, even to his players.

"We didn't know anything about Jim Leyland, and he didn't know anything about us,” Barry Bonds said. “He simplified everything. His expectations weren't high. Just demanded respect and for us to do our job.”

The partnership between Leyland and Bonds proved to be one of the most successful in franchise history. Bonds began a legendary career in Pittsburgh, winning the first two of his seven National League MVP Awards. He was also instrumental for a Pirates club that won three straight division titles under Leyland.

On Saturday, they were reunited again as Bonds, Leyland, and Manny Sanguillen were inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame as part of their 2024 class.

During his acceptance speech, Bonds acknowledged that playing under Leyland at the start of his career was “probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Leyland expressed that Bonds is the greatest player he has ever coached and found it special that they were part of the same class.

“Hey, we grew up together,” Leyland said. “He was a rookie player. I was a rookie manager... We suffered some time to learn what it took to play at this level... But we were always together.”

Bonds hit 586 of his 762 home runs with the Giants but recognized he needed to take his first steps as a professional with the Pirates. When drafted by Pittsburgh, he told his father he was excited because he knew they were rebuilding and saw an opportunity.

Until Saturday, Bonds hadn’t been back in Pittsburgh since presenting Andrew McCutchen with his NL MVP Award during Opening Day of 2014. Now he has a permanent marker at center-field gate commemorating his impact on this city.

"I was just shocked it was happening,” Bonds said. “We didn't have a Hall of Fame thing when we were here... It's nice coming back to where it started for me.”

Leyland and Bonds’ most memorable moment together might be from Spring Training in 1991 when Leyland chewed out his star slugger—a video which went viral before such things existed online—but both men have maintained their strong bond over decades.

“I’ve often heard that sometimes 38 years of friendship is disrupted by a two-minute argument,” Leyland said. “But I think that’s pretty good.”

Sanguillen joined them in this induction class despite wrapping up his playing days before their arrival in Pittsburgh but remains an active presence at PNC Park through Manny’s Market and BBQ where fans often find him engaging warmly with patrons.

“I feel like I love everybody,” Sanguillen said on how he hopes to be remembered. “I get along with everybody... That's my life; it's in Pittsburgh.”

Sanguillen's inclusion isn't merely due to popularity; he's also celebrated for being among baseball's most accomplished catchers during his era and contributing significantly to Pirates' World Series wins in 1971 and 1979—amassing over 1,500 hits during his career along with key performances including game-winning plays during pivotal series moments.

“Thank God that I came here to play,” Sanguillen expressed joyfully.