This confrontation between Barry Bonds and manager Jim Leyland at Pirates spring training in 1991 is viewed often by sports fans who like to pretend managers/coaches still have some authority over players.
But they don’t.
The video is entertaining, no doubt. But Bonds didn’t change. He remained a truculent malcontent through the length of his record-setting career. Bonds earned over $188 million, scads more than Leyland.
All Leyland did was yell and drop F-bombs. It didn’t matter. It changed nothing and proved nothing.
Players got the power as soon as they started making more than their managers and coaches.
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