Home Run Derby champion Giancarlo Stanton stood in the batting cage Friday afternoon at Coors Field, making baseballs disappear into the mile-high sky. Behind the cage stood Miami Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds, the majors’ all-time home run leader. Next to Bonds stood Ichiro Suzuki.
That’s quite a trio. And while the kids in the left-field bleachers were waiting to snare a Stanton batting practice souvenir, Ichiro is the man in the spotlight this weekend at Coors Field. He entered Friday’s game against the Rockies with 2,998th career hits in a major-league uniform. He is on the verge of becoming only the 30th player to join the 3,000-hit club.