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Barry Bonds credits return with Miami Marlins to father, godfather Willlie Mays

Barry Bonds says his return to baseball is a labor of love inspired by his late father, Bobby Bonds, and his godfather, Willie Mays.

In a wide-ranging interview with MLB.com, Bonds, hired earlier this month as the Miami Marlins' hitting coach, also credited his mother with encouraging him as he questioned whether he was making the right move.

"It was something I had no intention of doing," Bonds said of taking the Marlins job. "And then I started thinking about my dad and everything he taught me. I started thinking about [manager] Jim Leyland and 1986 with the Pirates.