SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Barry Bonds has much to share with baseball: His place in a great family lineage. His pride in the city and team he represented for 15 years. His own stature as a hitter and the vast knowledge behind it.
These were the primary factors behind Bonds' decision to rejoin the Giants as a special advisor to club president and chief executive officer Larry Baer, a move that the all-time home run leader cordially discussed as he reported for his first day of work Wednesday.
Bonds rolled all of these essential elements into his opening remarks.
"What I enjoy is just my home. I want to be back at home," he said. "I want to help our community, our team, San Francisco, the Giants, and other younger guys, younger players, keep the tradition alive."
That, Bonds added, is what his godfather, the legendary Willie Mays, has done by continuing to devote his presence and time to the organization. Bonds' father, Bobby, did the same thing by serving as a hitting instructor. Bonds cited Hall of Fame first baseman Willie McCovey's continued devotion to the Giants as another example.
"It's the right thing to do," Bonds said. "I want to help our community kids become Giants. And good ones."
Though involvement in local events is part of Bonds' job description, his work with hitters -- from the Giants' biggest stars to the team's Minor Leaguers -- is destined to attract the most attention. He gained experience in this realm by serving as the Marlins' hitting coach last season.
Addressing this experience again prompted Bonds to invoke the memory of his father, who was perhaps the game's most multitalented player in his era.
"I did the thing I thought my father would want me to do," Bonds said. "I thought that my dad would tell me, 'If you want to do this, then you go in the dungeon with everyone else and you do it that way.'"
At 53, Bonds feels poised to help the Giants perpetuate their legacy.
"It's time for us to bring along this generation so they can have the same feeling we had throughout our career," Bonds said. "That's pretty much what I want to do, is to see the [Buster] Poseys and [Joe] Paniks and [Hunter] Pences and them ... retire like I do and ride their bike or scooters or whatever they want to do and have the whole city of San Francisco say, 'Hey, man, it was great watching you throughout your career.' That's what they play for, and I hope they'll keep that tradition alive and help the generations afterward."
It's believed that Bonds' official return to the Giants will lead the organization to honor him in a fashion that befits a seven-time National League Most Valuable Player Award winner. A plaque on the Wall of Fame, which honors the franchise's San Francisco-era greats, can be considered a virtual certainty. Retiring Bonds' No. 25, which nobody has worn since his career ended in 2007, also appears to be a lock.