Bonds interested in joining Team USA squad? (3/10)

[TeamBoone]

March 10, 2006, 5:01 PM ET
Bonds' interest in Team USA is news to managerESPN.com news services


PHOENIX -- Barry Bonds is thinking about joining the United States team in the World Baseball Classic, assuming it advances to the second round of play.

But U.S. manager Buck Martinez says it's news to him. Martinez said he has no plans to alter his 30-man roster to make room for Bonds. WBC rules allow teams to substitute a player for the next round if there is an injury.

ESPN analyst Rick Sutcliffe said Thursday night that he'd spoken with Bonds, who had expressed interest in the WBC. Martinez was interviewed during the game and said it would only happen if his team suffered an injury.

Bonds shagged a few fly balls on a back field at Scottsdale Stadium and took some cuts in the cage Friday before spending the rest of the morning socializing with members of the U.S. team before the Americans' World Baseball Classic game against South Africa.

Bonds didn't travel to Tucson with the Giants a day after making his Cactus League debut with a single and a strikeout in a loss to the Angels, but was planning to be the designated hitter again Saturday against Oakland at Phoenix and appear in left field for the first time Sunday at home against San Diego.

Just before the first pitch of the Classic game, Bonds crossed the field from San Francisco's clubhouse -- by then being used by South Africa -- to hug Yankees star Derek Jeter behind home plate. He waved with both arms and walked into the U.S. dugout to a smattering of boos from fans.

On Thursday, former commissioner Fay Vincent, weighing in on the controversy caused by a book detailing Bonds' alleged drug use, said that current commissioner Bud Selig should investigate Bonds.

"I think he should hire somebody like John Dowd or set up a committee," Vincent said Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "He needs to do that, maybe headed by Mario Cuomo or George Mitchell, somebody of that ilk."

Friday, ESPN's Pedro Gomez reported that baseball officials are taking a serious look at documentation in "Game of Shadows," but that suspending Bonds is not currently on the commissioner's radar.

The 41-year-old Bonds, still coping with a tender right knee following three operations last year, hopes to play opening day April 3 at San Diego after being limited to 14 games last season.


http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2362723

[TeamBoone]

Friday, Mar 10, 2006 3:09 pm ES
Bonds has a fun day at the ballpark after short workout
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Barry Bonds breezed through a short workout Friday, crushing several batting practice home runs -- including one that nearly hit a moving truck.

After shagging a few fly balls on a back field at Scottsdale Stadium and taking some cuts in the cage, Bonds spent the rest of the morning socializing with members of the U.S. team before the Americans' World Baseball Classic game against South Africa.

He grabbed a camera from his personal videographer and clicked a few frames of the three-generation Griffeys behind the batting cage -- Ken Griffey Sr., Junior, and his son, 12-year-old Trey.

Bonds hollered for his godfather, Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who sat in the dugout signing baseballs.

"Hey, hey, hey, Willie, come here! ... Willie, they want a designated hitting coach!"

Bonds didn't travel to Tucson with the Giants a day after making his Cactus League debut with a single and a strikeout in a loss to the Angels, but was planning to be the designated hitter again Saturday against Oakland at Phoenix and appear in left field for the first time Sunday at home against San Diego.

"I felt good," Bonds said Friday as he made his way in from the cage on a cool but sunny desert day. "I have sun. Every day I wake up it's sunny."

Just before the first pitch of the Classic game, Bonds crossed the field from San Francisco's clubhouse -- by then being used by South Africa -- to hug Yankees star Derek Jeter behind home plate. He waved with both arms and walked into the U.S. dugout to a smattering of boos from fans.

The San Francisco slugger sure appears relaxed only days after release of excerpts from "Game of Shadows," an upcoming book written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters that reveals in vivid detail Bonds' alleged longtime steroid use.

A couple of his batting practice homers cleared a carport beyond the wall in right-center, and he hit one monstrous shot over the high wall in dead center. Only a few balls even came his way in the outfield, and Bonds appeared bored at times -- crossing his arms or leaning over with his hands on his knees.

With teammate Daniel Ortmeier hitting and Bonds standing in left and jabbering with reserve catcher Yamid Haad, the seven-time NL MVP waved his hands begging for a ball to come his way.

The 41-year-old Bonds, still coping with a tender right knee following three operations last year, hopes to play opening day April 3 at San Diego after being limited to 14 games last season.

He is third on the career homers list with 708, seven shy of passing Babe Ruth and 48 from breaking Hank Aaron's mark of 755. Bonds insisted after Thursday's game he isn't focused on the records, but he would like to add 3,000 hits to his amazing list -- and he'd like to do it in a Giants uniform.

Bonds is in the final season of a $90 million, five-year contract and will be eligible for free agency after the World Series, but has said he can't imagine playing anywhere else but San Francisco.

Can he get the 258 more hits he needs?

"If I get 258 more pitches. I don't know, man. That 3,000 is nice," said Bonds, who walked a record 232 times in 2004, 120 of those intentional passes. "That's something I'd like to do, pretty much more than anything else. Just so I can talk with Tony Gwynn. Maybe I can get a hitting coach's job at his school."

Bonds also hinted he might announce his plans for 2007 by the All-Star break or shortly after. If he does get hurt again and needs yet another surgery, he doubts he'll go through all the rehabilitation work again.

"Not at all. I want to be able to play with my kids, man. There's more to life than just baseball," he said Thursday. "I think about (retiring) every year. I don't know what keeps me coming back. The first and the 15th? Or something ... I pay child support, y'all. I gotta have a job."

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

[puca]

"Not at all. I want to be able to play with my kids, man. There's more to life than just baseball," he said Thursday. "I think about (retiring) every year. I don't know what keeps me coming back. The first and the 15th? Or something ... I pay child support, y'all. I gotta have a job."

Tragically (I know many of you don't feel this way), because of the decisions he has made he is unlikely to enjoy much of a post-baseball life.

[OnBaseMachine]

Tragically (I know many of you don't feel this way), because of the decisions he has made he is unlikely to enjoy much of a post-baseball life.

I said the same thing a couple days ago. He won't live to be 50, sadly. I hope that I'm wrong because as much as I can't stand the guy, I certainly don't want him to pass away before living a full life.

[MartyFan]

Isn't it strange that the only time Barry Bonds has a personality is when his OWN videographer is around?

Is it just me or did Bonds at one time talk about signing with the Reds? I think it was around the time of the Junior deal.

[TeamBoone]

I don't remember ever hearing anything about Bonds joining the Reds.

[Redsland]

Doesn't ring a bell.

[MasonBuzz3]

I remember something about Bonds saying that he would love to play beside Junior. I don't think he said anything about playing for the Reds, just that he would like to play beside Junior. I think there were threads on the board about trade proposals and projections.
i found this article from 2000, in which bonds says it is his "dream" to play with junior
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...07/SP39578.DTL

[beb30]

Yeah i heard the exact same thing about him wanting to play beside junior and i believe that came out around the time we were just getting junior.

[OnBaseMachine]

Are Bonds and Griffey still friends? I thought I read/heard something awhile back that stated they no longer talk.

[Edd Roush]

OBM, I am pretty sure Griffey are still friends. In the article above, it is talking about how Bonds was taking pictures of the three generations of Griffeys and on ESPN it was saying how Bonds was doing a lot of talking to Griff at the WBC.