If Healthy, Bonds Wants To Play In 2007

[Bear]

If healthy, Bonds wants to play in 2007
05/29/2006 9:50 PM ET
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

MIAMI -- A day after Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth into second place on the all-time home run list, the Giants slugger made his most definitive statement yet about whether he expects to play again next season. "If my health feels good and I feel like I can play, then I'm going to play," said Bonds before the Giants lost, 5-1, to the Marlins on Monday night at Dolphin Stadium. "I'm going to give it a shot. There will be a good chance."

Bonds was back in the lineup Monday evening, more than 24 hours after hitting home run No. 714 at San Francisco against Colorado Rockies right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim. Bonds now stands 40 behind Hank Aaron, the all-time leader with 755. Bonds went 1-for-4 against Florida and now has hit only two of his seven homers on the season in his last 73 plate appearances.

The fact that Bonds is secure enough in the condition of his thrice surgically repaired right knee to begin thinking about returning in 2007 means that he's serious about his pursuit of the all-time home run record. But that's not the only reason he's considering coming back.

"My son keeps telling me, 'Dad, you can still play. There's times when you don't run as well, but Dad, you can still hit a ball a long way. If you work on it all the time, you can just keep on doing it,'" Bonds said. "I'll sit back and think about that one. I told him, 'You get straight A's and I'll consider it.'"

Bonds' 16-year-old son, Nikolai, is a sometimes Giants batboy and just happened to be doing the job May 20 in Oakland and Sunday in San Francisco when Bonds tied Ruth and then passed him eight days later. Nikolai was waiting at home plate for Bonds after each tape-measure bolt.

Bonds said part of the impetus for hitting the milestone homer Sunday at AT&T Park was that his son wouldn't be making the six-game trip, which continues Tuesday and Wednesday nights at Dolphin Stadium and then moves on to New York's Shea Stadium, where the Giants open a three-game set against the Mets on Friday night.

Bonds, who has started in 41 of the team's first 51 games, probably will take a day off Wednesday in Florida and then sit for one of the weekend games in New York, manager Felipe Alou said.

Nikolai, a high school student, is taking finals this week.

"I feel good because my son said he's going to do good on his finals if I hit the homer on Sunday," Bonds said, reiterating a point he made during the post-715 press conference. "Now he owes me. He didn't want to watch me hit it on TV."

Bonds has waffled at times about whether he wants to return next season, although his agent, Jeff Borris, said recently that he wouldn't be surprised if Bonds is back on the field somewhere in 2007.

Bonds reiterated Monday that he won't formally commit to returning until later in the season. But the doubt is certainly diminishing.

"It's a long way away. We're still in May," Bonds said. "There's still time. Anything can happen between now and the end of the season."

Bonds is in his 14th season playing for the Giants, but is in his last year of a five-year, $90 million contract. He'll become a free agent after the World Series. Bonds said Monday that there's been no contact with the front office about a new deal, and Peter Magowan, the team's president and managing general partner, has said the Giants won't evaluate re-signing the top left-handed home run hitter in baseball history until the end of the season.

Magowan has also consistently said he wants Bonds to break Aaron's record wearing a Giants uniform.

It's not inconceivable that Bonds could jump to an American League team. Bonds was the designated hitter when he hit his 714th homer at McAfee Coliseum during an Interleague road game. In his 21st season, all in the National League, Bonds said he would rather remain a complete player, playing his left-field spot defensively.

"I'm out there playing every day, playing as much as I'm playing," Bonds said. "That to me is a real positive."

I never thought I would say this, but if he runs and plays the field the way he is now I hope that if he does play in 2007 it is in the AL as a DH.

Bonds can not help the Giants in their quest to win the NL playing the way he is right now! He has said that if he was not helping his team win he would leave the game. Well that time has come. IMO

[SF Kid]

This really surprises me. Although I think hitting 714 and 715 has taken a big load off his mind. Maybe he'll get back to the old Bonds but somehow I'm skeptical.

That he would be talking about 2007 is a little premature in my opinion.

[Bear]

If he can play what will the level be?

[SF Kid]

I think he would be better served to be in the AL as a DH as you mentioned before.

I do think it would be hard for Bonds to leave the Giants but I think it will be equally hard for the Giants to keep Barry.

[Bear]

The DL role is the only thing that makes sense!

[Giants666]

Bonds will retire a Giant!!! To even think otherwise is ludacris!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bear]

Than it is time to retire!

[SF Kid]

I'm just not sure the Giants will make that kind of financial commitment past this season. The handwriting is definitely on the wall. Time to move in another direction. As much as I likle Barry you just have to start thinking about what is best for the ball club long term.

[Giants666]

The Giants won't let him go and hit 756 in another uni niether.

[Bear]

666... The owner will not pay Bonds the big bucks to play no defence, hit
below .275 and 20HR. This is not even an average players output! This is not the Bonds of 2002-2004 when he was the Best in baseball This is an old man on his way out! Also baseball is a business not a game for the owners. If you do not produce you are gone!

[love_that_reefer]

LOLOLOL .274 and 20 homers in Feliz's numbersLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[Bear]

The Bonds of today is no better than Feliz today! If fact Feliz may be better.
We are not talking about the Bonds of 2002-2004. We are talking about Bonds in 2006!

[GiantsFanatic]

i heard rumors that the A's might want him, it makes sense, since there in the AL he can play DH, also billy bean loves players with a high OBP, also Bonds will be across the bay, not far from SF

[Bear]

This would be a move I could get behind. Bonds goes where he really has a chance to get his ring and the Giants could get players who could help now and in the future.JMO

[love_that_reefer]

Oakland has a worse record than we do and they already have a DH.

The Bonds of today is no better than Feliz today! If fact Feliz may be better.
We are not talking about the Bonds of 2002-2004. We are talking about Bonds in 2006!

I was pointing out that Feliz is not even an average hitter according to your previous posts