Bonds: Passing Aaron not likely

[Phuck the Cubs]

DENVER -- That first homer of the season is out of the way, but even if only a few more are to come, Barry Bonds is satisfied. And for the first time this weekend, the Giants slugger admitted that Hank Aaron's all-time mark of 755 home runs may very well be out of reach.

 

"I'm happy with what I've already done," Bonds said in a wide-ranging interview with MLB.com that encompassed his hitting problems over the first three weeks of his 21st season. "If I get it, I get it; if I don't, so be it. That's life, baby. That's life. It was fun while it lasted."

 

The effects of playing on a right knee surgically repaired three times last year, plus the added annoyance of a left elbow that is puffed up because of bone chips is making a shot at the Hammer more remote, Bonds said.

 

"Heck no," Bonds said when asked if he still had a chance to catch Aaron. "Maybe something would happen during the winter time. My knee could get better. Maybe there will be some kind of solution they can come up with that would make the pain go away. Who knows? There are all kinds of reasons. When you get older, these kinds of things happen. But that's baseball."

 

Bonds pinch-hit and struck out to close the ninth inning of Sunday's 3-2, 10-inning Giants loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. That whiff came a day after he hit his 709th homer in his 14th game, 31st at-bat and 52nd plate appearance of the young season. At third on the all-time list, he's now five behind Babe Ruth's 714 and 46 behind Aaron.

 

For the last week, Bonds had been trying to play through increasing pain in the knee, which limited him to just 14 games last season. After missing five months and taking two weeks of batting practice, Bonds surprised everyone when he returned on Sept. 12 and hit five homers in his first 36 at-bats. The difference between now and then is simple, Bonds said.

 

"Last year when I came back, there were only a few weeks left and I gave it everything I had because it was just a short time," said Bonds, who missed the final four games of the season after the Giants were eliminated from contention in the National League West by the division-winning Padres. "When the year was over, I was done. I couldn't have played another game. If we had made the playoffs, I wouldn't have been able to play.

 

"It took awhile after the season was over to recover. All I could do for three weeks was sit in a pool. There was a point there when I thought I was finished -- that I wouldn't be able to play again. I was in rehab for a long time. This year I committed to these guys for the entire season. I have to pace myself. It's an entirely different thing."

 

to the babe and beyond

 

Bonds said his knee has remained steadily swollen for about a week and only a short break might be the elixir to bring it back to normal. But Bonds said he has no intention of shutting it down for a while after he passes Ruth and goes into second on the all-time list.

 

"If I took off for five days, the swelling would be gone," Bonds said. "But I don't have five days. I'm not taking five days off. I'm going to keep playing. I'm playing all year no matter what. Why would Ruth matter? This is a team. I'm trying to win a championship here. Ruth doesn't have anything to do with my championship. He won some. Let me have some.

 

"The thing is, I'm not trying to pass Ruth because Ruth doesn't have the record. Hank Aaron has the record. Going past Ruth would be just like going past Mike Schmidt or anyone else in baseball. Right? The record is Hank Aaron's. The topic is Babe Ruth."

 

The topic is also Bonds' slow start. He has two RBIs, the one homer and three doubles in 57 plate appearances, 20 of them walks. Including Sunday's whiff and because the official scorer changed a call from Saturday night and credited Bonds with a base hit on his sixth-inning grounder back to the pitcher that originally was called an error, Bonds is now batting .200 (8-for-35) with a .509 on-base percentage.

 

Still, Bonds said he's all upper body now, and because of changes in his training techniques, he's getting no power out of his legs.

 

"When you get older, you've got to hang in there and keep working out," said Bonds, who will turn 42 on July 24. "I haven't been able to do that up to my magnitude for over a year now. Running up and down hills, I can't do that. I can't leg press over 150 pounds because of my knee. So my whole body has gone in a different direction.

 

"My upper body is outdoing my lower body. My lower body, there's nothing there. When you're older and that happens, it's twice as hard to get it back. So I'm frustrated. I'm fighting to get the strength back at the same time I'm fighting to stay in shape. But I can't run. How do you do it?"

 

It's why Bonds sounded almost philosophical about his current plight. He fully recognizes there is an end to his career in sight -- whether it's at the end of this season, next year or next week.

 

"So be it," he said. "I'm proud of what I've done. If I finish with 709, so what? That's why I love Willie Mays, my godfather, and Willie McCovey. I respect them so much because they're happy with what they've done. And they support the players who are coming. And if somebody comes up to match what I've done, I'm going to support him, too. I'm not ashamed of what I've done. I'm pleased. If that's it, that's it. So what? I'm not going to give up, but that's for my own peace of mind.

 

"I want to be the type of player my godfather was toward me and my dad was toward me. Like Joe Morgan and Mike Schmidt and some of those other Hall of Famers that were there for me, I want to be there for the next generation. I want to sit there and say, 'Hey, dude, you passed me.' I will be in the front row. I will be there."

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[HuskyCaucasian]

hmmm... Barry, why is your UPPER body lasting longer than your LOWER body..... hmmmmmm

[HuskyCaucasian]

But Bonds said he has no intention of shutting it down for a while after he passes Ruth and goes into second on the all-time list.

 

"If I took off for five days, the swelling would be gone," Bonds said. "But I don't have five days. I'm not taking five days off. I'm going to keep playing. I'm playing all year no matter what. Why would Ruth matter? This is a team. I'm trying to win a championship here. Ruth doesn't have anything to do with my championship. He won some. Let me have some."

 

Who you crappin' Barry? THe ONLY reason you are still playing is becaus eyou want to hit more homers. This has NOTHING to do with a World Series. If you were smart, you'd realize that you bearly being able to play is probably hurting the team!

[Phuck the Cubs]

He's stupid. He had all winter

[SouthsideNorthsideFan]

All he wants to do is pass whitey ...

[fathom]

All he wants to do is pass whitey ...

 

^^^^^^^^^

 

I think people would be amazed to find out how racist Bonds is. Some of the stuff I've heard from ex-teammates is pathetic, in regards to how he acts.

[WHarris1]

Say Bonds hits 20 jacks this year and retires. People will never ever ever ever stop b****ing about how he just wanted to pass Ruth. WTF is he supposed to do? He obviously has very little left in the tank and he's just trying to hang on 1 more year.

[fathom]

Say Bonds hits 20 jacks this year and retires.  People will never ever ever ever stop b****ing about how he just wanted to pass Ruth.  WTF is he supposed to do?  He obviously has very little left in the tank and he's just trying to hang on 1 more year.

 

Bonds has put himself into a position where no matter what he does or doesn't do, he's going to be criticized. He can stop world hunger....and people would still find a reason to not like him. And trust me.....there's no one in sports over the last decade who was more entertaining to watch than Bonds....and Timo. I've always been a big fan of Bonds, and would love to see him go for the record.

[SouthsideNorthsideFan]

Say Bonds hits 20 jacks this year and retires.  People will never ever ever ever stop b****ing about how he just wanted to pass Ruth.  WTF is he supposed to do?  He obviously has very little left in the tank and he's just trying to hang on 1 more year.

 

I agree: He obviously has very little left in the tank and he's just trying to hang on 1 more year. All he wants to do is pass whitey.

[Gregory Pratt]

Who you crappin' Barry? THe ONLY reason you are still playing is becaus eyou want to hit more homers. This has NOTHING to do with a World Series. If you were smart, you'd realize that you bearly being able to play is probably hurting the team!

 

How cynical! HE DOES IT FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME, JERK!

[WHarris1]

I've always been a big fan of Bonds, and would love to see him go for the record.

Green?

 

I hope you are being serious

 

Really - he's 41 years old, there is nothing wrong with playing out your final season at the age of 41. What is he supposed to do play 5 more years to pass Aaron? Would that make everyone happy?

 

If he hits 5 homers this year and is very injury-plagued I would doubt he would come back next year just to "pass whitey".

Edited April 24, 2006 by WHarris1

[WCSox]

^^^^^^^^^

 

I think people would be amazed to find out how racist Bonds is.  Some of the stuff I've heard from ex-teammates is pathetic, in regards to how he acts.

 

No doubt in my mind that if he passes Whitey later this year, he retires.

[fathom]

Green?

 

I hope you are being serious

 

Really - he's 41 years old, there is nothing wrong with playing out your final season at the age of 41.  What is he supposed to do play 5 more years to pass Aaron?  Would that make everyone happy?

 

If he hits 5 homers this year and is very injury-plagued I would doubt he would come back next year just to "pass whitey".

 

No, I'm being very serious. Bonds has been amazing to watch over the last 6-7 years. I've never seen someone just dominate the sport the way he has. Basically, the way Thome has hit the first 3 weeks was the way that Bonds was for the entire season. It's just too bad that everything has happened the way it has.

[SouthsideNorthsideFan]

No, I'm being very serious.  Bonds has been amazing to watch over the last 6-7 years.  I've never seen someone just dominate the sport the way he has.  Basically, the way Thome has hit the first 3 weeks was the way that Bonds was for the entire season.  It's just too bad that everything has happened the way it has.

:puke

 

Yes, the steroid era has been quite entertaining...unfortunately there's been no home (XLB, anyone?) for these monsters.

[Nokona]

Who you crappin' Barry? THe ONLY reason you are still playing is becaus eyou want to hit more homers. This has NOTHING to do with a World Series. If you were smart, you'd realize that you bearly being able to play is probably hurting the team!

 

you're an idiot. his walk totals alone do more for the team than just about anyone in baseball besides pujols. that team is an absolute joke without him.

 

also, even during the 73 HR season, all Bonds talked about was trying to win it all. I remember him saying something along the lines of "Being able to do this in a playoff race is even more special. I wish McGwire could have been able to do it."

 

The man wants a ring. Can you blame him? It's the only thing he hasn't accomplished at the ML level.

[Rex Kickass]

Barry Bonds is no saint, but the way half of the baseball fans in this country want to see him, its like he drowns kittens in buckets when he's in the dugout. Seriously, he is fun to watch.

 

But then again, I think steroid use is stupid - but not cheating.

[Phuck the Cubs]

I think he's going to hang around and try to finish this year, since he's making 18M this year. Maybe if he wants the record, he'll sign on w/ an AL team to be a DH next year

Edited April 25, 2006 by Cuck the Fubs

[HuskyCaucasian]

^^^^^^^^^

 

I think people would be amazed to find out how racist Bonds is.  Some of the stuff I've heard from ex-teammates is pathetic, in regards to how he acts.

DO you know how much crap BigMac would have gotten if he said "I cant wait to pass the black guy Aaron. i dont car about Ruth. i want the black guy"? He'd have been beaten to a pulp. But Bonds says he wants to only pass the white guy because he donst like white guys... nothing is said. What a double standard!

[whitesoxfan101]

I hope all the steroids and s*** he used so he could make the top 2 on the list both black and get all kinds of attention is worth it!

 

He will never get half the respect his numbers say he should, and for good reason. He's the 2nd worst thing to happen for the game since the Black Soxs (1994 strike being the worst of course).

[jackie hayes]

DO you know how much crap BigMac would have gotten if he said "I cant wait to pass the black guy Aaron. i dont car about Ruth. i want the black guy"? He'd have been beaten to a pulp. But Bonds says he wants to only pass the white guy because he donst like white guys...  nothing is said. What a double standard!

Since basically everyone here obviously knows this quote, I'm not sure where you get the idea that the press swept this under the rug. It's been talked about quite a bit. And laughed at quite a bit. Ruth>>>>>>>>>>>everyone, including Bonds, doesn't matter if he gets more hrs. That Bonds doesn't recognize this is funny, not controversy.

 

Though Bonds didn't actually say that "he doesn't like white guys".

[Steff]

All he wants to do is pass whitey ...

 

 

 

Ain't that the pot calling that the kettle black..

[Phuck the Cubs]

Though Bonds didn't actually say that "he doesn't like white guys".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He didn't, but when Ron Kittle asked him to sign a few jerseys for him, Bonds said, "I don't do things for white people"

[Steff]

He didn't, but when Ron Kittle asked him to sign a few jerseys for him, Bonds said, "I don't do things for white people"

 

 

 

 

Ron Kittle = book whore = would, and did IMO, say anything to sell another book.

[Kyyle23]

Ron Kittle = book whore = would, and did IMO, say anything to sell another book.

 

I wanted to say something similar, but I thought against it because Kittle was an ex-Sox player and I didnt want to side with Bonds in any issue. But I do agree, its a story that Kittle tells, and it cannot be verified by anyone but Kittle and Bonds. And given the timeframe of the comments, it was an easy target for Kittle and generated tons of buzz for his book. Until I see(or hear) a quote from Bonds himself that says "I hate White People", Im going to attempt to give him some benefit of the doubt.

[WCSox]

I wanted to say something similar, but I thought against it because Kittle was an ex-Sox player and I didnt want to side with Bonds in any issue.  But I do agree, its a story that Kittle tells, and it cannot be verified by anyone but Kittle and Bonds.  And given the timeframe of the comments, it was an easy target for Kittle and generated tons of buzz for his book.  Until I see(or hear) a quote from Bonds himself that says "I hate White People", Im going to attempt to give him some benefit of the doubt.

 

The way that Barry plays the race card through the media is reason enough for me to dislike him. The fact that he has his own personal section in the locker room with a La-Z-Boy and a big-screen TV and that he routinely fails to show up for the Giants team photos doesn't help, either.