Bonds To Remain A Giant, Not Become A DH
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants make their first visit ever to the nation's capital on Tuesday night. But the team's managing general partner said that he expects the left-handed slugger to be with the team next year when it returns to RFK Stadium.
Any suggestion that Bonds might play as a designated hitter in 2006 to take some pressure off his surgically repaired knees has evaporated because of his successful first week this season in a Giants uniform.
"What I said was that the only way he would be in the American League is if he came to me and said that's where he wanted to be to be next year," said Peter Magowan prior to Bonds hitting his 705th career homer on Sunday at SBC Park. "But that's not going to happen.
"He said it's not going to happen. He wants to finish up here and I expect that."
Beyond 2006, though, is still up to question, Magowan added.
"I haven't even thought about it yet," Magowan said. "We'll think about all that next year. Right now, we're thinking about '06. That's all we're thinking about."
Bonds has one more year to go on his contract, worth $18 million, and has said he might like to come back in 2007 if he still has a chance to catch Hank Aaron for the all-time home run record. That pursuit was derailed for the first 142 games this season while Bonds recuperated from three surgeries on his right knee from Jan. 31 to May 2.
Bonds is nine homers behind Babe Ruth's 714 and 50 away from of Aaron's 755. Now that he's back and hitting homers again, Bonds said he's staying put in San Francisco for the foreseeable future.
"I have a contract and they can't trade me," said Bonds, who has that no-trade right as a 10-year veteran with at least the last five seasons playing for the same team. "Not unless I ask and I'm not asking. This is where I want to finish my career."
With only 13 games left to play this season, a healthy Bonds should pass Ruth in late April or early May of next year. But even if he reaches his average three-year output from 2002-04 of 45 homers next season, Bonds would fall short of Aaron's mark.
He's only hit 50 or more homers once during the first 19 years of his Hall of Fame career -- in 2001 when he set the single-season record of 73.
Plus, Bonds, who will turn 42 next season, doesn't expect to play in as many as 130 to 150 games as he did during his last five full seasons. Last year, playing much of the season on damaged knees, Bonds appeared in 147 games, a team high.
Magowan said he thinks Bonds should play in from 110-120 games next year.
"More like 120," he said.
That projects to fewer home runs, depending on how many pitches Bonds sees to hit. Going into this season, Bonds had been walked 872 times -- 306 of them intentionally -- during the previous five seasons.
About his pursuit of Aaron, Bonds said recently that he has no doubt he can hit. Bonds is continuing to prove that. In the six games (five starts) he has played since his return on Sept. 12, Bonds is 5-for-16 (.312), with two homers, three RBIs, three runs scored, a double and three walks (one intentional).
"I know I'm going to be able to hit until I'm 50," Bonds said recently. "The question is whether I'm going to be able to do everything else. I don't know if I can do it every day, either. I can outrun you once. I don't know if I can do it again. I can hit a ball 410 feet. I don't know if I can do it again on the next pitch. I might be grabbing my rib cage."
Bonds certainly can still hit a baseball a long way. He smashed No. 705 on Sunday at SBC Park into McCovey Cove, high above the 25-foot brick wall and arcade seats, the 32nd time he's hit one there since the ballpark by the bay opened in 2000.
He just missed another one against the Dodgers' Derek Lowe last Thursday night when he blasted the ball into the water. It had twisted just foul on its flight out of the ballpark.
Bonds has hit homers into the far reaches of 34 Major League yards, both old and current, against a record 415 pitchers, and can add RFK Stadium to that list during a three-game series this week.
He'll look toward the upper outfield bowl in the enclosed 44-year-old stadium and notice the white seats that represent several spots reached by former Senators powerhouse Frank Howard when that American League team played in RFK from 1962-71.
Bonds, of course, will want to set his own standard.
"If I put my mind to it, there's nothing I can't do on a baseball field," Bonds said.
Last week, he was showed nothing but adoration by the San Francisco baseball fans. There were a few boos, he said, "little Dodger ones," but he expects that to change during a 10-game trip that moves on to Denver and San Diego later in the week.
"I'll get boos; you're supposed to boo me," Bonds said. "They don't hate you, man. They like you, they're supposed to do it, that's all."
Asked why the opposition's fans are "supposed to do it," Bonds concluded:
"Because I'm good, that's why. I'm coming to get 'em. I don't care. Just bring it on, man."
Any suggestion that Bonds might play as a designated hitter in 2006 to take some pressure off his surgically repaired knees has evaporated because of his successful first week this season in a Giants uniform.
"What I said was that the only way he would be in the American League is if he came to me and said that's where he wanted to be to be next year," said Peter Magowan prior to Bonds hitting his 705th career homer on Sunday at SBC Park. "But that's not going to happen.
"He said it's not going to happen. He wants to finish up here and I expect that."
Beyond 2006, though, is still up to question, Magowan added.
"I haven't even thought about it yet," Magowan said. "We'll think about all that next year. Right now, we're thinking about '06. That's all we're thinking about."
Bonds has one more year to go on his contract, worth $18 million, and has said he might like to come back in 2007 if he still has a chance to catch Hank Aaron for the all-time home run record. That pursuit was derailed for the first 142 games this season while Bonds recuperated from three surgeries on his right knee from Jan. 31 to May 2.
Bonds is nine homers behind Babe Ruth's 714 and 50 away from of Aaron's 755. Now that he's back and hitting homers again, Bonds said he's staying put in San Francisco for the foreseeable future.
"I have a contract and they can't trade me," said Bonds, who has that no-trade right as a 10-year veteran with at least the last five seasons playing for the same team. "Not unless I ask and I'm not asking. This is where I want to finish my career."
With only 13 games left to play this season, a healthy Bonds should pass Ruth in late April or early May of next year. But even if he reaches his average three-year output from 2002-04 of 45 homers next season, Bonds would fall short of Aaron's mark.
He's only hit 50 or more homers once during the first 19 years of his Hall of Fame career -- in 2001 when he set the single-season record of 73.
Plus, Bonds, who will turn 42 next season, doesn't expect to play in as many as 130 to 150 games as he did during his last five full seasons. Last year, playing much of the season on damaged knees, Bonds appeared in 147 games, a team high.
Magowan said he thinks Bonds should play in from 110-120 games next year.
"More like 120," he said.
That projects to fewer home runs, depending on how many pitches Bonds sees to hit. Going into this season, Bonds had been walked 872 times -- 306 of them intentionally -- during the previous five seasons.
About his pursuit of Aaron, Bonds said recently that he has no doubt he can hit. Bonds is continuing to prove that. In the six games (five starts) he has played since his return on Sept. 12, Bonds is 5-for-16 (.312), with two homers, three RBIs, three runs scored, a double and three walks (one intentional).
"I know I'm going to be able to hit until I'm 50," Bonds said recently. "The question is whether I'm going to be able to do everything else. I don't know if I can do it every day, either. I can outrun you once. I don't know if I can do it again. I can hit a ball 410 feet. I don't know if I can do it again on the next pitch. I might be grabbing my rib cage."
Bonds certainly can still hit a baseball a long way. He smashed No. 705 on Sunday at SBC Park into McCovey Cove, high above the 25-foot brick wall and arcade seats, the 32nd time he's hit one there since the ballpark by the bay opened in 2000.
He just missed another one against the Dodgers' Derek Lowe last Thursday night when he blasted the ball into the water. It had twisted just foul on its flight out of the ballpark.
Bonds has hit homers into the far reaches of 34 Major League yards, both old and current, against a record 415 pitchers, and can add RFK Stadium to that list during a three-game series this week.
He'll look toward the upper outfield bowl in the enclosed 44-year-old stadium and notice the white seats that represent several spots reached by former Senators powerhouse Frank Howard when that American League team played in RFK from 1962-71.
Bonds, of course, will want to set his own standard.
"If I put my mind to it, there's nothing I can't do on a baseball field," Bonds said.
Last week, he was showed nothing but adoration by the San Francisco baseball fans. There were a few boos, he said, "little Dodger ones," but he expects that to change during a 10-game trip that moves on to Denver and San Diego later in the week.
"I'll get boos; you're supposed to boo me," Bonds said. "They don't hate you, man. They like you, they're supposed to do it, that's all."
Asked why the opposition's fans are "supposed to do it," Bonds concluded:
"Because I'm good, that's why. I'm coming to get 'em. I don't care. Just bring it on, man."
posted by San Francisco Giants at
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