Barry Bonds out for year

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds doesn't expect to play this season because of his injured right knee, putting the San Francisco slugger's quest for the career home run record on hold until at least 2006.

 

"I don't think you're going to see me out there this year," Bonds told MLB.com on Monday. "That's the reality of the situation. I'm improving. I'm happy with the progress. I'm working out hard on the exercise bike and the elliptical machine, but I'm just not there yet. The last thing I want is to get back on the field and be out again a week later."

 

Bonds said a recent MRI showed some fluid building up in the knee that has been operated on three times since Jan. 31. He said his doctors advised him to wait until next year to return to the Giants.

 

"He has not informed the Giants of that decision," assistant general manager Ned Colletti told The Associated Press.

 

Phone messages left for Bonds' publicist, Rachael Vizcarra, and Giants general manager Brian Sabean weren't immediately returned Monday night.

 

Bonds has 703 home runs, third on the career list behind Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755).

 

Just last month, Bonds was more optimistic when he joined the team for a road trip in Los Angeles, where he has been rehabbing the knee. On his personal Web site two weeks ago, Bonds wrote that he was hopeful he could return in September.

 

But Bonds told MLB.com on Monday that an MRI performed last week by Dr. Arthur Ting showed more swelling in the knee.

 

"The doctors say it's wise for me to work out hard this winter and be ready to go next season," Bonds said. "I want to be out there and play the whole year.

 

"I'm just going to listen to what the doctors tell me. The doctors are telling me to let it heal, so I'm going to let it heal."

 

The 41-year-old Bonds now hopes to be ready for opening day in 2006, the final season of his contract with the Giants.

 

"That's what my goal is right now and I expect to be ready," he said. "But the doctors are telling me playing this year might put that in jeopardy, that I could undo any gains I've already made. No matter how much I want to play, I'm not going to let that happen."

 

The Giants (45-59) have struggled mightily without Bonds, but are still only 5½ games behind Arizona and San Diego in the weak NL West. The Giants hoped their star slugger could return in time to help them make a playoff push.

 

"I know I could help if I was out there," he said. "This is my life. This is my career -- on the baseball field. But right now, I can't help and it's killing me."

 

Bonds batted .362 last season with 45 homers and 101 RBI and walked a major league-record 232 times on the way to his record seventh MVP award.

 

His most recent operation was May 2 to drain fluid and examine an infection.

 

Sorry for the subtitle, I read that somewhere and thought it was pretty funny.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I can't believe this his above all else was my most treasured Big Head baseball card as a kid.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

What I said here

[Guest fanofcoils]

This likely means he will be back by the end of the season or will retire. Something "surprising" I think will happen.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I think he plays next year, passes Ruth and retires.

 

I'll also go out on a limb and say no one playing will break Aaron's HR record.

[the max 0]

A-Rod could end up doing it.

 

 

I wonder if Bonds regrets using Dr. Artie Ting instead of a real doctor.

[Guest Damn You Helmsley]

This is good news. Fuck Barry Bonds.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Shocking, the guy isn't on the juice anymore and somehow isn't healing quite so well...

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Yes, because 40 year old players never drop suddenly. Hank Aaron's OPS fell 200 points when he turned 40. Did he stop taking steroids? Willie Stargell hit 21 less home runs when he turned 40. Cy Williams hit 18 less home runs when he turned 40. Willie McCovey hit .228 the year he hit 40. Ted Williams lost 250 points from his OPS. Babe Ruth hit .181 when he turned 40. Once you reach your late 30s and early 40s, every year is a land mine, steroids or not.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

You can go right ahead and believe whatever you want Al, but as far as I am concerned, the guy is a juicer. Nothing anyone say, barring a negative drug test from two years ago, will ever convince me otherwise. The thing is, I'm one of the few people that doesn't have some crazy hate thing going on against Bonds. He's got an awesome stroke, I sincerely believe that he would still be a great hitter without the juice. The difference would be that he wouldn't be threatening to break the HR record without it. How many of those HRs that he has hit be long fly balls without the benefit of performance enhancing drugs? Anyway, I'm not going to argue it with anyone anymore. This is the last time I post a damn thing about him. He can take his drugs and go retire somewhere for all I care. I just hope the jerkoff never breaks the HR record.

[Special K 0]

20-39 YOU'RE IN YOUR PRIME 40 YOU DECLINE.

[Vern Gagne 0]

A-Rod could end up doing it.

 

 

I wonder if Bonds regrets using Dr. Artie Ting instead of a real doctor.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh A-Rod could, Pujos probably could. It's part to do with players just declining when they reach that age, the money players are making A-Rod doesn't have to play has long, and respect for the record itself.

[Guest Catcher8C]

here's my conspiracy theory:

 

 

the higher ups in mlb and the mlbpa know and have known for years that bonds was on the juice. they just pushed it away to the side and didn't worry about it. but now that there' all this public pressure and litigation and such, mlb had to make a decision. they know that even if barry's steroid abuse hasn't been proven without a shadow of a doubt that someday it will. someday he will be tested and he will fail. do you think bud selig and the rest of the front office want baseball to be the sport where the number one home run hitter was a cheater? plus, how much would that disenfranchise fans who actually saw Aaron or Ruth (unlikely, but there are purists out there) play?

 

 

so, basically, i'm thinking that selig and his cronies made some kind of deal with bonds to let him bow out before the real shit hits the fan. they don't want another pete rose scandal.

[Darthtiki 0]

Putting my Dodger bias aside....

 

I still say Fuck Barry Bonds, and I hope he doesn't even break the Babe's record. However if he does I'd sell my worst enemy's soul to the devil to see the ghost of the Babe to rise from depths and straight up beat Barroid with the record breaking bat.