Randy Orton

Barry Bonds Says 'My Life Is in Shambles'
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
1 hour ago


San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds stops to talk before ...
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Seven home runs shy of passing Babe Ruth, this should be a time of unbridled joy and excitement for Barry Bonds. Not so, he says. "My life is in shambles. It is crazy," Bonds said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. "It couldn't get any crazier. I'm just trying to stay sane."

Then, clearly joking, he went for shock value: "Go to the Empire State Building and jump off, commit suicide and people can say, 'Barry Bonds is finally dead.' Except for in San Francisco," he said. "I'll leave something for them."

Despite those pronouncements, the 41-year-old Bonds has been upbeat and approachable _ by his standards _ this spring despite the recent release of "Game of Shadows," the book detailing his alleged longtime regimen for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

He appears unfazed at the plate. He's 10-for-16 with four homers in exhibition play despite being held out of San Francisco's lineup for the third straight day because of a tender left elbow.

Bonds starts the season next Monday at San Diego with 708 homers, close to Ruth and 48 from breaking Hank Aaron's mark of 755.

Asked how he blocks out distractions, he says:

"What's my job description? That's what I'm doing at that time," Bonds said. "No, I don't forget (what is said). I will never forget. I forgive you but I don't forget. I forgive everybody."

Bonds teased about starting the season on the disabled list, _ saying "it could happen" _ then changed his stance completely and said he "will" play in one of the Giants' exhibition games back in the Bay Area later this week.

Bonds certainly looks healthy and vibrant, though still a little heavier than usual.

He spent the morning slurping a smoothie while sitting in his corner locker, and wrestling with his personal videographer in the clubhouse. He stopped by the card table to socialize with teammates, too. Later, he had a lengthy sitdown with players' union head Donald Fehr.

Bonds is scheduled to return to California on Tuesday _ one day before the Giants officially break camp in Arizona _ and work out Wednesday in San Francisco.

Bonds played in only 14 games last season, all in September, following three operations on his troublesome right knee. An exam over the weekend on his elbow revealed inflammation.

"It's fine," Bonds said. "The knee is good. ... I've just got to get my strength back. My legs are fine. I just took a couple weeks off from training."

Bonds joked that he is ready for the season to start because then "it's closer to being over." He is in the final year of a $90 million, five-year contract and will be eligible for free agency after the World Series.

Bonds has said he wants to retire in San Francisco, and the Giants realize he is the biggest reason they have drawn 3 million fans a year in each of the first six seasons of their waterfront ballpark _ the highest attendance in the National League during that period.

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Brandon

If he gets pitched to he'll break Aaron's record this season.

shep1982

he is a winney little bitch... coming from a die hard baseball fan i really hope he never breaks the record.. he has done nothing good for the game...worthless fucker...

ICEMAN

I'm reading "Game of Shadows" right now and man is it a good book. Sheds a lot of light into the career of Victor Conte and BALCO, as well as Bonds and just how much people can't stand this guy. I used to be a Bonds supporter but there's just too much evidence against him to honestly believe he didn't cheat.

Brandon

The only problem with me is that people hate Bonds to begin with so it seems they treat him unfairly compared to the other users. They are also pissed that nobody can get him out also. This spring on one leg he went 10-16 with 4 homers, and he hasn't failed a test. It irritates people.

I hate it when I see a group of Yankee fans getting all on him, which happens often where I live. The first thing I say to them is what about Giambi? What about Sheffield? What about Lawton hitting a game-winning home run late in the season last year right after he shot up.. Oh, how many games did the Yankees win the division by one?

I'm not into this digging up the past stuff at all. This era will always have a cloud over it, it doesn't matter if your name is A-Rod, you'll be looked at differently. It is time for everyone to let this go.

ICEMAN

Blitz, I agree with you on a lot of points. Yes, Bonds is perhaps put under a brighther microscope b/c a lot of people hate him...but it's not as if that hate is unwarranted. The guy is a jerk. Coaches, teammates, media and fans can all agree on that.

The Yankee fans have no ground to stand on if they are complaining about Bonds, b/c like you said, they definitely don't have the "cleanest" players on their roster.

I'm not into digging up the past, either, but I bought the book more to find out the truth behind Victor Conte, who is really slimy and scam artist. The guy's not even a doctor but he would wear a white medical coat for certain photo shoots to try and give off the perception that he was a doctor. All he did was do some research on nutrition and steroids, developed one supplement (ZMA) and then marketed the "cream" and "clear" to athletes, although he didn't invent those drugs; they were created by someone else.

The simple truth is MLB knew these guys were juicing 10 years ago and did nothing to stop it b/c they noticed attendance and TV ratings went up the more batting averages and home runs soared. Now all of a sudden they're concerend about steroids when most of the guys in the game aren't using them b/c there's finally a drug testing system in place.

The mainstream media is also at fault, because just like MLB, they didn't raise concerns 10 years ago when they, too, noticed guys were getting huge at an abnormal rate.

Hopefully this crap will all go away soon and we can all move on. MLB and the media need to stop living in the past.