Bonds says he's done after 2006 season
Giants slugger Barry Bonds is planning on retiring after the 2006 season, according to a report by USA Today.
"I'm not playing baseball anymore after this," Bonds told reporter Bob Nightengale in a phone interview. "The game (isn't) fun anymore. I'm tired of all of the crap going on.
I want to play this year out, hopefully win, and once the season is over, go home and be with my family. Maybe then everybody can just forget about me."
Bonds, 41, enters the regular season with 708 home runs, 47 shy of Hank Aaron's all-time mark and six short of Babe Ruth for second place.
But Bonds missed 148 games last year with a knee injury, and found his reputation in question after his name was associated with the government's investigation of BALCO in relation to illegal performance-enhancing substances.
The combination of physical pain and endless scrutiny has Bonds worn down, he said.
"I can't even tell how you may pain pills I am on or how many sleeping pills I'm taking," he said. "I don't have a choice. I can't even run that much anymore. How can I run? I don't have any cartilage in that knee. I'm bone on bone."
Bonds also claimed not to care about the home run record.
Barry Bonds surpassed 700 home runs, but his insistence that he is retiring at the end of the 2006 season could keep him from topping Hank Aaron's record of 755. (Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images)
"I've never cared about records anyway," he said, "so what difference does it make? Right now, I'm telling you, I don't even want to play next year. Baseball is a fun sport. But I'm not having fun.
"I love the game of baseball itself, but I don't like what it's turned out to be. I'm not mad at anybody. It's just that right now I am not proud to be a baseball player."
Despite the links to the government investigation to BALCO, and his rapidly deteriorating physical condition, Bonds defiantly told USAToday.com that he doesn't use illegal substances.
"I'm clean, I've always been clean," he said. "But it never ends. It seems like every reporter from last season to this season has reported and opened up a new can of (expletive). And I haven't even been to spring training. At least let me get to spring training and (expletive) up before you crucify me.
"They say I didn't lose weight," he continued. "Well, you know what? I am still big. I'm fat (230 pounds). I can't do much. I can't train like I used to. So the weight stays. I'm just not a skinny person, dude, I'm not. I never will be. So what (are) they going to say now? Are they going to say, 'Wow, I guess it can't be steroids anymore because he didn't lose all that weight?' Or are they going to be mad that I'm fat. Come on, which one is it?"
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I would have to say I dont believe alot of things that Bonds says anymore. He is the one that has to explain things and he just huffs if he is even asked about steroids.
I would say the home run record is all he cares about. Would be kinda funny if every pitcher in the league decided to walk him alot so he couldnt break Hank Aarons record.
The money is in the home run record. Bonds has always been about the money.
Kinda sad really.
Giants slugger Barry Bonds is planning on retiring after the 2006 season, according to a report by USA Today.
"I'm not playing baseball anymore after this," Bonds told reporter Bob Nightengale in a phone interview. "The game (isn't) fun anymore. I'm tired of all of the crap going on.
I want to play this year out, hopefully win, and once the season is over, go home and be with my family. Maybe then everybody can just forget about me."
Bonds, 41, enters the regular season with 708 home runs, 47 shy of Hank Aaron's all-time mark and six short of Babe Ruth for second place.
But Bonds missed 148 games last year with a knee injury, and found his reputation in question after his name was associated with the government's investigation of BALCO in relation to illegal performance-enhancing substances.
The combination of physical pain and endless scrutiny has Bonds worn down, he said.
"I can't even tell how you may pain pills I am on or how many sleeping pills I'm taking," he said. "I don't have a choice. I can't even run that much anymore. How can I run? I don't have any cartilage in that knee. I'm bone on bone."
Bonds also claimed not to care about the home run record.
Barry Bonds surpassed 700 home runs, but his insistence that he is retiring at the end of the 2006 season could keep him from topping Hank Aaron's record of 755. (Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images)
"I've never cared about records anyway," he said, "so what difference does it make? Right now, I'm telling you, I don't even want to play next year. Baseball is a fun sport. But I'm not having fun.
"I love the game of baseball itself, but I don't like what it's turned out to be. I'm not mad at anybody. It's just that right now I am not proud to be a baseball player."
Despite the links to the government investigation to BALCO, and his rapidly deteriorating physical condition, Bonds defiantly told USAToday.com that he doesn't use illegal substances.
"I'm clean, I've always been clean," he said. "But it never ends. It seems like every reporter from last season to this season has reported and opened up a new can of (expletive). And I haven't even been to spring training. At least let me get to spring training and (expletive) up before you crucify me.
"They say I didn't lose weight," he continued. "Well, you know what? I am still big. I'm fat (230 pounds). I can't do much. I can't train like I used to. So the weight stays. I'm just not a skinny person, dude, I'm not. I never will be. So what (are) they going to say now? Are they going to say, 'Wow, I guess it can't be steroids anymore because he didn't lose all that weight?' Or are they going to be mad that I'm fat. Come on, which one is it?"
...............................................................
I would have to say I dont believe alot of things that Bonds says anymore. He is the one that has to explain things and he just huffs if he is even asked about steroids.
I would say the home run record is all he cares about. Would be kinda funny if every pitcher in the league decided to walk him alot so he couldnt break Hank Aarons record.
The money is in the home run record. Bonds has always been about the money.
Kinda sad really.
