Scottsdale, Ariz. – With one swing at 11:25 a.m., Barry Bonds made everything else irrelevant in San Francisco Giants’ camp.
His tardy arrival, a day later than his teammates and 10 minutes after stretching began Wednesday.
His e.e. cummings’ stream of consciousness that saw him cast himself this week as both a pain-medicated gimp and the beneficiary of a knee brace that could extend his career for several years.
His special treatment.
None of that noise mattered when the distinctive sound that defines Bonds, and thus the Giants, reverberated throughout Scottsdale Stadium. Bonds – who promised to lose 30 pounds over the winter but didn’t appear any thinner Wednesday – cracked a line drive into the right-field picnic area with his third cut against ace Jason Schmidt.
“He’s pretty good, huh?” pitcher Matt Morris said later.
Surprisingly, it was the only shot Bonds fired with his bat or mouth. A year after a combative 40-minute brawl with the press upon his arrival here, a genial Bonds addressed his future with more insight than anger.
Retirement, he insisted, remains a possibility after this season, regardless of whether Hank Aaron’s home run record is within reach. Bonds figures he will know for sure by midseason.
“I have thought about it a lot, just being realistic with myself,” said Bonds, who cited the relationship with his teenage son Nikolai for revealing a potentially enjoyable life without baseball. “I am going to be 42 this year. I like being home.”
Bonds sits within a drag bunt of immortality, his 708 home runs six shy of Babe Ruth and 47 behind Aaron. The record, seemingly his birthright two years ago, grew more imposing after his thrice-repaired right knee permitted only 42 at-bats and five home runs a season ago.
When asked if the record would influence his decision to play beyond this season, Bonds replied, “No, not at all.”
He referred to the home run milestone as “Hank’s,” but then confessed minutes later that the prospect of inspiring a little kid to break “Barry’s record” would leave him ecstatic.
The contradiction captures Bonds. He’s hard to read and almost impossible to believe because, by his own admission, he frequently changes his mind. His attention to family remained consistent during a news conference designed to ease tension.
Rather than have Bonds meet with the media out of uniform and out of his element – last year’s event felt more like a congressional hearing – the slugger talked in the home dugout, microphones held up by two green trash cans turned upside down.
Bonds, a free agent at season’s end, admitted he could prolong his career by leaving San Francisco to become a full-time designated hitter. His preference, though, is to finish his career as a Giant, even if he won’t entertain a contract extension.
“I wouldn’t think about it at this time. Not now,” Bonds said. “There are some things I have to prove to myself.”
Saying the only good thing about his right knee is that it’s connected, Bonds refused to speculate if he would be in the opening-day lineup, let alone project how much he would play this season. His teammates are privately hoping to have him available for approximately 100 games as he whittles away at Aaron.
“I hope he gets the record,” Giants catcher Todd Greene said, “because he’s the greatest player ever.”
Manager Felipe Alou left Wednesday’s workout impressed, comparing Bonds to the man he’s chasing.
“Like Aaron, he’s able to hit a fastball to the end of his career,” he said. “You have to find another way to try to get him out.”
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
