Bonds not sure when he’ll retire
Barry Bonds plans to map out his baseball future this winter, and the San Francisco slugger said Tuesday he still wants to finish his career with the Giants.
The 40-year-old Bonds enters tonight’s game in Pittsburgh with 688 home runs, third on the career list behind Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755). Bonds said his plans will depend on his family and the Giants.
“I’ve got to talk to my family. It just depends on my family,” Bonds said. “Probably that’s a good chance (I’ll play through 2006). But this offseason is when I’m really going to sit down and figure out what is best. This winter is going to determine a lot of what I’m going to do in the future.”
Bonds wouldn’t say what other factors he will weigh in making future plans. It is believed he wants the Giants to guarantee his contract for the 2006 season, worth $18 million. It can be voided by the team if he has fewer than 400 plate appearances next season.
“I know that 2005 I will play. I can’t tell you anything further than that,” he said. “I don’t have a contract for 2006. I have an option. I only go based on what I have, and what I have is 2005. I don’t have 2006.”
Bonds, who was drafted by the Pirates and broke into the majors with them in 1986, signed with San Francisco as a free agent in December 1992.
He made it clear he prefers to finish his career with the Giants. His late father, Bobby, and godfather, Willie Mays, also starred for San Francisco.
Glavine loses teeth in accident
Mets pitcher Tom Glavine lost his two front upper teeth in an automobile accident while going from LaGuardia Airport to nearby Shea Stadium in a taxi cab.
Glavine also got stitches for a cut lower lip. He was released from the hospital and will miss his scheduled start tonight against Houston.
The accident occurred at 2:15 p.m. as Glavine headed to the ballpark for New York’s game against the Astros. The left-hander had spent Monday’s off-day with his family in Atlanta.
Glavine was leaving LaGuardia in a taxi that collided with a SUV on the overpass of the Grand Central Parkway as he left the airport grounds, the Mets said.
Glavine is 8-10 with a 2.92 earned run average. Matt Ginter will pitch in Glavine’s place tonight.
Steinbrenner angry with Torre
Despite George Steinbrenner’s armchair managing of the Yankees, The Boss’ cryptic postgame comments from Monday have not crept under Joe Torre’s skin.
The Yanks’ manager believes it was a “frustrated” Steinbrenner who questioned Torre’s use of Kenny Lofton in right field after a 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.
“George is George. He wants to win. He wants everything to be perfect. We all do,” Torre said.
After Monday’s game snapped the Yanks’ five-game winning streak, Steinbrenner told reporters, “I don’t want to see Lofton in right field.”
Switched from center field to make his first career start in right, Lofton made a second-inning error, leading to an unearned run.
Steinbrenner argued that Gary Sheffield — Monday’s designated hitter — should have been in right field.
•A smiling and upbeat Jason Giambi arrived at the New York Yankees’ spring training complex to start working himself back into playing shape after being diagnosed with a benign tumor.
•Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez will miss his scheduled start tonight against the Texas Rangers because of pinkeye.
Clearing the bases
The Royals sent struggling 2003 A.L. Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa to Double-A Wichita. Berroa, who signed a four-year, $11 million contract in May, was batting just .249 with five home runs and 30 RBIs. … Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter left the game at Florida in the third inning because of tightness in his lower back. … Tigers second baseman Fernando Vina will not play again this season because of a partial tendon tear in his left knee. … Phillies right-hander Kevin Millwood is out indefinitely because of a sprained ligament and a strained tendon in his pitching elbow. Millwood, who is on the DL, won’t throw for at least three or four weeks.