Bonds plans on one more year
With his place in home run history secure, Barry Bonds says next season likely will be his last.
Bonds previously talked about playing in 2008. On Monday, the San Francisco slugger looked toward retirement.
“(Playing) after next year? I don’t know. I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t think two years I can make.”
As for where he’d finish up, Bonds wasn’t sure.
“It’s hard for me to think about that right now, I’m a Giant,” he said. “That’s who I am, it would be hard for me to take that uniform off. It would be very hard. But I don’t know yet, I have a lot of time to think about it in the wintertime.”
Bonds said he wants to play one more season because he still has some reachable goals.
“Yeah, I need to win a championship and get 3,000 hits, that would be nice to (end) my career,” he said.
Bonds has 2,919 hits after getting a single in the first game of Monday’s makeup doubleheader against Pittsburgh.
A-Rod sculpture falls
The Yankees gave Alex Rodriguez two portraits and a sculpture by artist Peter Max to honor him as the youngest player in baseball history to hit 500 home runs. Max had some trouble with the covering on the bat-and-ball sculpture and accidentally made it tumble off an easel at Yankee Stadium.
The artist stood with his arms out briefly as the crowd gasped. Rodriguez, general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Torre just laughed. The sculpture was returned and appeared to be OK.
Strawberry in more trouble
The government has filed a lawsuit against ex-major leaguer Darryl Strawberry, seeking to collect nearly a half-million dollars in unpaid taxes.
Strawberry was indicted in 1994 also on federal tax evasion charges.
In all, the government said Strawberry owes $481,656.86 as of May 31.
Clearing the bases
The Athletics optioned left-handed pitcher Dallas Braden to Triple-A Sacramento and recalled left-handed pitcher Dan Meyer. … Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons was placed on the 15-day disabled list, one day before undergoing season-ending surgery on his injured shoulder. … The Cardinals claimed minor league third baseman Brian Barden off waivers from the Diamondbacks and optioned him to Triple-A.