Bonds, Giants complete $15.8M, one-year deal
SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds never wanted to leave the Giants. They have been his team for more than a decade. They were the team of his late father and also his godfather, Hall of Famer Willie Mays.
After nearly two months of negotiations, Bonds finally has his new deal -- to stay put right where he believes he belongs.
Bonds and San Francisco completed a $15.8 million, one-year contract Monday night after the slugger spent hours at the ballpark being examined by team doctors.
The club announced the deal, which took significant time to finish after the sides agreed on financial terms Dec. 7 on the last day of baseball's winter meetings.
Now, the 42-year-old Bonds can focus on the upcoming season. He has 734 home runs, 22 from breaking Hank Aaron's career record, and he plans to play beyond this year if he fails to set the mark in 2007.
"I think I'll be around until I'm 100, or at least try to," Bonds said.
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| Barry Bonds passes a physical and will remain a Giant for one more year. (Getty Images) |
A federal grand jury is investigating whether Bonds perjured himself when he testified in 2003 in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid distribution case that he hadn't knowingly taken any performance-enhancing drugs.
"I knew things would work out. This is where I always wanted to play and always loved to play," Bonds said. "The city of San Francisco is what I love. The people of San Francisco are who I love. There's no better place for me to be. This is my history. The people in San Francisco deserve it all."
On a conference call late Monday night, Bonds was asked why it took so long for his contract to be completed.
"I was on a skiing vacation," he said, laughing. "It didn't take any time. It's normal procedure."
As part of the deal, Bonds' trainers -- Harvey Shields and Greg Oliver -- will no longer be allowed in the clubhouse, where they previously had their own lockers next to Bonds' space.
"I have no problems with it," Bonds said. "(Oliver) and Harvey will be with me, just outside the ballpark."
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