Bonded

Less than a year ago...

Bonds is an albatross for this team, that's for sure. But they only have themselves to blame. Forget about the recliner in the clubhouse. On the left field wall, directly behind where Bonds lumbers about on defense, is a sign that reads "a giant among legends," showing Barry's face along with Mays and McCovey. That's like retiring his number before he's...you know...retired. And there was an unbelievable campaign -- complete with between innings commercials and stadium workers wearing badges -- to get fans to "vote Barry" for the all-star game. I've never seen a team work so hard to get a single player elected. This year's game is being played in Frisco, but it was weird. Unseemly. Maybe the other members of this old, washed up*, never saw a pitch they wouldn't swing at team, don't mind. But between the constant losing, this attention on one player -- albeit, the only one with an on-base percentage higher than a mediocre .350 -- has to get old after a while.

And now?

My friend Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle recently joined a preseason tour of the Giants’ ballpark and found virtually no trace of Bonds and his home run records, in either the clubhouse or the stands. And except for a few collector jerseys, Bonds has vanished from the Giants’ store, like one of those generals who used to vanish from the May Day photographs in Red Square. Barry Lamar Bonds has become a nonperson.

Happy Opening Day!