If and when the Padres clinch the NL West title, the Giants' Barry Bonds will be relegated to pinch-hitting duty for the rest of the season. But if his knee requires further surgeries, Bonds said he'd be shut down for good.
Bonds told The Oakland Tribune that he plans to continue rehab work on his knee this offseason and he expects it to go fine, but he also told the newspaper that he won't try to come back from another surgery.
"I wouldn't bother. I'd call it quits," Bonds told the Tribune. "Wait till October next year, then I'd quit. ... A normal person can't go through that and still come back and play. You'd have to wait a year at least."
The outfielder is under contract through the end of the 2006 season, so the 41-year-old slugger would leave money on the table if announced his retirement before the deal is done.
Bonds, who returned this season after three operations on his right knee since Jan. 31, has hit four home runs in 11 games this September. He is third on the career list with 707 home runs, trailing
only Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755).
Bonds said he hopes to be in better shape for next season, but told the Tribune that he could play in about 110-120 games in his current shape.
"But who knows? My knee may be like this for the rest of my life," he told the newspaper. "I have to give it an honest effort. I have to give it a shot ... to say I did what I did to try to get it back to normal. And if it doesn't go back to normal then that's just the way the knee is."