Bonds says he is unlikely to break Aaron's record

Barry Bonds has blown past 12 players on the career home run list since the start of last season. AP

CHICAGO (AP) -- If Hank Aaron's home run record is ever broken, it won't be Barry Bonds who does it. Just ask Barry.

"My time is done. It's not enough time for me, and that's just reality," he said Tuesday.

Bonds set the single-season record with 73 homers last year. And with 575 career homers, he's just 180 shy of Aaron's mark of 755.

But the San Francisco Giants slugger turns 38 on July 24, and he said he'll run out of time before he catches Aaron. More likely, it's Sammy Sosa or Alex Rodriguez who will make a run at Aaron's record, Bonds said.

"I have four or five years left and that's it. I'm done," Bonds said before the Giants' game against the Chicago Cubs. "You intentionally walk me 100-plus times, that's time I lost. I don't have seven more years to make up those differences."

He said this without a trace of regret or even wistfulness. Much has been made about Bonds going after Aaron's mark since he smashed Mark McGwire's single-season record last year. The Charles Schwab brokerage firm even did a TV commercial on it that aired during the Super Bowl.

In it, Bonds takes batting practice in a dim, empty stadium when a ghostly voice over the public address system intones: "Barry Bonds, it's time. It's time to walk into retirement."

Finally frustrated by the repeated taunting, Bonds looks up at Aaron and says, "Hank, will you cut it out already?"

But any talk of him reaching 755 was always by somebody else, Bonds said.

"That wasn't something that was a goal of mine," he said.

Asked why not, Bonds laughed.

"Because I need a World Series ring," he said, smiling. "I don't need 755 home runs."

His health isn't cooperating this year, anyway. Though Bonds has eight home runs, he's been slowed by a sore right hamstring. He was still in the lineup Tuesday night.

Just because Bonds won't break Aaron's mark doesn't mean it's untouchable.

Sosa is the first player to hit 60-plus homers three times. With 456 career home runs, the Cubs outfielder could reach Aaron before his 40th birthday if he averages 50 homers a year.

"I think Sammy is young enough to do it," Bonds said. "Sixty home runs three [times] is amazing. My one year is OK, but three times in a row I think is more amazing than just one exceptional season."

The guy to really watch, though, is Rodriguez, Bonds said. Just 26 -- he turns 27 on July 27 -- the Texas Rangers shortstop already has 249 homers.

Rodriguez is off to another solid start this year, leading the AL with eight homers going into Tuesday night's game.

"The guy's 26 years old, and I think he's not hit under 40 home runs except his first two years in baseball," Bonds said.

Bonds also said winning the batting title doesn't matter to him, and he doesn't think he'd have a shot at the Triple Crown. He had one of the most impressive all-around seasons last year, and went into Tuesday night's game leading the league in hitting (.432) and was second in homers (eight) and RBIs (17).

But there are a lot of good players out there, he said.

"There's too many variables against you on that," Bonds said. "Especially when one of them is named Sammy Sosa over there on the Chicago Cubs. He's going to hit his 50 home runs, his 60 home runs."

This week's three-game series is San Francisco's only trip to Chicago this season, so the Bonds vs. Sosa hype was in full swing Tuesday. Of course, some of that might have to do with the minor dustup in spring training over what started as some playful back-and-forth about breaking Bonds' record.

But both say that's all behind them now.

"I think he's a great athlete," Bonds said. "I think some of you guys are blowing things out of proportion because you have nothing else to do."

Sosa agreed.

"This is over," he said. "I don't want to bring anything from the past to life. What's in the past is in the past."