http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writ...coop/index.html
SAN FRANCISCO -- The oh-so-obvious dance of discomfort between soon-to-be all-time home run champ Barry Bonds and baseball commissioner Bud Selig continues.
And it will continue, right up until the record.
Baseball's greatest power hitter and its greatest power wielder have been engaged in a behind-the-scenes cold war for weeks. But not too long from now, Bonds and Selig will be together, face-to-face and celebrating the new home run record and champion.
Well, one of them will be celebrating, anyway. The other fellow -- yes, the commish -- will be wearing a plastic smile to mark the occasion he was desperately hoping would never happen.
SI.com has learned that barring something unforeseen and drastic, Selig plans to be there when Bonds breaks the all-time home run record of Selig's longtime friend and Milwaukee mate Hank Aaron.
While Selig's long-shot hope for the miracle to stop Bonds is all but extinguished, it's safe to assume that he wasn't shedding a tear over Bonds' me-first decision to skip out on his hometown Home Run Derby Monday night. However, word was that Bonds would have more seriously considered MLB's invitation had he gotten the clear idea that Selig really wanted him there through a personal invite. When Bonds' apparent interest in an engraved invite was relayed to someone with MLB, the MLB person said, too late, they've already got Matt Holiday to take his place.
As for Selig, the excursion to crown Bonds champ, well, that will be no holiday.
For weeks, baseball's great debate has been whether Selig will attend or blow off Bonds' coronation. After weighing the pros and cons, Selig is on the verge of concluding that he has little choice but to go. If that doesn't sound like a celebratory recipe, well then, so be it.
Selig apparently is unwilling to make the strong statement that would come with a big-league blow off, not without any hard evidence regarding the hard stuff. And that is the right call by the commish.
In typical Bonds fashion, he acted like he didn't care either way during Monday's press session. But it all seemed like such an act. "I have to do my thing. It's up to Bud," Bonds said. "Bud is his own man. If Bud shows up or doesn't show up, I'm still going to play baseball."
Unfortunately for Selig, there is no stopping the inevitable, no good way to get around the obvious. Like it or not, Bonds will soon be the home run champ.
SAN FRANCISCO -- The oh-so-obvious dance of discomfort between soon-to-be all-time home run champ Barry Bonds and baseball commissioner Bud Selig continues.
And it will continue, right up until the record.
Baseball's greatest power hitter and its greatest power wielder have been engaged in a behind-the-scenes cold war for weeks. But not too long from now, Bonds and Selig will be together, face-to-face and celebrating the new home run record and champion.
Well, one of them will be celebrating, anyway. The other fellow -- yes, the commish -- will be wearing a plastic smile to mark the occasion he was desperately hoping would never happen.
SI.com has learned that barring something unforeseen and drastic, Selig plans to be there when Bonds breaks the all-time home run record of Selig's longtime friend and Milwaukee mate Hank Aaron.
While Selig's long-shot hope for the miracle to stop Bonds is all but extinguished, it's safe to assume that he wasn't shedding a tear over Bonds' me-first decision to skip out on his hometown Home Run Derby Monday night. However, word was that Bonds would have more seriously considered MLB's invitation had he gotten the clear idea that Selig really wanted him there through a personal invite. When Bonds' apparent interest in an engraved invite was relayed to someone with MLB, the MLB person said, too late, they've already got Matt Holiday to take his place.
As for Selig, the excursion to crown Bonds champ, well, that will be no holiday.
For weeks, baseball's great debate has been whether Selig will attend or blow off Bonds' coronation. After weighing the pros and cons, Selig is on the verge of concluding that he has little choice but to go. If that doesn't sound like a celebratory recipe, well then, so be it.
Selig apparently is unwilling to make the strong statement that would come with a big-league blow off, not without any hard evidence regarding the hard stuff. And that is the right call by the commish.
In typical Bonds fashion, he acted like he didn't care either way during Monday's press session. But it all seemed like such an act. "I have to do my thing. It's up to Bud," Bonds said. "Bud is his own man. If Bud shows up or doesn't show up, I'm still going to play baseball."
Unfortunately for Selig, there is no stopping the inevitable, no good way to get around the obvious. Like it or not, Bonds will soon be the home run champ.
