Barry Bonds is finished in San Francisco after this year.
The San Francisco Giants told Bonds they will not bring him back next season, ending an era in which he became the career home run champion and a lightning rod for the steroids debate in baseball.
"It's always difficult to say goodbye," Giants owner Peter Magowan said on Friday. "There comes a time when, I think, you have to move in a different direction."
PHOTO: AFP
On his Web site, Bonds said he wasn't done.
"There is more baseball in me and I plan on continuing my career. My quest for a World Series ring continues," he said.
Magowan broke the news to Bonds in person on Thursday night.
"I think he knew the decision was coming. I don't think it was surprising to him. I think, naturally, he was disappointed," Magowan said.
"I do believe he's the greatest player of his generation, one of the greatest players of all time ... and it was a great advantage to have a player of his caliber on our team for all those years."
The 43-year-old Bonds broke Hank Aaron's record with his 756th home run on Aug. 7. Bonds has spent the past 15 seasons of his 22-year big league career with the Giants and signed a US$15.8 million, one-year contract for this season.
But he hasn't played since Sept. 15 because of a sprained right big toe and he wasn't in the Giants' lineup on Thursday night for the opener of what probably will be his final homestand with San Francisco, which signed him as a free agent in December 1992.
Shadowed by steroid suspicions for the past few years, Bonds has hit 28 homers this season, raising his career total to 762. The seven-time NL MVP was batting .279 with 66 RBIs.
Prior to the toe injury, he had been mostly healthy, playing 125 games going into this weekend. The left fielder had 2,935 career hits before Friday night's game against Cincinnati.
Despite Bonds' achievements, the season has been a disappointing one for the Giants, who are mired in last place in the NL West.
"We've heard for a long time that the Giants are an old team and want to get younger, so we're not surprised," Bonds' agent Jeff Borris said. "Barry is their oldest player, but qualitatively, he's their best player."
"He's still planning on playing next year, irrespective of whether it's an AL or NL team," he said.
Bonds has long denied using performance-enhancing drugs, but fans across the country have greeted him with placards covered with asterisks -- baseball fan shorthand for the belief that his record is hopelessly tainted by allegations of steroid abuse.
Even the person who paid US$752,467 for Bonds' historic 756th home run has threatened to stamp it with an asterisk.
In his statement, Bonds said he believed the Giants made the decision long ago not to bring him back.
"Although I am disappointed, I've always said baseball is a business and I respect their decision," Bonds said. "However, I am saddened and upset that I was not given an earlier opportunity to properly say goodbye to you, my fans, and celebrate with the city throughout the season as I truly believe this was not a last-minute decision by the Giants, but one that was made some time ago."
Bonds had said he wanted to finish his baseball career in the comfort of his hometown, where his father, Bobby, played alongside his godfather, Willie Mays.
"I would have loved nothing more than to retire as a Giant in the place where I call home and have shared so many momentous moments with all of you," he said.
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