Not So Quick on Bonds Deal : Baseball: Minutes before a news conference to announce a $43.75-million contract, owner of Giants says it doesn’t exist--at least until club is sold.

Barry Bonds was standing about 30 feet from the podium, smiling as he talked with his agents. In just a few minutes, he would be announced as the richest player in baseball history.

For 30 minutes he waited, but the San Francisco Giants--at least for now--stood him up.

In a development as shocking as Saturday’s announcement of a tentative agreement, the Giants said Sunday night that no news conference would be held. Whether the tentative $43.75 million, six-year agreement still existed was unclear.

“The Giants are saying there was no news conference called,” said Jim Small, a spokesman for the commissioner’s office.

The deal appeared to be done and aides for Bonds’ agent, Dennis Gilbert, informed reporters late Saturday night of a planned news conference. But the contract is hung up over the impending sale of the Giants.

Safeway Inc. chairman Peter Magowan, the incoming managing general partner, and new executive vice president Larry Baer negotiated the deal with Bonds’ agents, led by Gilbert. Even though Magowan’s people have been running the team for a week, Bob Lurie officially still owns the Giants.

So even though Bonds showed up to sign, there was no one to sign with.

“We wouldn’t have signed Bonds,” Lurie said. “If (the sale) falls through, we would not want Bonds as a member of the Giants at that price, although he is a fine player. We would not approve a $43-million contract. They don’t have the team. They need our approval.”

Management lawyers, speaking earlier in the day on the condition they not be identified, questioned who would be responsible for the contract if the sale isn’t approved by owners. Gilbert was confident Saturday night that the hurdles with the transfer had been worked out.

Even the uniform number Bonds wanted was worked out--the famed No. 24 of the Giants. Giants Hall of Famer Willie Mays, in a ceremonial display next spring, was to hand over his retired No. 24 to let it be worn by his godson, Bonds.

Bonds wore No. 24 while winning two National League MVP awards in the last three seasons with Pittsburgh, and it’s not unusual for a player to ask for his old number when he goes to a new team.

But in this case, No. 24 on the Giants means Mays.

The Giants retired Mays’ uniform to honor their center fielder. They hung his number on the outfield fence at Candlestick Park.

As much as 24 means to Mays--he always has the digits included in his home phone numbers--he was said to have gladly agreed when Bonds asked permission to wear it.

There is no record in baseball of a number being retired by a team and then worn later by someone else. A few years ago, the Baltimore Orioles took Jim Palmer’s No. 22 out of retirement and let him wear it again when he attempted a comeback.

“It was something Barry thought about, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker or anything,” said a source close to the negotiations.

Mays has always played a prominent role in the Bonds family. He helped Bonds’ father Bobby break into the Giants’ outfield in the early 1970s, and was named godfather when Barry was born.

May and Bobby Bonds had a father-and-son relationship when they played together.

There is talk that Bobby Bonds now might return to the Giants’ family, too, as batting coach--particularly if they hire Dusty Baker as their new manager.

The Giants are not expected to name their manager or coaching staff until after the meetings end this week.