Bonds Goes Deep on New Contract

Moments after hitting the 500th home run of his career, Barry Bonds stood behind home plate at Pacific Bell Park with a microphone in his hand. Seen as surly in most corners, the San Francisco Giant left fielder surprised many with his graciousness.

Bonds showed gratitude for the fans.

“I love you,” he said on that cool April evening, “and I’m proud to be in a San Francisco Giant uniform.”

Apparently so.

Bonds, 37, and the Giants agreed Monday night on a five-year, $90-million contract that will most likely keep him in a San Francisco uniform the remainder of his career.

“Barry Bonds is obviously one of the premier players to ever play the game,” Giant General Manager Brian Sabean said in a team release. “His personal accomplishments speak for themselves, but even more importantly, he is such a vital element to our club’s success. We are delighted that both sides could come to an agreement and can move forward on our mutual goals of winning a championship.”

After a spring training of discontent--Bonds was irked that the Giants had not locked him to a long-term deal--he took out his aggression on opposing pitchers in his “walk” year.

Besides hitting his 500th career homer, Bonds set the season home run mark with 73, eclipsing Mark McGwire’s three-year-old record of 70.

Bonds, who ranks seventh on the all-time home run list with 567, also had an .863 slugging percentage and 177 bases on balls, breaking season records set by Babe Ruth.

His on-base percentage of .515 was the highest by a National League player in the modern era and he batted .328 with 137 runs batted in.

For his efforts, Bonds won an unprecedented fourth NL most valuable player award.

“By the time Barry Bonds retires as a player, he will be acknowledged as one of the finest, possibly even the finest, ever to play the game,” said Peter Magowan, the Giants’ managing general partner. “I believe he has a decent shot at [Hank] Aaron’s home run record [of 755]. He could also achieve the all-time records for runs scored and walks, and have over 3,000 hits.”

The deal, which includes a $10-million signing bonus to be paid through April 2004, also calls for a 10-year personal services contract after his playing career is over.

Bonds’ salary for the next two seasons is $13 million before jumping to $16 million in 2004, $20 million in 2005 and $18 million in 2006.

The average annual salary of $18 million ties Bonds with Chicago Cub right fielder Sammy Sosa for the fourth-highest in baseball, behind Texas Ranger shortstop Alex Rodriguez ($25.2 million), Boston Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez ($20 million) and New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter ($18.9 million).

Only the first four years and $72 million are guaranteed, though.

Should Bonds not get at least 500 plate appearances in 2005, the Giants can void the final year of the contract.

But if Bonds has at least 1,500 plate appearances from 2003 to 2005, including 400 or more in the final year, the last season becomes guaranteed.

Bonds, a 16-year veteran who joined the Giants as a free agent on Dec. 8, 1992, has a no-trade clause and again became a free agent after last season.

The Giants, though, were the only team to acknowledge making a bid and, after accepting San Francisco’s offer of salary arbitration on Dec. 20, Bonds and the team were set to exchange proposed salaries Friday for a one-year contract.

“It’s rare these days that players play more than 10 years with a team, even franchise players,” Magowan said.

“We are delighted to have the best player in the game today.”

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Associated Press contributed to this report

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