Exhausted Bonds Is Hospitalized

A grieving Barry Bonds, drained by the emotions that followed his father’s death, was hospitalized for exhaustion as a precaution Sunday night.

“He fought the decision [and] said a few choice words that made me think he wasn’t completely exhausted,” San Francisco Giant trainer Stan Conte said. “He wanted to continue playing and get out there, and we just felt that it was the best not to.”

The decision was made after Bonds took batting practice and dressed for the game. Then the Giants announced that Jeffrey Hammonds would replace Bonds in left field and bat fourth against the Diamondbacks.

The day before, Bonds came out of his first game since his father’s death because of an accelerated heart rate -- up to 160 beats per minute.

Conte said Bonds’ resting heartbeat was down to 65 on Sunday, but he showed other signs of being overwrought after losing the parent he relied on for hitting tips and support.

Doctors expected Bonds to be ready to play today against the Diamondbacks, Conte said.

“Being away from the park and the game, he might be OK tomorrow,” Manager Felipe Alou said.

Alou didn’t think Bonds returned from bereavement leave too soon.

“That kind of stuff doesn’t go away -- especially mentally,” said Alou, who sat out a season after losing a child during spring training. “It’s not going to go away in one week or one month. People take a long time.”

Bonds, 39, homered against Randy Johnson in the fourth inning of the Giants’ 2-1 win Saturday.

But Bonds began to experience lightheadedness, heart palpitations and trouble breathing after rounding the bases. He left in the eighth inning.

Bobby Bonds died Aug. 23 at 57 after being ill for nearly a year with lung cancer and a brain tumor. Barry Bonds sat out the next six games. He was also on the bereavement list Aug. 14-18 to spend time with his father.

Bonds’ homer Saturday was his 40th and the 653rd of his career, moving him to within seven of Willie Mays for third on the career list.