“I Need to Win Championship and Get 3,000 Hits” Says Bonds

Barry Bonds said he will likely retire following the 2008 season. The 43-year-old San Francisco slugger broke the career home run record that stood for 31 years. He said he wanted to win a championship and get 3,000 hits.

“[Playing] after next year? I don`t know. I don`t think so," he said in an interview with the Associated Press before a game against Pittsburgh. "I don`t think I can play for another two years."

He said, “ I need to win a championship and get 3,000 hits.”

Bonds, who made his major-league debut in 1986, has never won a World Series. In 2002, he made it into a World Series once, but lost to the Los Angeles Angels.

There is speculation that he could sign with a new club for his last goal, winning a championship. Since 1993, he has played for the San Francisco Giants.

“It is hard for me to imagine taking off my San Francisco uniform. I will think about it later,” said Bonds.

Bonds, who signed a $15.8 million one-year deal with San Francisco Giants in February, has to consider an extension with the Giants or find another club after this season. It is not sure whether the Giants will keep Bonds, who has not fully recovered from knee injury after three operations.

Bonds wants to break the 3,000 hit mark. In Tuesday’s game against Pittsburgh he had 2,919 hits after adding one more hit. Now he has 81 more hits to go to set the 3000-hit mark. He is likely to become the 28th 3,000 hit slugger.

He broke the record of Hank Aaron’s 755 home runs last week and now he has 758 home runs.

Meanwhile, Chu Shin-soo, 25, a South Korean slugger, returned to the minor-league Triple-A Buffalo affiliate of Cleveland after two months. In June, he was on the disabled list.

Chu had been the cleanup hitter against the Yankees recently. He went 0-3 with two walks and a run scored for Buffalo, which lost, 4-5.

hic@donga.com