Lake Elsinore makes some news

Bonds Offered Position in Front Office

Storm Offer Job to All-Time Home Run King

Lake Elsinore, CA, March 19, 2008 – The Lake Elsinore Storm have officially offered employment to Barry Lamar Bonds. The former San Francisco Giants left fielder has been searching far and wide this off-season for a new team culminating in an investigation by the players union into the lack of interest in Major League Baseball’s Home Run King. The Storm offer includes a cushy Media Relations position (with slight pay cut from $19.3 million), full use of baseball facilities and of course expanded cubicle space with barcalounger and plasma TV. “We just think the way he has handled the media with such grace over the years that he would be a perfect fit in our media relations department,” said Chris Jones, Storm General Manager.

Bonds is currently residing in his Bel Air estate and training in Los Angeles a short drive from The Diamond in Lake Elsinore. With a newly renovated Diamond Club Restaurant and a permanent parking space already reserved for ESPN “reporter” Pedro Gomez, the Storm offer a perfect location for a press conference to re-launch his big league career.

Lake Elsinore also has a brand new playing surface with evapotransporation technology which Barry will have full use of as well. “He’s in playing shape right now. He just hasn’t hit off live pitching,” Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, said Tuesday. “I’ve had conversations with Barry. It would probably take him about two weeks to get ready.” Lake Elsinore has a 27 person front office, plenty of arms for two weeks of live batting practice.

NEW YORK (AP)—Unsigned and thus far unwanted, Barry Bonds still hopes to play this year.

“I’m not going to retire. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he told MLB.com Tuesday. “I’m working out. I’m training. If my phone rings, it rings. If it don’t, it don’t. I have a cell phone. I have a Blackberry. They work. If something comes up, I’m sure they’ll let me know. I’ll come back in July if I have to. It depends on the circumstances.”

Baseball’s home run king was indicted in November on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice stemming from 2003 grand-jury testimony in which he denied knowingly using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. He pleaded innocent.

“I want to win a championship or else I want to keep trying to win a championship until there’s nothing left inside me,” Bonds said. “I can still play.”

The slugger did get one offer Wednesday, to work in media relations for a minor league team.

The Lake Elsinore Storm, a Class-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, released a tongue-in-cheek statement announcing that the club has offered Bonds “a cushy Media Relations position (with slight pay cut from $19.3 million), full use of baseball facilities and of course expanded cubicle space with barcalounger and plasma TV.”

“We just think the way he has handled the media with such grace over the years that he would be a perfect fit in our media relations department,” Storm general manager Chris Jones said.