California Sports Journal

According to the statement, Bonds will use crutches for the next few days to prevent the fluid from coming back.

"This was merely a precautionary measure," Bonds said through the website. "My spirits are still high about my recovery as a whole and I can't wait to get back to rehabbing next week."

Manager Felipe Alou was less optimistic of Bonds’ recovery time, saying it took himself longer to come back from surgery when he was 36 than when he was 27. Alou said it took six weeks to recover from torn cartilage in his knee at 27 than a maintenance surgery at 36.

"When I see Barry taking batting practice on the field in uniform doing some baseball stuff then the hope is going to be for real," he said. "But I don’t see that."

Bonds said on the website that he would not give reporters daily updates on his conditions and would only release information about the injury through his website.

Draft Day Fever

Instead of the usual morning baseball games from around the country, many Giants players had their attentions and televisions tuned to the NFL Draft.

"I’m going to call my dad right now and have him find out who the Rams are taking," JT Snow announced to some other players, as his son threw a football around with Jason Ellison and Lance Niekro. His father, Jack Snow, played 11 seasons with the Rams.

Scott Eyre didn’t care for the show, and changed the channel to Saturday morning cartoons. "The NFL Draft (really stinks)," he said. "If it takes you 15 minutes to make your pick, you’re a moron."

After hearing whom the 49ers selected in the first and second rounds (Alex Smith, Utah and David Baas, Michigan) Eyre was sarcastically optimistic. "So the Niners got a Ute and a Michigan boy," he said. "They might win three games next year."