Barry Bonds was in the house at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Saturday night for a celebration of the Giants 50th anniversary in the city. After receiving a warm reception from the fans and making a brief speech on the field before the game, Bonds ventured up to the Comcast Bay Area television booth where he joined Kruk and Kuip for a half inning. Bonds was asked several questions, and said he still misses the game. One thing he was asked was whether or not he’d eventually try to become a manager. Bonds’ response:

I think the best position for me would probably be in a college — that’s how I feel. I’d rather teach kids what they want to do and what to do to get to the major leagues. I see myself doing something like that moreso than doing something in the major leagues if that time comes for me to make that decision.

Bonds also added that coaching at UCLA seemed ideal because of its proximity to his current home, but was torn because he’s not keen on helping a team that competes against Arizona State — his alma mater. I think it’s pretty curious that Bonds made this comment. Obviously Barry still wants to be around the game and wants to help young players get better, but I have to wonder if he said he’d prefer to coach college baseball because he feels blackballed and unwanted by MLB, or because he truly would prefer to work with college kids. I think there could be some underlying reasons there. Either way, sending my kid to go play for Barry Bonds probably wouldn’t be the first choice on my list. And what prominent school would hire the guy anyway? Well, I guess there is a place for everyone.

Alternate title: 756th ball to make it to Hall before Bonds (ever does …). Perhaps it’s fitting that it’s worked out this way, given the fact that, you know, Barry Bonds juiced to get the record. Bonds is right to say that Marc Ecko is an idiot — I’m not sure what other sane person would come up with the idea to try and brand a ball with an asterisk, much less pay $752,467 for it. Now Gilbert Arenas on the other hand, who wanted to buy the ball back from Ecko, would have been an even bigger idiot for spending serious bucks to rescue the ball. Anyway, after going back and forth with the Hall, Ecko has agreed to give the ball to Cooperstown for good, asterisk and all.

I’m not one for defacing baseball history, but like I’ve said, the asterisk on the ball is a perfect reflection of the mockery Barry made of the record. You don’t just go from being a 30 and 40 home run hitter to belting 60 and 70 like nothing, even if you have matured and developed as a hitter. Whatever. I think it’s pretty comical too that the Hall is accepting the ball in whatever condition they get it. About the only thing that would make this entire scenario perfect, would be for Bonds to be picked up by some team this year for a few games and be dropped at the end of the season. Then, both Bonds and Kent would retire from the game, and five years from now, Jeff Kent would get into the Hall while Bonds would be left out. As my buddy Casey suggested, that would be the ultimate, enjoyable irony.

Since nobody’s interested in picking up the slugger, he’s gotta figure out new ways to occupy his time. Apparently Baroid has figured out what to do in between curls at the gym and hacks at the cages. As AJ mentioned at Deadspin, Barry’s now making cameos in music videos. Check him out around the 0:45 mark:

I’m sure you’re all more interested in the cameo by my cousin, Chris Brown, but seeing Barry in a music vid is pretty funny. Of course when it comes to athletes making music video appearances, nothing tops TJ Cummings in Missy Elliot’s Work it vid. One day we’re seeing him score 15 in a UCLA basketball game, next thing you know he’s the it thang for Missy. Weird how things work.

I’m not really into wax museums. I mean honestly, what do they really have to offer? Chances are you’ve seen everyone in the freaking museum on TV at the least, so what’s the point? Anyway, there’s a wax museum at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco (shamefully, I think I’ve actually been there when I was younger), and Barry Bonds was an integral part of the museum. Key word: was. Apparently some shifting and rearranging has been going on and real Barry would not be pleased with the treatment of wax Barry:

On Thursday, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie took the home run king’s prime lobby spot while he settled into a new life downstairs, next to his godfather, Willie Mays, and nine other sports heroes.

“We’re moving him because he’s not signed with the team for this season,” said museum curator Curtis Huber. “I don’t have a crystal ball but, if I did, I’d say his career is over. And for our purposes, he’s done everything he’s going to do as a San Francisco Giant.”

That’s how you know your career is truly over — when your wax figure gets moved from its prominent spot in the lobby to downstairs with the rest of the exhibit. Interestingly enough, that seems to be exactly what’s happened with Barry’s career. From front-and-center in baseball news the past several years to all of a sudden an afterthought in the back of people’s minds. Perhaps we’re all better off that way.

You always knew there was a possibility, as remote as it may seem. With nobody paging Jeff Borris to inquire about Baroid this off-season, the agent threw it out there that his unemployed client could be headed to the Far East to play ball in Japan. I’m sure it was meant more as a joke than a threat, but nevertheless, the idea is quite humorous.

“He’s not retiring,” Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, told Metro yesterday. “He intends to play somewhere. If a door doesn’t open for Barry in the major leagues, as unbelievable as that possibility sounds, then Japan certainly is an option.”

It’s amazing how hard they’re trying to find Bonds some work. Just this week a story hit the wire reminding folks that Barry’s services were still available. As suggested in the article, it’s quite possible that Bonds is being blackballed from the game. Whether it’s unspoken and subtly insinuated by Bud Selig is unclear, but we do know that it’s already Spring Training and Bonds does not have a job. Japan? I would die to see it. And let’s not forget that Barry actually does have a job offer on the table.