Bonds passes on Home Run Derby

~ Bonds says he's too old and tired to participate in the Derby.

CINCINNATI -- Barry Bonds will sit out of the Home Run Derby on Monday night, opting to rest his tired body before Tuesday night's All-Star game.

"Nope," Bonds said Thursday when asked about the Derby. "Especially when you're 42. It's not that you don't want to, it's that you just can't anymore. You can't. It's too long. Too much waiting. Too much sitting around. You can't do that."

Bonds, who turns 43 on July 24, started Thursday night's series finale against the Cincinnati Reds after playing in 74 of his team's first 82 games. He sat out Wednesday afternoon to allow his sore legs to recover and said he "felt better" Thursday.

Bonds had plenty of support in his choice to skip the Home Run Derby.

"I don't blame him," said American League manager Jim Leyland of the Detroit Tigers, Bonds' first skipper in Pittsburgh. "It's tiresome. His legs probably wouldn't take it, taking that many swings in a row."

Bonds is slated to start in left field for the National League in the All-Star game Tuesday in San Francisco, his 14th All-Star selection and 12th as a starter. He made up more than 119,000 votes in the final days -- getting 1,111,968 additional votes -- to finish with 2,325,391 and ahead of Cubs star Alfonso Soriano.

The seven-time NL MVP has appeared in six home run contests, winning it in 1996 in Philadelphia. The Derby has since gone from two rounds to three. He said he was worn out after the '96 Derby as well.

"And it was only two rounds then," Bonds said.

Who's his favorite to win it now?

"You don't know in our ballpark," he said. "It depends on the wind."

Bonds will be busy Monday night anyway, at a party he's throwing along with hip-hop artist Jay-Z. Bonds said there's no last-minute work to be done on that front.

"My party's been planned," he said. "I'm just having fun. It's in San Francisco. It's something I'll remember forever. I'll have a party with whoever I can have a party with. I will be thankful I got to be in the All-Star game in San Francisco."

Yet the site of the game has also left him in a thick Bay Area fog -- how can he possibly handle all the ticket requests?

"That's hard enough as it is," he said of the tickets, before noting that he needs "none -- I've got enough."

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he wouldn't have minded if Bonds decided to participate in the Derby.

"Either way was fine with me," Bochy said. "That was Barry's decision. He's doing what he thinks is the right thing to do. He could use the rest."

Bonds said he could play all three games of a weekend series in St. Louis, which features night games tonight and Saturday and an afternoon contest Sunday -- the Giants' final three games before the break. If he does sit one out, Sunday would likely be the day.

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All-Star rosters

(x-will not play; y-replacement; z-winner of fan voting)

AMERICAN LEAGUE

STARTERS

Catcher--Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit

First Base--David Ortiz, Boston

Second Base--Placido Polanco, Detroit

Third Base--Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Shortstop--Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

Outfield--Vladimir Guerrero, L.A. Angels; Magglio Ordonez, Detroit; Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle.

RESERVES

Catcher--Victor Martinez, Cleveland; Jorge Posada, New York Yankees

Infielders--Carlos Guillen, Detroit; Mike Lowell, Boston; Justin Morneau, Minnesota; Brian Roberts, Baltimore; Michael Young, Texas.

Outfielders--Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay; Torii Hunter, Minnesota; Manny Ramirez, Boston; Alex Rios, Toronto; Grady Sizemore, Cleveland.

PITCHERS

Josh Beckett, Boston; Dan Haren, Oakland; Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox; John Lackey, L.A. Angels; Gil Meche, Kansas City; z-Hideki Okajima, Boston; Jonathan Papelbon, Boston; J.J. Putz, Seattle; Francisco Rodriguez, L.A. Angels; C.C. Sabathia, Cleveland; Johan Santana, Minnesota; Justin Verlander, Detroit.

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

STARTERS

Catcher--Russell Martin, L.A. Dodgers

First Base--Prince Fielder, Milwaukee

Second Base--Chase Utley, Philadelphia

Third Base--David Wright, New York Mets

Shortstop--Jose Reyes, New York Mets

Outfield--Carlos Beltran, New York Mets; Barry Bonds, San Francisco; Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati.

RESERVES

Catcher--Brian McCann, Atlanta

Infielders--Miguel Cabrera, Florida; J.J. Hardy, Milwaukee; Orlando Hudson, Arizona; Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs; Albert Pujols, St. Louis; Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh; Dmitri Young, Washington.

Outfielders--Matt Holliday, Colorado; Carlos Lee, Houston; Aaron Rowand, Philadelphia; Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs.

PITCHERS

Francisco Cordero, Milwaukee; Brian Fuentes, Colorado; Cole Hamels, Philadelphia; Trevor Hoffman, San Diego; y-Roy Oswalt, Houston; Jake Peavy, San Diego; Brad Penny, L.A. Dodgers; Takashi Saito, L.A. Dodgers; Ben Sheets, Milwaukee; x-John Smoltz, Atlanta; Jose Valverde, Arizona; Billy Wagner, New York Mets; z-Chris Young, San Diego.