Comfort Food

My friend prepared this delicious and beautiful salad in my house for us tonight. We ate it together, as she told me her sad story of the recent apparent breakup of her marriage. I tried to express every idea I might ever have had in my long life to comfort her, but also to advise her both on a practical level, but much more importantly, on an emotional level.

I know I failed.

How can any of us help one another when we see our friend falling off the precipice of unspeakable pain?

I have no answers. But eating healthy salads together and talking is my only suggestion. At least, considering the options, we are being healthy about it all. Which is not my first, second, or third option when I am the one seeking comfort.

***

Know why I am happy tonight? The following story makes me smile big time!


Bonds, Giants agree on $16 million, 1-year deal
By BEN WALKER, AP Baseball Writer
December 7, 2006

San Francisco Giants' slugger Barry Bonds takes batting practice before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in San Francisco, in this Sept. 29, 2006 file photo. Bonds and the San Francisco Giants moved closer to reaching an agreement Thursday night, with the sides hoping to complete a deal that would keep the controversial slugger in the Bay Area.
AP - Dec 7, 7:58 pm EST
More Photos

NEW YORK (AP) -- Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants reached agreement on a $16 million, one-year contract Thursday night that will keep the controversial slugger in the Bay Area to take aim at baseball's home run record.

The deal includes four performance bonuses that could make the pact worth a total of $20 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because there had been no official announcement.

While Oakland, San Diego, St. Louis and other teams showed interest in signing the 42-year-old free agent, the Giants had been considered the front-runners to re-sign their star.

Bonds has 734 home runs and is 22 from breaking Hank Aaron's career record. He has played 14 seasons for the Giants and is coming off a $90 million, five-year contract.

Bonds missed nearly the entire 2005 season after three operations on his right knee, prompting speculation on whether he was almost done. But the left fielder bounced back this year to play 130 games, hitting .270 with 26 homers and 77 RBIs.

ADVERTISEMENT
Shadowed by allegations of steroid use and a target of boo-birds in many opposing parks, Bonds has remained a fan favorite in the Bay Area. He has been tied to the Giants by family and history -- his dad, Bobby, was a popular player with the team; his godfather, Willie Mays, is regarded as the greatest Giant of them all.

The Giants will host the All-Star game next year, and can certainly build the event around Bonds as he nears Aaron's mark.

A seven-time NL MVP, a 13-time All-Star and an eight-time Gold Glove winner, Bonds has stolen more than 500 bases and is baseball's all-time leaders in walks.

Bonds met Wednesday with his former Pirates manager and now-Detroit skipper Jim Leyland, who is close friends with St. Louis manager Tony La Russa.

The Giants have been busy since the season ended. They re-signed Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz and also signed free agents Dave Roberts, Rich Aurilia and Bengie Molina, hoping to boost their lineup.

San Francisco cut ties with manager Felipe Alou after going 76-85 this season, and saw his son, outfielder Moises Alou, sign a free-agent deal with the New York Mets. Pitcher Jason Schmidt is working to finalize an agreement with the Dodgers.

Bruce Bochy was hired away from San Diego to manage San Francisco. Among the first things Bochy did after joining the Giants was phone Bonds.

The day after this season ended, Giants owner Peter Magowan said Bonds would not be the team's main cog if he returned in 2007.

"I think we need to go in a new direction," Magowan said in early October. "We have for a long time had a strategy that has worked well until the last two years, when it hasn't worked so well. The strategy has been one of having a great player -- maybe the greatest player in the game -- at the centerpiece and filling in with veteran players.

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds sits in the dugout and watches the Giants play the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning of their baseball game in San Francisco, int this Sept. 30, 2006. Bonds and the Giants moved closer to reaching an agreement Thursday night, with the sides hoping to complete a deal that would keep the controversial slugger in the Bay Area.
AP - Dec 7, 7:57 pm EST
More Photos
"For a long time that worked well. It caught up with us the past couple of years. Now we do need to get younger and healthier," he said.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Magowan called the Bonds camp to clarify his remarks and say he did not mean to offend the star.

When the Giants did not offer salary arbitration to Bonds last week, agent Jeff Borris was miffed.

Borris said it spoke "volumes of their true intentions to have him back in a Giants uniform for the 2007 season."

"It has been well documented that the Giants were trying to sign Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, Gary Matthews and Juan Pierre," Borris said. "And they have been working diligently in trying to trade for Manny Ramirez. The Giants' actions demonstrate that Barry obviously is not a priority to them."

Once the baseball winter meetings began, however, Borris and the Giants talked several times.

At this point in his career, only one thing is missing on Bonds' major league resume: a World Series ring.

Bonds has reached the postseason in seven different seasons, but made it to the World Series only in 2002 against the Anaheim Angels. With a chance to win the championship, the Giants blew a late 5-0 lead in Game 6 and lost, then lost Game 7.

Despite the defeat, Bonds hit .471 with four homers and had a .700 on-base percentage against the Angels. Overall, he is a .245 career hitter in the postseason.


Email me if you want to go to some games next year with me. The coming baseball season ought to be a lot of fun...

-30-