Five reasons why Bonds' pursuit has stalled

Barry Bonds has smacked only three home runs in his last 83 plate appearances. AP

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LOS ANGELES -- In the vernacular of baseball managers everywhere, Barry Bonds is scuffling a little bit right now. Or, if you prefer, in the vernacular of Dodgers fans, he's sucking.

Either way, Bonds is not swinging the bat particularly well. In fact, Bonds is a long way from well. Right now, Bonds couldn't go yard in his backyard. He couldn't go yard in my backyard.

What's wrong with Barry? Why is this thing taking so long?

Allow me to offer up a short list of possibilities:

1. Barry is feeling the pressure

Hey, this home run record is a big deal. It's not-too-arguably the most recognized record in sports. A whole baseball-loving nation is watching Bonds on his way to overtaking Hank Aaron. Granted, most of those tuning in are falling asleep, if they were able to stay awake for the first West Coast pitch in the first place.

But this is important. Every park is selling out. A guy can get blinded by all the camera flashes out there when Bonds comes to the plate and be deafened by all the boos. Even commissioner Bud Selig is here (most of the time, anyway, thanks to what he rather unfortunately allowed the other day was a "Herculean effort" on his part).

Bonds can't swing a [Tim] Lincecum in the Giants' clubhouse without knocking over 20 or 30 loitering reporters. Every time No. 25 comes to bat, umpires have to swap out special Bonds-coded baseballs, just so the memorabilia market isn't flooded with fake No. 755s and 756s.

"Let's face it; he's approaching the biggest record of all time," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said before Bonds' latest homerless effort Thursday night against the Dodgers. "There's going to be some pressure there.

"This is a different kind of record. I think he feels that, too. Once he does reach this milestone, I think we'll see him get back in the groove."

There's some evidence Bonds is starting to feel the pressure, other than the fact that he hasn't hit a homer lately, I mean. He's jumping at pitches he wouldn't normally give a second look. As SI's Tom Verducci pointed out last weekend, Bonds even swung at a 3-0 pitch from Florida's Sergio Mitre on Sunday, meekly grounding out. It was the first time in almost a year he swung and put a 3-0 pitch into play.

2. Barry is tired and hurting

It's hard to tell sometimes with Bonds just how worn out he is. He always looks spent. At this stage of his career, 22 seasons in, the 43-year-old has become a master of putting out only the effort he needs to put out.

That said, there are signs he's dragging. Bonds is one of the last guys to make it to the clubhouse these days (and one of the first to leave). His legs are constantly sore, according to Bochy, sore enough the manager had to give him three-consecutive days off late last month to rest.

And Bonds probably should be tired. He's played in every game the Giants have played in the past week -- seven in a row (though the Giants had an off day Monday). He's probably going to play Friday night and, very possibly, on Saturday against the Padres in San Diego. He's not expected to play Sunday afternoon in Petco Park -- day game after a night game and all -- but that'll still make nine straight games for him if he sticks to that schedule. The Giants don't have another day off until Aug. 30.

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