Baseball-Bonds, Selig drama plays out in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE, July 21, (Reuters) - The drama between slugger Barry Bonds and baseball commissioner Bud Selig took center stage on Saturday as Bonds again failed to get closer to Hank Aaron's all-time home run record.

The San Francisco Giants hammered the hometown Brewers 8-0 with Bonds going 0-for-2 with two walks to remain at 753 career homers, two shy of Aaron's mark.

But the real story was taking place off the field.

Before the game, Bonds boasted that the threat of federal indictment for perjury over his alleged use of steroids as well as possible tax evasion charges would not distract him from his pursuit of the homers that stand between him and Aaron.

"Do I look concerned?" he asked reporters.

Told he looked very calm, Bonds said, "That's the way I feel."

The steroids culture that makes Bonds such a controversial figure flourished under Selig's watch and it poses a delicate and twisted problem for the MLB commissioner, the former owner of the Brewers.

Selig told reporters at Friday's game that he saw Aaron, who played his final two seasons with the Brewers, hit his first homer, and saw him hit his last one in Milwaukee. He talks with Aaron frequently, and has not spoken with Bonds for years.

While Bonds was very visible on Saturday, taking batting practice and talking with a woman whose sick son was helped by Bonds eight years ago, Selig's lieutenants quietly worked the press box.

Selig can't hit like Bonds, but he can reach out to friendly reporters in hopes of purging his agonizing dilemma. He clearly does not like what Bonds has done to baseball's image, and he admittedly is a close friend of Aaron.

Somehow, the presence of Bonds and Selig in the same ball park made the game seem irrelevant. The teams play again on Sunday.

To Milwaukee fans, and maybe to Selig, it was not about winning. It was about denying Bonds.

At times it seemed the soon-to-be 43-year-old left fielder was toying with booing Milwaukee fans, refusing to take a giant swing that would make history for them to reject.

His last at bat, Bonds was intentionally walked, denying him the chance to deny the fans the chance to reject his success.