Cuba, Yes. Barry No

Our fevered dreams of watching Barry Bonds hitting the game-winning home run against the Dominicans in the World Baseball Classic as fireworks explode below soaring eagles, all to the strains of "God Bless the U.S.A" will sadly go unrealized as Barry has announced that he has dropped out of playing in the WBC. On his Web site, the Barry claims that with his knees being what they are, it would be in the best interests of his "family, the Giants, and our fans that I sit the WBC out." And yes, apparently he let the world know not the customary way of calling everyone up-- like Bud Selig or the people running Team USA-- but instead by letting them know by posting on his blog. Hey, how else is he going to get people to go to his Web site? It's either this way or saying he's got the Britney/K-Fed sex tape.

Naturally, the announcement has already spawned speculation as to why. Mainly in that it's a way to avoid the Olympic style steroid testing that the WBC will enforce. Or, to paraphrase a commenter on Deadspin, because they could never fit the medal over his giant head. Our theory has it that with the announcement of his reality show, Barry realizes that he doesn't need to play on the baseball team and wave the flag to earn good P.R. anymore. After all, what's more American than having a camera crew constantly follow you around to record your every move?

Or maybe it is what it is. Mainly that at 41 and after suffering through three knee surgeries, Barry has finally looked into his own baseball mortality and realized that at his age and with his body and with this probably being his last, best, shot at winning the Series, he needs to slow down a bit. But where’s the fun of thinking that?