FanHouse PedroGomez

While we've already surmised what ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez's next endeavor might be now that he isn't slumming around the country following Barry Bonds' every move, the Daily Breeze alerts us to the fact that Gomez, for all the work he's put into the Bonds story since January of 2005, almost missed Barry's No. 756.

No matter what happened, Gomez was flying home to Phoenix on Wednesday morning for a week off to take care of his three children while his wife traveled for work.

"I'm glad it worked out the way it did, because in a selfish, perverse way, I had invested so much time into this that I'd be disappointed if I didn't see the payoff," Gomez said Thursday.

Yup, that's right. Had Bonds waited another day to homer as opposed to going yard last Tuesday night, Pedro wouldn't have been there to see it. That just would not have been right, folks. On top of that, the Daily Breeze got some other solid information from Gomez about chasing Bonds around for such a long time.

"The questions had to be asked every day - about tax evasion and grand jury testimony and having his personal trainer going to jail. This stuff wasn't just made up by the media. And whenever he pushed back, it let me know I was doing my job.

"Whenever I'd hit a nerve with Barry, I knew I was onto something. He may not have liked it, because I may have been the only one asking him those questions day to day, so he wouldn't answer me anymore.

I'd suggest taking a peek at the whole thing. Because seriously, what are you doing now anyways?

{Via the Big Lead.}

Previously at FanHouse:
But, But ... What Will Pedro Gomez Do?

You think you're displeased with Barry Bonds' new record. You think your day at work this morning is a little bit drearier, especially now that you have to face all your co-workers' uninformed opinions on steroids in sports and baseball and Barry Bonds' involvement therein. You think Bonds is making your life harder.

Sorry: nobody knows the trouble Pedro Gomez's seen.

Gomez, ESPN's official Barry Bonds pet/stalker/pepper-haired reporter, has been trailing Bonds for years, providing breathless updates on everything from Barry's hat size to Barry's reclining locker room chair to Barry's famous interview about how the media was hurting his family. It's been a long road.

But it's over now, and the question has to be asked: What will Pedro do? Some suggestions:

-- Cuddle up at Jeff Kent's house with a pint of Ben and Jerry's
-- Stalk Mark McGwire; failing that, stalk Sammy Sosa; failing that, stalk Brady Anderson
-- Play office politics ever so gently, take Steve Phillips' job
-- Host Who's Then?, ESPN's hard-hitting look at athletes who existed at any point in the past
-- Elope with Rachel Nichols, unleash terrifying horde of mutant sideline-reporting children on unassuming public
-- Schedule joint therapy sessions with Sal Paolantonio
-- Ignore lingering sense that too many precious breaths have been wasted on Barry Bonds, pick up that mic, and keep on plugging
-- Start a blog

Choose wisely, Pedro!

Previously on FanHouse:
Barry Bonds
Home Run Chase

I guess this news should end the speculation that Barry Bonds could be placed on the DL. Then again, a lot can happen prior to the first pitch, so we'll have to wait things out. The man hasn't started any of the games in the series against the Cubs this week after playing the entire weekend against the Dodgers without much success. If Bonds' legs are feeling better, then that means the home run chase is back on. Speaking to his confidant Barry M. Bloom, Bonds offered the following:

"Yeah, I feel like Thursday would be the right time," Bonds said. "[Wednesday] I'm going to take batting practice, move around, get on the field and run a little bit. See how my legs feel."

As long as his legs are fine, Barry should be in the lineup. It also helps that the game won't be televised by ESPN, whether or not that happens to be pure coincidence. I'm starting to think there might be some truth to a Barry Bonds anti-ESPN sentiment. After all, it's being reported he's upset at his shadow Pedro Gomez for saying several teammates were unhappy that Barry has been missing games. As if Barry didn't already provide enough drama, now we have this.

Previously at FanHouse:
Is Barry Bonds Skipping ESPN Games?
Barry Bonds Loses to Dodgers, Laundry Cart
Sorry, No Photos

The man who has followed Barry Bonds relentlessly for the past three or four years -- to sufficient ridicule -- was asked for his prediction about the likelihood Bonds will get the 22 home runs he needs to break Hank Aaron's all-time home run record.

Other noted ESPN scholars have weighed in with various dates and, as Baseball Musings notes, the consensus date is 8/30/07. That date is skewed, and guess why: Gomez doesn't think Bonds will break the record this year.

It's true! Gomez's official answer is "Not in '07." He is joined in his lack of faith by Jim Caple, who, for some weird reason, doesn't think Bonds will break the record ever ("Won't do it'). Caple is apparently planning on some sort of freak occurrence (an earthquake, perhaps?), to prevent Bonds' slow crawl toward this record. Maybe Caple is just engaging in some wishful thinking; nothing wrong with that, I guess.

But who are we doubt to Gomez? After all, he had personal contact with Bonds practically every day for years. Does he know something we don't? Then again, he did miss that whole BALCO thing ...

Care to guess a date, anyone?