Bobby Bonds ailing

SAN FRANCISCO, June 5 (UPI) -- Former Major League star Bobby Bonds is in failing health at his California home suffering from a variety of ailments, including pneumonia.

His well-known son, slugger Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, made it known after his team's 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins Wednesday night.

The information came as Barry Bonds was being questioned about the Sammy Sosa corked bat issue.

"Do I have to answer that? My father is really sick," Bonds said. "I don't care about Sammy Sosa, my father is the only thing on my mind. (He's) very bad."

When asked if his father has taken a turn for the worse, Bonds said, "yes."

Bobby Bonds underwent surgery on a brain tumor earlier this spring, had a cancerous kidney removed in 2002, and also has been battling lung cancer.

"It's amazing that he can come in and have so much on his mind and still perform at the level he's performing at," Giants second baseman Ray Durham told the San Jose Mercury News. "I don't know if he can totally shut it down, but I know it has to be on the back of his mind."

Barry Bonds had the game-winning hit Wednesday night.

Bobby Bonds,, who is very close to his son and attended a game recently at Pac Bell Park, played 14 years in the majors, including his first seven years with the Giants, and is also a former Giants coach.

During his playing career, he hit .268 and had 332 home runs and 461 stolen bases, and he is one of only four players in Major League history to have at least 300 stolen bases and 300 homers.