One day after contradicting reports that Barry Bonds either was ready to retire after the season or set to play 10 more years, the San Francisco star did not show up Monday on the voluntary reporting date for Giants players.

Bonds told the team last week through his agent that he would come a day or two later because he needed to get some “personal stuff straightened out,” Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. The mandatory reporting date is Feb. 28.

“Given the fact that Barry didn’t play practically the entire season last year, we’d like to see him here early,” manager Felipe Alou said. “But we can’t bring a guy here by force before the first of March.”

Alou expects the 41-year-old outfielder to be in camp today in Scottsdale, Ariz., and has him listed in the first group of hitters for batting practice. After missing most of last season while recovering from three knee operations, Bonds hit five homers in 42 at-bats in September, raising his career total to 708. He trails only Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).

Bonds’ absence left his teammates to react to his comments to USA Today that his injured knee had forced him to take pain pills and that he planned to retire, and to his remarks to MLB.com that he was just “playing psychological games” and his knee brace felt so good he might play another decade.

In Tampa, Fla., Alex Rodriguez said he was unhappy with organizers of the World Baseball Classic for the way they handled his decision to play for the United States instead of the Dominican Republic. The New York Yankees third baseman took issue with reports that he vacillated between playing for the Americans and the Dominicans.

“Just to make it clear, I only spoke once, and then I spoke again three months later,” Rodriguez said after reporting to spring training. “All the garbage in between was major-league baseball. I didn’t go back and forth. I said once, ‘I wasn’t playing,’ and then at the end I said, ‘So, OK, I am playing.”‘

Rodriguez wouldn’t identify any officials he spoke with, opting to say only “central baseball.”

“I told him I was disappointed with all the stuff going back and forth, the leaking of information,” Rodriguez said, “especially with me not being involved in any way, shape or form.”

In Jupiter, Fla., the Florida Marlins’ first workout under new manager Joe Girardi lasted more than three hours.

“I was proud of how they worked,” he said. “That’s as hard a day as I’ve been in in spring training. They were moving all the time – that was part of the schedule. I believe in work. Work is how you get better.”

In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts said he could miss the Baltimore Orioles’ season opener because of the elbow injury that cut short his finest season in the major leagues five months ago.

The Orioles’ leadoff hitter set career highs in batting average (.314), homers (18) and RBIs (73) before dislocating his left elbow in a collision at first base during a Sept. 20 game against the New York Yankees. Roberts also tore a tendon and a ligament on the play.

At Vero Beach, Fla., Dodgers closer Eric Gagne threw off a mound for the second time in spring training. Gagne, the 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner, is recovering from elbow surgery June 24.