SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Sitting in an easy chair in front of his locker, Barry Bonds looked like a man who had put in a good day's work. Despite all the controversy swirling around him in the last few days, Bonds finally did what he does best Thursday.

Bat in hand and his son by his side, Bonds traveled across town with the San Francisco Giants to make his first appearance in a Spring Training game since 2004, long before he underwent surgery three times on his right knee and missed all except 14 games of the 2005 season.

Bonds, who singled in his two at-bats against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Tempe Diablo Stadium in what eventually was a 6-5 San Francisco loss, said he felt like he never left.

"Twenty years, baby," Bonds said, citing the length of his Major League career. "It's like getting back on the bicycle. You don't forget how to shift gears."

If reporters expected Bonds to be tense and uneasy in front of the inquiring tape recorders, cameras and microphones, they had another thing coming. Bonds chatted for about 20 minutes, his longest session since he arrived at camp with permission a day late barely two weeks ago.

He said he'd be back in the lineup as the designated hitter again Saturday when the Giants play the Oakland A's at Phoenix and he hopes to make his debut in left field Sunday against the San Diego Padres at Scottsdale Stadium.

"He needs to [play the outfield]," Giants manager Felipe Alou said, "and he feels good enough to do it."

Ignoring questions about the excerpts from a new book that were previewed in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated saying that the lefty slugger used performance-enhancing drugs during a five-year period beginning in 1998, Bonds touched on a number of subjects.

Asked about his mental state, Bonds joked: "I haven't shot anyone yet. So I guess I'm feeling pretty good. I haven't killed anyone or gone psycho."

Asked if he would be ready to play if Opening Day was Friday instead of April 3 at San Diego, Bonds said: "If Opening Day was tomorrow and I had to go out there, I'd go out there. That's what I get paid to do."

Asked how the state of his knee compared to last Sept. 12 when he returned to the lineup after missing the first five months of the season, Bonds said: "It's way better. But I don't know. When you play every day, it's different. Once the season starts, you have to play. I have to figure out how that's going to feel and I better do it pretty quickly."

Asked if he could endure any more knee surgery, Bonds said: "No. Bye. If that happens I'm gone. I want to be able to play with my kids, man. There's a lot more to life than just baseball."

About his plans for 2007, Bonds said: "By July, by the All-Star break, you guys will know if I'm coming back or not. By that time, I'll have a better handle on it. There was never any question about this year. No question in my mind. I have a contract."

Asked for his reaction to the latest controversy surrounding him, Bonds asked: "Do you want to talk baseball or do you want to talk at all?" When the reporter persisted, Bonds reiterated the question.

Bonds was back in his traditional cleanup spot and in the third inning had his first hit of the spring -- a ground single to right between second baseman Adam Kennedy and first baseman Casey Kotchman.

Bonds was forced at second a few minutes later and jogged halfway down the baseline before turning back to the dugout. Before the fourth inning started, he left the building.

It was Bonds' second at-bat against Angels right-handed starter Hector Carrasco, who whiffed Bonds swinging on six pitches in the top of the first.

"He was complaining about swinging at a bad pitch when he struck out," Alou said. "That's the way he is. He feels if he swings at a strike then they won't get him out. You hear guys talk that way -- old-school big hitters who can't wait until their next at-bat."

Bonds was in San Francisco on Wednesday, where he had a custody hearing regarding his son from a previous marriage.

"It went great," Bonds said.

His son, Nikolai, joined Bonds as the team entered the stadium and walked across the field to its third-base dugout prior to the game. There was a smattering of cheers and Bonds waved to the crowd as a group of video and still photographers recorded his every move.

Bonds missed last Spring Training and the first five months of the 2005 season. Eventually, he returned in September to play in 14 games. He batted .286, hit five homers, all in his first 36 at-bats, and goes into the season with 708 career homers, six shy of Babe Ruth's 714 and 47 in arrears of Hank Aaron's all-time leading 755.

Bonds also needs 248 hits to reach the 3,000 plateau, another milestone he'd like to add to his collection.

"That 3,000 is nice," Bonds said. "That's something I'd like to do. It's just so I can talk [trash] to Tony Gwynn, that's all."