SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In his first public appearance since the end of last season -- replete with more than 100 reporters, seven satellite TV trucks and dozens of autograph-seeking fans -- Barry Bonds held court for 30 minutes on Tuesday. At times animated and emotional, Bonds touched on a number of topics, including his pursuit of Babe Ruth; Jose Canseco's allegations; baseball's new drug-testing policy; and the media's dogged pursuit of the story on steroids.

Bonds, in camp along with the other San Francisco Giants position players who were reporting to Spring Training, began the press conference by setting the parameters that he wouldn't answer questions about the ongoing BALCO case, steroid speculation or his personal life.

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Asked pointedly to explain his "amazing production" and "tremendous growth in muscle strength" the last five years, Bonds said:

"Hard work. That's about it."

Bonds heads into the season with 703 homers. He became only the third Major Leaguer to reach the 700-plateau this past Sept. 17 when he homered off Padres right-hander Jake Peavy. Bonds currently is 11 homers behind Babe Ruth's 714 and 52 behind Hank Aaron's 755.

Bonds said the fish-eye lens is directly upon him now because he could pass Ruth early in the season, and said race may play a role, too.

"If I was a long way away it wouldn't be the same," he said. "Because Babe Ruth is one of the greatest baseball players ever, and Babe Ruth ain't black, either. I'm black. Blacks, we go through a little more. I'm not a racist, though. But I live in the real world. I'm fine with that."

Bonds praised the efforts by Major League Baseball and the Players Association to eradicate steroid use from the sport, adding that he didn't think performance-enhancing drugs could improve one's ability to play baseball.

"I commend (Commissioner) Bud Selig and the players union and all of the players for trying to put together a testing program that's supposed to satisfy everyone," Bonds said. "I cannot say enough for what Bud has come out and stated.

"I don't know if steroids use is going to help you in baseball. I just don't believe it. I don't believe steroids can help your hand-eye coordination, or to technically hit a baseball. I just don't believe it and that's just my opinion."

About Canseco's book, Bonds said that the idea of players talking about other players is repugnant to him and against a code he embraces. In the book, Canseco said that Bonds undoubtedly used steroids, although he said he had no first-hand knowledge to support that assumption.

"This whole thing in sports now has turned into a big circus," Bonds said. "I don't know Canseco besides 'hello' and 'good-bye.' It's sad. I don't (place) any weight on anything he says. Mark McGwire was a big boy in college. He hit a lot of home runs then. To me, Canseco's got to come with a whole lot more than what he's talking about. It's fiction, man.

"I was better than Jose now and I've been better than Jose his whole career. So I don't have anything to talk about Jose. If he wants to go make money, go make money."

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Bonds' session came about two weeks after the Yankees' Jason Giambi faced the media for the first time this year at a Yankee Stadium press conference.

Both players have been under media scrutiny since last year when parts of their grand jury testimony were leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle. The paper reported Giambi said he had injected himself with steroids and Bonds said he might have inadvertently used a cream that had steroids in it.

Giambi apologized to the reporters and fans, although he never mentioned the word steroids at the press conference.

When asked if he'd like to bare his soul, a la Giambi, Bonds said that he had nothing to apologize for.

"What did I do? I'm just sorry that we're even going through all this re-run stuff. None of us want to go through this. None of us want to deal with this stuff. We want to go out and do our job. But what's your purpose and what are you doing it for, rewriting it, writing it over and over and over and over again, what's your reasoning?

"You guys are like re-run stories. This is just old stuff. I mean, it's like watching 'Sanford and Son.' Re-run after re-run after re-run. Allow the drug testing program to work. I truly believe that we need to go forward. You cannot rehash the past. It's time to move on. Every time there has been an incident it has been corrected and now that this is being corrected, I think we need to go forward, move forward, let it go. You all stop watching Red Foxx in re-run shows and let's go ahead and let the (drug-testing) program work and allow us to do our jobs."

As for his knee, Bonds said he hoped to be ready for Opening Day, but wouldn't make any promises.

Bonds had surgery to clean a torn meniscus in the knee a little more than two weeks ago and then had to have stitches repaired only days later. He also had the left kneecap scoped and cleaned this past October. The more recent surgery was the second time Bonds has had meniscus repaired in his right knee since 1999.

Bonds said he couldn't put a timetable on his return, although the Giants have said they are solely intent on having him ready to play in the season opener at San Francisco against the Dodgers on April 5.

"I have no idea," Bonds said when asked to pinpoint a date for his return. "That's the part that I'm afraid of more. See, my legs have always been the strongest things on my body. The work ethic that I use with my legs, that's my power and my entire drive. It's always been my legs. And I'm going to have to work a lot harder. I'm going to have to work a lot harder this year than I ever have."