Giants slugger Barry Bonds impersonates Paula Abdul

  

(3/01/06 - SCOTTSDALE, AZ) -- Paula Abdul probably could hit a fastball about as well as Barry Bonds could impersonate Paula Abdul.

Bonds entertained and delighted a small gathering of fans and teammates Tuesday by dressing up as Abdul to judge the San Francisco Giants spin-off of the hit Fox show "American Idol," called Giants Idol.

Bonds, who wore a strapless dress and a blonde wig, surprised everyone watching the mock contest, where young players had to sing in front of the judges.

"I'll never tell my wife to hurry up any more," Bonds said. "Because it took me forever to get ready. I'll never do that again. I couldn't get my hair right. There were a lot things I went through during the 30 minutes I was getting ready."

The event raised $337 from fans that will be matched by the Giants organization and donated to the Giants Community Fund. Giants Idol was the brainchild of Mark Sweeney, who decided to bring a little levity to the clubhouse.

Sweeney, who signed as a free-agent with the team during the winter, decided the "Idol" competition would promote team chemistry and raise some money.

"It was up in the air whether Barry would do this," Sweeney said. "We asked him this morning. It was almost embarrassing to have him do it."

Sweeney's idea was to bring together the team and help spark team unity after last year's disappointing season when the Giants finished under .500 for the first time since 1996.

"It was pretty cool," said Omar Vizquel, who acted as host Ryan Seacrest. "I just thought he was going to be a judge. As long as you have fun you connect with each other."

Rounding out the judging impersonators were second baseman Ray Durham as Randy Jackson and Jeff Fassero as Simon Cowell. Comedian Rob Schneider, who was visiting the Giants, also participated in the mock contest.

The second round of the contest will take place on Wednesday before the team plays an intrasquad game.

Bonds is unsure whether he will again dress up as Abdul.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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