Saturday, December 29, 2007

Barry Bonds, the movie

HBO Films is planning to turn the best selling book - "Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports" by Mark Fainaru - about Barry Bonds' alleged steroid use into a movie.

This brings up all kinds of critical questions. Who will play Barry? Bud? George? the mistress???



link -

HBO to turn Barry Bonds steroids book into movie

Friday, December 21, 2007

Bonds, Clemens - NOT in Baseball's Hall of Fame

Survey says: Bonds, Clemens out of Hall

A New York Times survey of 90 baseball writers with Hall of Fame ballots shows a majority supporting both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens' bids for induction five (or six or seven) years down the road. But 50% isn't enough. They need 75%, and they don't have it.

Bonds is at 59% with 10% undecided. Clemens is at 56% with 14% undecided.


USAToday

Barry Bonds argues to keep all-star legal team

Bonds can keep his legal dream team
By Howard Mintz
Mercury News

Former San Francisco Giants home run king Barry Bonds can keep his dream team.

During a brief hearing today, Bonds assured U.S. District Judge Susan Illston that he wants his two top lawyers to continue defending him, despite federal prosecutors' concerns that they may have a conflict of interest because they previously represented other clients connected to the Balco steroids scandal.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Curt Shilling comments about Barry Bonds


Someone wrote a book about Barry which outlined a ton of things that Barry supposedly did, and nothing happened. Barry instituted legal action to bar the publishers of the book from profiting from sales. Nothing about the allegations in the book, nothing, just tried to stop them from making money. Barry testified, with immunity, in front of a Grand Jury. In the opinion of that Grand Jury Barry lied under oath no less than 4 times and is now facing indictment. Barry’s personal trainer has gone to jail for failure to testify in the Grand Jury proceedings. My question is, if you did nothing wrong, and know of no crime being committed, why would you have to go to jail? What information would you possess that would land you in jail for failure to disclose? If you are innocent, and no one is hiding anything, why is anyone going to jail? More importantly to me, how good of a friend would I be if I allowed someone I considered to be my friend to go to jail for me? What does that say about me? What does that say about my guilt/innocence? If I haven’t committed a crime why would anyone I am friends with have to go to jail for failure to answer questions about me or my activities?


38pitches.com

Barry Bonds and Roger Clements: "They'll be the Bonnie and Clyde of baseball"

Frank Deford, of Sports Illustrated, issues his thoughts on the whole mess by writing:

"But let's look on the bright side. The Report does give Barry Bonds more esteemed company as a cheat. Right?"

And then he concludes by adding his thoughts on Bonds and Clemens by saying: "They'll be the Bonnie and Clyde of baseball."


SportsIllustrated

Barry Bonds Back in Court Friday

Bonds Back in Court Friday

By Michael S. Schmidt

A week after the Mitchell report detailing the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball was released with the name Barry Bonds appearing 95 times, the home run king will be back in federal court.

A hearing has been set for 11 a.m. on Friday at the federal courthouse in San Francisco so the judge overseeing Bonds’ perjury case can hear arguments about whether lawyers representing him have a conflict of interest.

NY Times baseball blog

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Hey Bud: "Did you know about Bonds using steroids and intentionally wait for him to break the home run record?"

That's the question that is asked by The Bleacher Report blog (to MLB commissioner Bud Selig) with their article entitled: "Barry Bonds and the Steroid Era."

Monday, December 17, 2007

Lupica: Bonds doesn't get some sort of "Get Out of Jail Free" card

Don't forget about Barry Bonds

Until 2 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, officially all we had on Roger Clemens was that he fit the profile. Barry Bonds' profile.

It means his pitching career seemed to be on a parallel course with Bonds'. He picked up the same head of steam after the age of 35 that Bonds did. Made the same kind of money. Both were bigger than ever. In all ways.


NY Post

Friday, December 14, 2007

The Oakland Athletics may not be calling Barry Bonds anytime soon

When the Oakland Athletics traded pitcher Dan Haren to Arizona for six prospects this afternoon, that probably meant that adding a certain high priced outfielder or designated hitter (Barry Bonds) is not very likely.

A's general manager Billy Beane said as much today in discussing the future.

"Gosh," Beane said, chuckling when asked Bonds. "We'll deal with this trade. We're trying to get younger. We're trying to put together a club that continues to get better over the next couple of years."

Bonds and Clemens: "no difference between them"

Clemens is no different than Bonds
By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
December 13, 2007

Year after year he peddled the same garbage, Roger Clemens was so dominant for so long because he simply outworked everyone. It played to the nation's Puritan roots, made Clemens out to be this everyman maximizing his skills through singular focus, dedication and a commitment to drinking carrot juice, or something.

It's all gone now, the legend of Rocket Roger dead on arrival of the Mitchell Report; one of the greatest pitchers of all time, his seven Cy Youngs and 354 career victories lost to history under a pile of lies and syringes.

Barry Bonds: warned in advance of two tests in 2003

Bonds might have been warned of tests


By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds and his supporters often pointed to the fact that the home run king never flunked a drug test administered by Major League Baseball. The Mitchell Report suggests why: it appears Bonds received advanced warning of two tests in 2003.


Yahoo!News

Thursday, December 13, 2007

The Mitchell Report Has Been Released



View the Report

The Mitchell Report Has Been Leaked


Mitchell Report Leaked

The preliminary, leaked Mitchell Report names and includes the following current and former MLB players (supposedly MLB has told NBC that there are errors on this list):

Brady Anderson, Manny Alexander, Rick Ankiel, Jeff Bagwell, Barry Bonds, Aaron Boone, Rafael Bettancourt, Bret Boone, Milton Bradley, David Bell, Dante Bichette, Albert Belle, Paul Byrd, Wil Cordero, Ken Caminiti, Mike Cameron, Ramon Castro, Jose Canseco, Ozzie Canseco, Roger Clemens, Paxton Crawford, Wilson Delgado, Lenny Dykstra, Johnny Damon, Carl Everett, Kyle Farnsworth, Ryan Franklin, Troy Glaus, Rich Garces, Jason Grimsley, Juan Gonzalez, Eric Gagne, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Jose Guillen, Jay Gibbons, Juan Gonzalez, Clay Hensley, Jerry Hairston, Felix Heredia, Jr., Darren Holmes, Wally Joyner, Darryl Kile, Matt Lawton, Raul Mondesi, Mark McGwire, Guillermo Mota, Robert Machado, Damian Moss, Abraham Nunez, Trot Nixon, Jose Offerman, Andy Pettitte, Mark Prior, Neifi Perez, Rafael Palmiero, Albert Pujols, Brian Roberts, Juan Rincon, John Rocker, Pudge Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Scott Schoenweiis, David Segui, Alex Sanchez, Gary Sheffield, Miguel Tejada, Julian Tavarez, Fernando Tatis, Maurice Vaughn, Jason Varitekm Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams, Kerry Wood

Bonds leading the corruption of the American pastime

Bonds leading the corruption of the American pastime
By: Luke Gublo

For as long as there has been baseball, there has been corruption within the sport. While touting itself as America�s pastime, it has not been without its vices. For instance, one can�t help but think of the 1919 Chicago White Sox. While considered the best team in Major League Baseball that year, they went on to lose the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. The following year, after appointing Kenesaw Mountain Landis to be commissioner, Major League Baseball investigated and banished eight players from the game, including �Shoeless Joe Jackson.�


Michigan Tech Lode

MLB's "not going to love it, the union's not going to love it"

Sources: Mitchell Report to name MVPs, All-Stars, won't address amphetamines
By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
December 13, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- Judgment day arrived for baseball's steroids era, with the Mitchell report set to be released and posted on the Internet for all to see.

The first name to emerge Thursday was seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens.


Yahoo!Sports

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

WSJ: former U.S. attorney in San Francisco talks about the steroids investigation involving Mr. Bonds

Should Former Overseer of Probe
Into Bonds Offer Commentary?

Lots of lawyers are talking with the media about the criminal charges recently brought against Major League Baseball's career home-run leader Barry Bonds following an investigation about alleged steroid use. But one lawyer's quotes have been raising eyebrows.

Kevin Ryan, the former U.S. attorney in San Francisco, oversaw much of the steroids investigation involving Mr. Bonds, but left the office in February. He told the New York Times that his former deputies would call to testify anyone connected to Mr. Bonds who appeared in front of the grand jury. "They'll throw everything into it," Mr. Ryan said, saying he felt there was almost enough evidence to indict Mr. Bonds in the summer of 2006. Mr. Ryan was also quoted in New York's Daily News saying that Mr. Bonds's legal team should ratchet down its aggressive rhetoric directed at the government.

Read::: WSJ

Today's Silly Barry Bonds Articles

NYPost: 14,164.53*

Athletics Nation: Some Bonds Haters Need To Join The 21st Century – Or At Least The 20th

InsideBayArea: Vick's sentence has Bonds ramifications

Monday, December 10, 2007

Hank Aaron tells Barry Bonds to retire (V)

The Barry Bonds court case and his MLB 2008 season

By Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Legal analysts following the Barry Bonds case say his 2008 season probably won't be interrupted by a trial. Now it's a matter of baseball's all-time home run leader finding a team to play for.

The chances of that happening might have improved Friday, when Bonds was arraigned in U.S. District court in San Francisco on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. He pleaded not guilty and later said in his website, "I will be vindicated because I am innocent."


USA TODAY

Reason gets Unreasonable about Barry Bonds

Innocent Until Proven ... Ah, to Hell With it

Matt Welch | December 10, 2007, 1:46am

You don't have to give one hoot about baseball, steroids, Barry Bonds, or his upcoming trial to appreciate the sight of grown men declaring -- before the first gavel is even struck -- that "innocent until proven guilty" is for suckers, and that the government is right because the government is right.


Reason

What's in Store for Barry Bonds?


Oakland, says one MLB exec via armchairgm.

In other news, Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland tells the Detroit Free Press it won't be with the Tigers.

Friday, December 7, 2007

"It's a witch hunt!" screamed one fan

Barry Bonds Appears In Court

Opening Day for Barry

A couple of stories from Yahoo Sports describing the Opening Day action.....


Another Opening Day for Bonds

Bonds arraignment held amid circus atmosphere

Welcome to - The Barry Bonds Trial blog

Hello, and as they say in Major League Baseball ... welcome to the show!




image via mbonocore/Flickr

A selection of Barry Bonds' comments regarding PED use:

  • "Doctors ought to quit worrying about what ballplayers are taking. What players take doesn't matter. It's nobody else's business. The doctors should spend their time looking for cures for cancer. It takes more than muscles to hit homers. If all those guys were using stuff, how come they're not all hitting homers?" -- May 21, 2002, Associated Press
  • "No. I don't have to [use steroids]. I mean, I'm a good enough ballplayer as it is. I don't need to be any better. I can't get any better at this age." -- June 2002, On the Record with Bob Costas
  • "I never asked. When he said it was flaxseed oil, I just said, 'Whatever.' It was in the ballpark.. in front of everybody. I mean, all the reporters, my teammates, I mean they all saw it. I didn't hide it." -- Dec. 4, 2003, during grand jury testimony, according to the San Francisco Chronicle
  • "I don't know Tim Montgomery. I've never met him. When accusations come from someone you don't even know, what can you do?" They'll be talking to my lawyer." -- June 25, 2004 to USA TODAY in response to allegations from a former world-class sprinter that he received steroids from BALCO
  • "All you guys lied! All of y'all and the story have lied. Should you have asterisks behind your name? All of you lied. All of you have said something wrong. All of you have dirt. When your closet's clean, then come clean somebody else's." -- Feb. 22, 2005, first public comments after testimony was leaked
  • "I don't know if steroids are going to help you in baseball. I just don't believe it. I don't believe steroids can help eye-hand coordination [and] technically hit a baseball." -- Feb. 22, 2005, first public comments after testimony was leaked
  • "You wanted me to jump off the bridge; I finally have jumped. You wanted to bring me down, you've finally brought me and my family down. You've finally done it. So now go kick a different person. I'm done. I'll do the best I can and that's about it. [I'm talking about] inner hurt. I'm physically, mentally done. I'm mentally drained. Tired of my kids crying." -- March 23, 2005 on MLB
  • "I went through the system. And that's what it is. And that's what I got. I went through the system. I'm in an appeal process right now. I was never convicted of steroids. Do I have any regrets? What happened happened. It's there. It is what it is. I live with it. I'm a convicted felon for obstruction of justice, and that's who I am. I live with it." -- May 29, 2012
  • "I gave my life and soul to that game. That's what's heartbreaking. That's the hard part of it." -- May 30, 2012 on MLB
  • "Not winning? [the 2002 World Series] It doesn't stick with me anymore. Right now, it's just good to see everyone and have a good time. Win or lost, it's nice just to come home and reminisce with each other." -- July 1, 2012
  • "Oh, without a doubt. There's not a doubt in my mind." -- August 6, 2012