Written By:
Karen Gullo
November 15, 2007
The indictment said prosecutors obtained evidence ``including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances for Bonds,'' who told a grand jury he never knowingly used banned drugs.
The 43-year-old outfielder is the first major-league player to be indicted in the four-year investigation. Allegations of steroid abuse by athletes led to congressional scrutiny, testing in schools and tougher penalties by sports leagues. They've also raised questions about the validity of some records, especially the career home-run mark of 762 that Bonds set this year, and the indictment brought reaction from U.S. President George W. Bush.
``The President is very disappointed to hear this,'' Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement. ``Clearly this is a sad day for baseball.''
Bonds's lawyer Laura Enos said the player never tested positive for steroids and his defense will charge government agents with giving false statements.
``This is going to be a very, very spirited defense,'' Enos said in a telephone interview. ``Barry is going to defend himself to the hilt.''
Bonds is scheduled to appear before a U.S. magistrate in San Francisco on Dec. 7.
Selig Action
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig may decide what, if any, action to take against Bonds. The options might include banning Bonds from baseball, which would make him ineligible for the Hall of Fame. Any suspension likely would be challenged by the players union.
Selig said in a statement that he took the indictment ``very seriously and will follow its progress closely.'' Players union Executive Director Don Fehr said he was ``saddened'' by news of the indictment.
Bonds faces as much as five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the perjury charges, and 10 years and a $250,000 fine for the obstruction charge, according to the indictment.
The indictment comes three months after Bonds broke Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs, and six weeks after the San Francisco Giants said they wouldn't re-sign the player when his contract expired at the end of the season. Bonds said he wanted to play at least one more year.
`A Thunderstorm'
``He has had a cloud over him for a long time, this could be a thunderstorm,'' baseball historian Lyle Spatz said in an interview.
Previously banned players include members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox who were allegedly bribed to lose the World Series and career hits leader Pete Rose for betting on baseball games.
Bonds told the grand jury he might have unknowingly used substances that contained the drugs, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He said he thought the substances were flax seed oil and a legal ointment, according to the newspaper.
Steroids are synthetic substances related to male hormones. Doctors prescribe them to patients with abnormally low testosterone and to those suffering from diseases that result in loss of muscle mass, according to the U.S. National Institute of Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. Athletes take steroids to artificially build or repair muscle, allowing for better physical performance.
Last year, Bonds's former trainer, Greg Anderson, pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiring to distribute steroids and money laundering.
Balco Case
Anderson spent three months in jail for his 2005 conviction and was jailed again in July for contempt after refusing to testify before a grand jury. He was ordered released by a judge today, lawyer Mark Geragos said in an e-mail.
Anderson admitted to conspiring with Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative, or Balco, in Burlingame, California, to distribute testosterone cream, human growth hormone and steroids to unidentified athletes.
Balco's vice president, James Valente; track coach Remi Korchemny; and Illinois chemist Patrick Arnold also pleaded guilty in the investigation.
U.S. track-and-field champion Marion Jones gave up her Olympic medals in October after admitting she took performance- enhancing drugs before the 2000 Games in Sydney.
Previous Cases
A former New York Mets clubhouse worker pleaded guilty on April 27 to distributing steroids to professional baseball players. Former world-class cyclist Tammy Thomas was indicted in December on charges she lied to a grand jury in 2003 when she said she never took performance-enhancing drugs. Former track coach Trevor Graham was charged in November with lying to federal agents about obtaining steroids. Both Thomas and Graham pleaded innocent.
The Balco investigation led U.S. lawmakers to hold hearings on steroid use and urge baseball to adopt tougher rules banning performance-enhancing drugs. The league and the players' union agreed in November 2005 to stricter testing and penalties.
Controversy over Bonds intensified in March 2006 when a book published by two Chronicle reporters claimed he started using steroids in 1998 after becoming envious of the attention received by former St. Louis Cardinals player Mark McGwire, who hit a then-record 70 home runs in a season. Bonds broke McGwire's record in 2001, hitting 73 home runs.
Bonds is the son of three-time All-Star Bobby Bonds and the godson of Hall of Fame member Willie Mays. He has been named the National League's Most Valuable Player a record seven times during his 22-year career with the Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is one of four players to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.
``This is a very a sad day,'' the Giants said in a statement. ``For many years, Barry Bonds was an important member of our team and is one of the most talented baseball players of his era. These are serious charges. Now that the judicial process has begun, we look forward to this matter being resolved in a court of law.''
