Call it irony, or perhaps poetic justice, but what could turn out to be the final home run of Barry Bonds’ career was shaded in controversy.
Career home run No. 762 came Sept. 5 in the first inning at Coors Field. Bonds drove a 99-mph fastball from Rockies rookie Ubaldo Jimenez to the left-field wall, where a fan reached over the fence and snared it. Replays showed fan interference, but the home run stood.
On Thursday, Bonds’ battered legacy took another hit when the former San Francisco Giants superstar was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury when he said he did not use performance-enhancing drugs.
The allegations cold-cocked the baseball world and put performance-enhancing drugs back on the front page.
“At a time when we should be talking about the MVPs and Cy Young winners, this is another black mark on baseball,” said former Rockies relief pitcher Ray King, who serves on the executive council of the Major League Baseball Players Association. “Now we get hit in the face with this. It’s a sad situation.”
Sadness seemed to be the overriding emotion of the day.
“This is a very sad day,” the Giants organization said in a written 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.”
Donald Fehr, MLBPA’s executive director, said: “I was saddened to learn this afternoon of the indictment of Barry Bonds. However, we must remember, as the U.S. Attorney stated in his press release today, that an indictment contains only allegations, and in this country every defendant, including Barry Bonds, is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until such time as he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The indictment comes three months after the 43-year-old Bonds passed Hank Aaron to become baseball’s career home run leader, arguably the most cherished record in sports.
Bonds and the Giants parted ways at the end of the season, and he is a free agent. So far, no teams have moved to sign him. At least one baseball analyst believes Bonds will never play again.
“I think if you are a (general manager), you are shaking your head and saying, ‘Not with a 10-foot pole right now,”‘ said former New York Mets general manager and current ESPN analyst Steve Phillips. “I think there was some speculation that Oakland might be interested, because there’s support for Barry in the Bay Area. But I think right now, it’s probably going to scare people away.
“I think for somebody to sign him up right now, I think you’d have to answer a lot of questions from your fan base that you don’t want to get into.”
Bonds always has had plenty of supporters and defenders within the game. Many players believe he’s become a scapegoat for the steroid era.
When Bonds passed Aaron to claim the record, fans atCoors Field booed when a replay of the homer was shown on the giant video screen. Rockies reliever Matt Herges, who played with Bonds in San Francisco from 2003-05, said he was “ecstatic.” But Herges was caught off guard by the reaction from Rockies fans.
“I didn’t expect the boos, and it surprised me,” he said at the time. “And it kind of disappointed me. I know him, and I consider him a friend, so when you hear a friend get booed, it’s going to disappoint you.”
Free-agent reliever LaTroy Hawkins has no direct knowledge of the federal government’s case against Bonds, but he has suspicions about Thursday’s indictment.
“I know how the government works,” said Hawkins, who appeared in 45 games with the Giants in 2005. “They can make something up just to get you scared enough to tell, even if you don’t have anything. They’ll suck your money dry, then tell you that you are free to go.”
Asked if he believes Bonds’ career is over, Hawkins said: “He was probably done anyway.”
Bonds – who has 2,935 career hits and has made no secret about his desire to reach the magic mark of 3,000 – certainly was planning on playing in 2008.
Two weeks ago, on his personal blog, he wrote: “I have started my training again and I look forward to what next year will bring.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck contributed to this report.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
Timeline
A look at Barry Bonds and the steroid allegations surrounding him:
Dec. 4, 2003 – Bonds testified to a federal grand jury that he used a clear substance and a cream given to him by personal trainer Greg Anderson, but didn’t know they were steroids, according to transcripts obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Feb. 12, 2004 – Anderson, track coach Remi Kor- chemny, BALCO president Victor Conte and BALCO vice president James Valente charged in 42-count federal indictment with running a steroid-distribution ring that provided performance-enhancing drugs to dozens of athletes.
Jan. 13, 2005 – MLB players and owners reached a new drug-testing agreement calling for more banned substances and a 10-day penalty for first-time offenders.
March 17, 2005 – Testifying before the House Government Reform Committee, Mark McGwire evaded questions about steroid use as he testified alongside Jose Canseco, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro, who denies having used steroids. Lawmakers scolded commissioner Bud Selig and union leader Donald Fehr, saying baseball’s penalties were too lenient.
July 15, 2005 – Conte and Anderson pleaded guilty to steroid distribution and money laundering, and Valente pleaded guilty to one count of distributing illegal steroids.
Dec. 1, 2005 – Conte began serving a four-month prison sentence in a minimum security prison in Taft, Calif., about 120 miles from Los Angeles.
March 7, 2006 – “Game of Shadows,” a book by San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, said Bonds used a vast array of performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids and human growth hormone, for at least five seasons beginning in 1998.
March 30, 2006 – Conte released from prison and insisted he never gave performance-enhancing drugs to Bonds and that “Game of Shadows” is “full of outright lies.”
July 20, 2006 – U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan announced he was postponing decision on whether to indict Bonds after the term of the grand jury investigating Bonds expires.
Feb. 20, 2007 – Bonds started spring training with a pointed challenge to prosecutors: “Let them investigate. Let them, they’ve been doing it this long,” Bonds said after his first workout of the year.
April 30, 2007 – Court records revealed former New York Mets clubhouse worker Kirk Radomski, who admitted selling performance-enhancing drugs to major-league players, testified before the same grand jury investigating Bonds.
Aug. 7, 2007 – Bonds hit 756th career home run to break baseball’s all-time record held by Hank Aaron for more than three decades.
Sept. 20, 2007 – Giants owner Peter Magowan informed Bonds that the slugger would not be signed to the team for the 2008 season.
Sept. 26, 2007 – Bonds played his last game as a San Francisco Giant. Earlier in the day, fashion designer Marc Ecko said he would brand Bonds’ record-breaking ball with an asterisk and send it to the Hall of Fame.
Nov. 1, 2007 – Bonds told MSNBC he would boycott Cooperstown if the Hall of Fame displayed his record-breaking home run ball with an asterisk. “There’s no such thing as an asterisk in baseball,” Bonds said.
Nov. 15, 2007 – Federal prosecutors indicted Bonds on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, accusing him of lying to a grand jury when he denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. Judge ordered Anderson released from prison.
By The Associated Press
