Bud Selig says, "I have yet to see the details of this indictment, and, while everyone in America is considered innocent until proven guilty, I take this indictment very seriously and will follow its progress."
Very seriously.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig — who did not attend the game in which Bonds hit his 756th home run — would not say Thursday whether he would suspend Bonds. "While everyone in America is considered innocent until proven guilty," Selig said, "I take this indictment very seriously and will follow its progress closely. ... We will continue to work diligently to eradicate the use of all illegal performance-enhancing substances from the game."
Selig commissioned former Senate majority leader George Mitchell to launch a steroid investigation into baseball after the book Game of Shadows, released in March 2006, detailed Bonds' alleged steroid use.
Selig said later he had spoken privately with Bonds and that Bonds had denied using steroids. Mitchell has not said what his upcoming report will say about Bonds, but several of his investigators have asked others questions concerning Bonds.
Although it further tarnishes the legacy of one of baseball's greatest players, the Bonds indictment probably will not affect the game as much as Mitchell's report, said Gary Wadler, an internist and member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
"Many people have already come to the conclusion one way or the other on Bonds," he said. "There's nothing earthshaking there, other than the sanctity of the home run record. What can't be discounted is what's coming in the next few weeks in the Mitchell report. That has the potential of being much more troubling for baseball."
Giants managing partner Peter Magowan, who in September told Bonds he would not be offered another contract, released a statement expressing sorrow about the indictment. Magowan said he was unaware of a pending indictment when he made the decision not to bring Bonds back.
"This is a very a sad day," Magowan said. "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."
Bonds, of course, maintains his innocence.
The night Bonds broke Hank Aaron's home run record, Bonds angrily said, "This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period."
A court of law will decide whether Bonds is a liar.
On Thursday, [Bonds'] very freedom was put in jeopardy when a federal grand jury indicted him on five felony counts of perjury and obstruction of justice, charges that could result in a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if he's convicted.
The indictment culminated a four-year investigation into steroid use by elite athletes.
Bonds and his lawyers long have accused the government of targeting a high-profile, unpopular player merely for political gain while pondering if the investigation was racially motivated.
Charges of leaks to the media and unethical legal behavior flew from both camps as the investigation dragged on and questions mounted about the government's intentions.
The relationship grew so antagonistic that government lawyers didn't notify Bonds of the impending indictment, a courtesy typically extended to white collar defendants so they can prepare for the public announcement.
"I'm surprised," said one of his lawyers, John Burris, who was notified of the indictment by The Associated Press. "But there's been an effort to get Barry for a long time. I'm curious what evidence they have now they didn't have before."
The 10-page indictment mainly consists of excerpts from Bonds' December 2003 testimony before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, or BALCO. It cites 19 occasions in which Bonds allegedly lied under oath.
But for all the speculation and accusations that clouded his pursuit of Aaron, Bonds was never identified by Major League Baseball as testing positive for steroids, and personal trainer Greg Anderson spent most of the last year in jail for refusing to testify against his longtime friend.
Anderson did not comment as he was released from prison shortly after the indictment was handed up, but his attorney, Mark Geragos, said the trainer didn't cooperate with the grand jury.
"This indictment came out of left field," Geragos said. "Frankly, I'm aghast. It looks like the government misled me and Greg as well, saying this case couldn't go forward without him."
Bonds is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Dec. 7.
Of course, Bonds' attorneys are playing the race card. Bonds is a victim. Boo hoo.
Of course, Selig is being noncommittal. He really has no choice. He's in no position now to declare a player, specifically Bonds, innocent or guilty. Let the court decide.
BUT--
Selig did have a choice when it came to getting tough on steroid use and cleaning up the game.
He chose to allow steroid freaks to be created on his watch. He allowed baseball's most hallowed players and their records to fall to liars and cheaters.
There will always be cheaters, conscienceless people who don't care about playing by the rules.
But more than those losers, like Bonds, I'm angry with Bud Selig and others in authority. It was their responsibility to make sure that the cheaters were tossed out.
Instead, they betrayed the greats of the game. They betrayed the fans. By failing to put a stop to the abuse, in effect, they condoned it.
Yesterday, Selig said, "We will continue to work diligently to eradicate the use of all illegal performance-enhancing substances from the game."
What a crock! What is he talking about? He had YEARS to "work diligently."
While I think it should be noted that Selig deserves credit for the positive changes he brought to baseball during his tenure, he will be remembered as being the one who let Bonds and those of his ilk trample on the achievements of MLB's heroes.
And, of course, he'll be remembered as being the one who claimed to take Bonds' "indictment very seriously."
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