EVERYONE'S GOTTEN HOMER HAPPY: BONDS ONLY PART OF THE PROBLEM.Byline: Matt McHale BASEBALL Lost in the perjury perjury (pûr`jərē), in criminal law, the act of willfully and knowingly stating a falsehood under oath or under affirmation in judicial or administrative proceedings. probes, public outcry and grand jury testimony surrounding Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 in Riverside, California) is a left fielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds, the godson of Hall of Famer Willie Mays, and a distant cousin of Hall of Famer Reggie is a striking footnote that can't please commissioner Bud Selig Allan Huber "Bud" Selig, Jr. (born July 30, 1934 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is the Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was previously the team owner and administrator of the Milwaukee Brewers. . While news leaked Thursday about the government's plan to go after Bonds with possible jail time for his alleged involvement with steroids, a whopping 48 home runs were hit in Major League Baseball "MLB" and "Major Leagues" redirect here. For other uses, see MLB (disambiguation) and Major Leagues (disambiguation). Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. . And Bonds didn't hit any of them. Forty-eight homers is more than three a game. Aren't pitchers supposed to be ahead of the hitters at this time of year? It still is fun to watch home runs, and the long ball still fuels the passion of fans and baseball executives. And it still means there is a problem. If destroying Bonds' career is seen as a way to cleanse the sport, it isn't working. How much credibility is restored when home runs are being hit at the pace beyond the turn of the century, juiced See Joost. See also juice. ball era of Bonds and Mark McGwire More than 150,000 people will have come through the gates of Dodger Stadium • • [ this weekend for the Dodgers-Giants series. Most will not be there to watch Bill Mueller move a runner over in the sixth inning. Blame it on ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network or the notion that chicks still dig the long ball, players know what people want to see. The real problem is that cheating through steroids has been moved up a notch. The non-detectable enhancement drugs that were revealed during the 2004 BALCO investigation are still one step ahead of the law and probably always will be. Stadiums are full, and though TV ratings aren't that strong, there is a reason the Yankees were playing the Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium. on a Wednesday afternoon. When you can put the sport on your computer and watch updates on your cellphone (CELLular telePHONE) The first ubiquitous wireless telephone. Originally analog, all new cellular systems are digital, which has enabled the cellphone to turn into a smartphone that has access to the Internet. , "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" acquires a whole new meaning. The sexiest part of the new investigation is the thought of players testifying against players. In baseball's 1985 Pittsburgh drug trial, players had immunity and turned on each other. It was fascinating. This might be a sequel worth watching. Gary Sheffield, the former Dodger and a longtime friend of Bonds, appears to be the government's most prized witness. There was no buffer between the two when Sheffield lived in Bonds' Bay Area house one winter while working out together. Sheffield has been a straight shooter throughout his career. With immunity, he could be a monster. Bonds told the government he used "the clear" and "the cream" but did not know they were steroids. This investigation is designed to prove Bonds knowingly lied under oath about his involvement with steroids. When Sheffield first testified to the grand jury, he painted Bonds as someone not at the mercy of personal trainer Greg Anderson, who has done time for his involvement with steroids. Sheffield said Bonds knew exactly what he was doing. "Barry pretty much controlled everything," Sheffield told the grand jury, "it was basically Barry (saying) `Trust me. Do what I do.' "I know I've seen Greg give Barry the same thing I was taking. I didn't see him taking those `red beans' but I've seen him taking this (clear) and the cream." Then, there is Bonds' former mistress, Kimberly Bell, who says Bonds told her he took steroids. Bonds claims he thought the drugs were flaxseed oil, taken to soothe aching knees. According to the San Francisco Chronicle The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young.[2] The paper grew along with San Francisco to become the largest circulation newspaper on the West Coast of the , 48 percent of Californians want to see Bonds punished and 38percent want him kept out of the Hall of Fame. And though an informal poll showed Friday night that about 99percent of fans in the left-field pavilion at Dodger Stadium want him burned at the stake, there is little chance of anything happening. Legal experts say proving perjury is extremely difficult, no matter what doctors or old buddies care to contribute. A jury has to believe that not only was testimony false, but Bonds said it knowing it wasn't true. As for baseball, which has strengthened its punishment for drug offenders, they know Bonds' timetable for the alleged abuse came before steroid penalties were included in the collective bargaining agreement The contractual agreement between an employer and a Labor Union that governs wages, hours, and working conditions for employees and which can be enforced against both the employer and the union for failure to comply with its terms. . He's going to walk away, with his creepy reality show. The true judge of his records will be you. You will decide if drugs can enhance the distance on a homer or help you better frame the strike zone. Forty-eight homers were hit Thursday. Those guys didn't all take steroids. But the guy on trial wasn't alone. matt.mchale@dailynews.com (818) 713-3622 CAPTION(S): photo, 8 boxes Photo: Forty-eight home runs were hit on Thursday in the majors, but San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California that currently play in the National League West Division. New York Giants history Early days and the John McGraw era slugger Barry Bonds didn't hit one of them. Keith Birmingham/Staff Photographer Box: (1) DAILY NEWS/CBS 2/KCAL 9 SPORTS CENTRAL POWER RANKINGS - Matt McHale (2) THEY SAID IT (3) WHO'S HOT (4) WHO'S COLD (5) ROOKIE WATCH (6) NOTES (7) SERIES OF THE WEEK (8) THUMPIN' THURSDAY |
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