Tracy Press

Barry Bonds still says it ain’t so. He hasn’t drifted off his story that he never, ever, knowingly used anabolic steroids (just a little “cream” and some flax seed oil).

But a federal grand jury in San Francisco says differently, and it has indicted Barry Lamar Bonds on four counts of perjury (lying while testifying under oath to the grand jury on Dec. 4, 2003) and obstruction of justice (making the false statements and for evasive and misleading testimony).

If convicted, Bonds could be sentenced to federal prison for 30 years (do the Lompoc Liars need a designated hitter?). But an indictment doesn’t make a guilty verdict, although it could commence a settlement between the prosecution and the defense attorneys (a guilty plea to a lesser charge in exchange for a lighter punishment).

For most of this nearly four-year wait for the resolution of the celebrated federal criminal investigation into Burlingame’s Balco Laboratories’ alleged illegal drug distribution and money laundering, Bonds was an all-star left-fielder for the San Francisco Giants. He chased, caught and passed Hank Aaron’s home run record this past summer.

Thursday, when the indictment was announced, Bonds was a free agent. Just before the 2007 major league baseball season mercifully ended for the Giants, the team’s management said goodbye to Bonds and his $17 million-a-year contract. Without any assurances that Bonds won’t be in the pen (prison, not bullpen), will any of the other 29 teams risk signing him to an eight-figure contract? Maybe only if there is a clause to nullify the contract if Bonds ever wears a bright orange jumpsuit.

Say it ain’t so, Barry, but your career as a ballplayer appears to be shot. It’s time to retire and to take your record 762 career home runs and unprecedented seven most valuable player awards with you. If you don’t, baseball commission Bud Selig might have the fortitude to ban you for life in the best interests of the sport.

The Bonds’ legacy is blemished whatever the outcome in the court of law because the court of public opinion now has placed his name into the baseball the hall of shame, next to gamblers Pete Rose and “Shoeless Joe” Jackson. Those two greats gambled on baseball; the great Bonds gambled that he would never get caught.

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written by k.l.vosburg , November 16, 2007

I'd be a little suspicious when another dude "rubes flax-seed oil on my back side," ey, mate?

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written by k.l.vosburg , November 17, 2007

Transcripts of Barry Bonds' perjury hearing...

District Attorney:
"Mr. Bonds, how long have you been in professional baseball?"

Barry Bonds:
"I don't recall..."

DA. "At anytime in your professional carrer, have you ever taken anabolic steroids?"

B.B. "I can't answer that..."

DA. "If you were caught...?" "Were you told to say, as far as you knew;" "It was a typical training "rub-down," with a substance known as Flax-seed oil?"

B.B. "Sir, I know I was handed some papers that day, but I really can't disclose their contents."

DA. "Mr. Bonds, are you aware you're under oath?"

B.B. "I can't remember..."

DA. "What are your plans for the future?"

B.B. "I am neither in the Executive nor Legislative Branch of Government."

*Writer's Note. Any similarities to persons real or imaginary is purely coincidental...

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written by LDP , November 18, 2007

Guys I have played ball for a lot of years. You can take what ever there is to make you big and strong. But it will never help you hit a object coming at you @ 97 plus mph with movement with a stick. try it some time. Barry you go. I think you are the one of the great ones.

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written by LDP , November 18, 2007

The feds need to go after things that really matter like child molesters and porn on the internet.

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written by noleah , November 19, 2007

I know this is about Barry Bonds....but lets get the story straight on Jackson.....he never gambled on baseball!! Oh...and to the person that's play a lot of baseball thinks Bonds should go unpunished......you're correct....if you don't have any skills....all the "Roids" in the world won't help you....but if you're Barry "Freakin" Bonds...then Roids will help you do what you can already do...BETTER....MUCH BETTER!!!...and FARTHER.....as in hitting it farther. You can't compare what Bonds did to what Aaron and Ruth before him did. If we allowed aluminum bats in the big leagues....the balls would jump out of the park at a higher rate than they are now.....wouldn't be fair to say that a ballplayer hitting with a wood bat could be surpassed by a guy hitting with an aluminum bat.....it's apples and oranges at that point....same with the "I did it naturally" vs "I did it on ROIDS" I don't see how you can compare the two. Ruth was the kind in his era....Aaron was the king in his era....and so far...Bonds is the king in the ROIDS era......but it A-Rod stays healthy...that could fall a lot quicker than Ruth and Aaron's record did.

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written by LDP , November 19, 2007

noleah,

You are right on one thing roids is the drug of the times. do you really think hank did not take a few bennies no w and then to play better have more energy. come on it is the pros all things go .behind those doors of the locker room at the level it is what ever you can do to keep your job for how ever long you can. Read ball four some time that might open your eyes. There is always someone in the wings to take your job. its the pros they get the money to play at ther best now matter what.