Barry Bonds Sinks To A New Low

While both of Barry Bonds fans wait, along with the millions who despise him, for him to sign with another club. Rumors are surfacing that he may be finding a new low. and by new low I mean a place that is still too good for him. Fanhouse is reporting that Barry is not ready to retire. If no Major League teams want his bat in their lineup, he will look to play over seas. Barry has a few strikes against him; his looming indictment for perjury, his ties to the steroids era, his black hole of a personality; and his lack of mobility in the outfield.

Bonds, the all-time home run champ, would on the surface be an easy pick-up. He still has power at the plate, as well as box office power. He is no doubt a hall of fame caliber player, but a lot of that is past him now.

Denials of his steroid use to federal investigators got Bonds a perjury indictment receently. Media attention has been drawn away by Roger Clemens and the Mitchell report. General Mangers it seems do not follow the media, and have opinions of their own. Bonds agent has taken to "driving from training camp to training camp in Florida, hoping to persuade a general manager of some major-league club to give Bonds a new opportunity"

While the indictment creates playing time, courtroom appearance conflicts. The larger issue for the General Managers my be the actual issue of steroids. No GM wants his team and clubhouse associated with steroids. It ould clearly be a gamble to have the greates hitter of the modern era wearing your uniform if the steroid allegations finally stuck.

As the Bonds approaches his twilight, he doesn't seem suited to the path that most diminishing veterans take. Clubhouse mentor just doesn't fit Bonds, from his public fued with Jeff Kent. to his general Vader like presence in a locker room. When beat writers are dropping quotes like "a reporter who visited the home clubhouse at Fenway Park when the Giants played in Boston in June was struck by the jocularity and fellowship inside a room populated by youngsters and superstars who together won a World Series four months later. It was a stark contrast to the way the Giants tiptoed through Bonds' clubhouse." you know you are a parriah.

The final piece to the Bonds puzzle is his ever decreasing mobility. His defense is lacking, no longer able to cover as much ground in the outfield. With diminshed speed on the base paths, he is not far removed from the David Ortiz Homerun or a single scenario. This leaves him only available to teams in need of a DH and even amongst that small group a team would have to be desperate to take on all the other baggage.

Would you take Barry on your team??

Clemens and McNamee Before Congress: Recap

I gave a little recap on the previous steroids timeline in a previous post. So I won't get too deep into the past here because the meeting today didn't really bring anything new to light.

One of the intersting choices made was that the only people present were Roger Clemens and Brian Mcnamee and Charles Scheeler, one of the authors of the Mitchell Report. First off where the hell were Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch. Second and possibly even more questionable, if the Mitchell Report needed a representative, who do you think we shoudl go with for that. Gee I just can't decide, hmmm I don't know how 'bout SEN. MITCHELL

The biggest thing I noticed was that throughout the course of the hearing the body language shifted. While Clemens seemed to grow stronger and more confident as the questioning continued. While Mcnamee seemed to wilt as the questioning went on. While Clemens certainly seemed to have some issues. Most notably the fact that the Chair of the Committee, Henry Waxman, seemed set against him. The Major set backs seemed to be on McNamee's side.The lowest point for McNamee is debatable but it was likely at the point Rep. Christopher Shays accused McNamee of being a "drug dealer," which finally got McNamee fired up.

"I only did what players asked," McNamee said, "and it was wrong."
When McNamee tried to claim that because of that he wasn't a drug dealer, Shays pounced.
"You were a DRUG DEALER," he bellowed. "You were dealing drugs."
"That's your opinion," McNamee retorted.
"No," Shays snapped. "That's not opinion. You were dealing drugs. You're telling me that as a former police officer, you weren't dealing drugs?"
"Dealing in them?" McNamee answered. "Yes."
"Were they LEGAL drugs?" Shays went on.
"No," McNamee said, almost in a whisper.
Shays shook his head, like a teacher who had just caught a kid in the back of the class trying to fake an assignment.
"Then you were a drug dealer," he said.

If that wasn't the low point for McNamee then it possible came when Dan Burton began his alloted 5 minutes

''That's a lie, right?'' he said after reading his comments back to him.
''This is really disgusting,'' Burton said. ''You're hear as a sworn witness yet we have lie after lie after lie. I don't know what to believe. I know one thing I don't believe. That's you!''

Other than a few exceptions, the attitudes ran down party lines. With the Republicans seeming to support Clemens other than notable exception Rep. Mark Souder. Souder seemed upset with Clemens as well as MLB owners and Bud Selig. Judging by Souders remarks I am guessing he is looking to make a whole new subcommittee solely for over seeing baseball. Good god let it go.

The Democrats seemed to fall in behind McNamee, with their exception being Rep. William Lacy Clay. Not only did Clay pretty much say "why don't you use my 5 minutes to give a little speach about how this is all about the children" When Clemens only used four and half minutes. Clay used the remaining 30-seconds to ask "A colleague of mine, Mr. Capuano of Massachusetts, wants to know what uniform you're going to wear to the Hall of Fame." Really!? I can't imagine why people are upset that congress is wasting time on this.

While I watched this all morning I followed along as ESPN.com senior writer Jayson Stark described all the action My favorite gem form all this was

Just a thought as the questioning of the Rocket gets rolling:
Since he's under oath, any chance one of these congressmen could ask Roger what the heck actually happened when he threw that bat at Mike Piazza?
He didn't really think that was the ball, did he?
Sorry to digress. Just thinking.

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Clemens On the Hill Wed(2-12): Your Steroids Prep Guide

• June 7, 1991 - Steroids is added to the list of banned substances


• April, 2001 - Baseball implements its first random drug-testing program in the minor leagues.


• May 28, 2002 - Ken Caminiti is quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying that he used steroids during his MVP season in 1996


• December 12, 2003 - Greg Anderson(Bonds Trainer); Bay Area Lab Cooperative(BALCO) president Victor Conte; and BALCO vice president James Valente are charged in 42-count federal indictment of running a steroid-distribution ring.


• December 2, 2004 - SF Chronicle reports Jason Giambi admits using steroids


• December 3, 2004 - SF Chronicle reports Barry Bonds admits to using Clear and Cream substances but denies knowing they were steroids


• March 17, 2005 - House Government Reform Committee holds hearings about steroids, Mark McGwire is evasive, Canseco sells some more books, Sammy Sosa pretends he doesn't know english and Rafael Palmeiro gets serious with his finger wagging denials.


• April 3, 2005 - First player is suspended under the testing policy, Tampa Bay outfielder Alex Sanchez


• November 15, 2007 - Bonds indicted on perjury charges


• December 13, 2007 - Mitchell Report is Released(List of players mentioned)


• January 4, 2008 - Players Roger Clemens, Chuck Knoblauch and Andy Pettitte were invited along with trainers Brian McNamee and Kirk Radomski


• January 28, 2008 - Clemens and his people release a statistical report that attempts to show he didn't have an unreasonable increase in productivity


• February 4, 2008 - Andy Pettitte gives his deposition in a closed door meeting with the House Oversight Committee


• February 5, 2008 - Roger Clemens gives his deposition in a closed door meeting with the House Oversight Committee


• February 6, 2008 - Brian Mcnamee gives his deposition in a closed door meeting with the House Oversight Committee. Meanwhile Clemens spent the day meeting one-on-one with members of the committee.


• February 6,2008 - Brian Mcnamee and his attorneys release photo's of used needles and syringes that supposedly contain Clemen's DNA as well as Steroids


• February 8, 2008 - Brian Mcnamee claims he also injected Clemens wife prior to her appearing in a swimsuit along side Clemens in and issue of Sport Illustrated

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Finally Steroids News I'm Interested in

ESPN is reporting that John Rocker claims that MLB not only knew he used steroids. They assisted him in doing so.

For starters we are talking about John Rocker. I love a guy who speaks his mind, however that would require a mind which is not something I am sure this guy is in possesion of. After his comments in 19999 saying he would never play for a New York team because he didn't want to ride a subway train "next to some queer with AIDS." He also dropped this gem in 2005 as he was attempting a comeback "I've taken a lot of crap from a lot of people. Probably more than anybody in the history of this sport. I know Hank [Aaron] and Jackie [Robinson] took a good deal of crap, but I guarantee it wasn't for six years. I just keep thinking: How much more am I supposed to take?"

Yeah forgive me if after those brilliant statements I don't flip out over any news coming out of Rocker's mouth. I mean I would love to hear that this is true. Anything that would shine a light on the evil that is Bud Selig, is good in my book.

The basic gist of what Rocker said was the fact that in testing that ironically stemmed from a suspension he drew as a result of those intelligent statements from 1999. The league discovered he was using HGH. The players union and league doctors then instructed him and several Rangers teammates on how to use steroids more effectively.

The biggest John Rocker moment in all this though is when he gave his opinion on Commissioner Bud Selig. "Bud Selig is a clown and should do the world a favor and Kill himself. " While I definately agree with the first half of that statement the secodn half seems just a bit much.

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Being a Narc Get's Rewarded

Today was sentencing day for Kirk Radomski. Roadmoski is the former mets clubhouse attendant who is seen is the main distribution point for the steroids that we have all come to know(and be brutally bored by) from the Mitchell report. He supplied some of the steroids Roger Clemens is alleged to have used. No word yet on if he is tied to that miller lite can, I'll let you know as soon as I read the transcripts from court.

So Radomski's got his sentance today and it was a big fat goose egg, zero, nothing. That's right kids roll over on your friends, tell all, if you can, save the evidence. Because while Marion Jones got 6 months for her use and lying about it. Dana Stubblefield who plead guily recently is expected to get a similar sentance. While BarryBonds sentance could go even longer than that.

Guys like Radomski and Brian McNamee are now being rewarded for giving up the names and places of famous people. I understand that some people get a lighter sentance by way of giving up the bigger fish, but that isn't the case here. This is a matter of the bigger fish, the dealer, giving up the user. This is only happening because the users in this case are famous.

I just hate everything about this whole trend. More than anything I hate the fact it continues to get drawn out. I am right now hearing that McNamee injected Clemens wife. Is there some reason McNamee can't just tell us everything at once. It just seems more and more like PR to save himself every time the next little bit leaks out.

McNamee Evidence: Chain of custody?? How bout that Miller light can

Brian McNamee's attorneys showed pictures of evidence today. I mean there were some questions on chain of custody. I guess we have those answered.

Apparently what happened was, Clemens had put his needles in a crushed Miller Light can. Then that was placed in a trash can. Apparently McNamee went digging through his friends trash to collect them. Some of the other items that were photographed, Clemens had on him as he was a bout to fly to Houston. He then gave them to McNamee to dispose of.

Sounds totally reasonable, I got through my friends trash all the time. I also frequently take a hold of their drug paraphanelia in the event they forget to empty there pockets of syringes before they take a flight. I know they usually want me to dispose of it but I like to keep it. You know, I am sentimental that way.

When McNamee's attorneys were questioned as to why he hadn't turned this evidence over in the begining stages of the Mitchell investigation, they responded by saying that McNamee had made some "Omissions". Omissions that were necessary in order to keep from "burying Roger Clemens". Everytime I hear something from McNamee and his camp he sounds less credible. Also this pretty much invalidates the claims of Senator Mitchell that we should believe McNamee because he was testifying to stay out of jail. Really if I was trying to stay out of jail I wouldn't be sweating how much damage I did to Roger Clemens' public image.

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Goodell Called Before Congress To Discuss Spygate

I despise the fact that congress got involved in steroids. I mean they have plenty to worry about. Even if they didn't it still isn't really in the scope of congress' job to oversee baseball.

While I have constantly held that position I have over the last few months been somewhat swayed by the argument that it's all about the kids. You can't deny that the example professional athletes set affect the youth of our country. It goes beyond that though, forget the example set for youth. The fact is one guy does it to make the league now the next guy has to do it to make the league.

So I am starting to come around to Congress' involvement. Then what do I see crawling across ESPN's Bottom line. Congress has called Roger Goodell before them to investigate the destruction of the tapes and the Spygate issues in general. I'm sorry, what!? Explain this one to me someone, who is this protecting. Are they going to look into the widespread allegations that every team does it. This is just the most blatant attempt to get around history. Look the Superbowl winners go to the White House every year. Congress, if you want to get around the NFL and it's players then invite them, they would probably show up. But abusing your position in Congress is just phenomenally weak to me.

How Much is Bud Seligs soul worth

So Bud managed to wrangle a new contract yesterday, taking him through 2012 as the commissioner. This comes days after he faced congress in relation to MLB’s involvement in steroids. A showdown which featured Selig admitting to his responsibility in the steroids scandal. It also comes a year after the fact that he said he wasn’t interested in continuing past 2009.
I could live with him going back on what he said, I mean this is professional sports. I even understand them extending his contract, who else is going to take that job right now. What I can’t deal with is the raise, somewhere in the 2 million a year range which would bump him up to 16.5 million.
Are you serious!? Don’t start rattling off about increased revenue, and the popularity of the sport. If you want to hand out 2 mil a year for that go ahead and address that check to former Balco boss, Victor Conti. The man who skyrocketed the use of performance enhancers in baseball. I don’t know his address but you can send it to the Federal Prison system and I am sure they will get it to him.
Just curious Bud, when you sold your soul to the steroids devil, did even you think that came with a raise.