Bonds facing perjury charges

US baseball home run king Barry Bonds was indicted on Thursday for lying to investigators about using steroids, justice officials said after laying charges that can send Bonds to prison for 30 years.

The controversial slugger faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges for statements made during a grand jury hearing into the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) scandal, the California Department of Justice said.

Without detailing the evidence they plan to present, justice officials for the first time said Bonds has tested positive for anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances.

That could lead to Bonds being stripped of the US home run milestone he set earlier this year, although Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig gave no hint about that prospect in a statement.

"I take this indictment very seriously and will follow its progress closely," Selig said. "It is important that the facts regarding steroid use in baseball be known."

The 43-year-old outfielder broke Major League Baseball's all-time homer mark 100 days ago, hitting his 756th homer to pass Hank Aaron before finishing on 762 after a chase that saw Bonds jeered everywhere but his home ballpark.

Critics said the milestone was tainted because of the doping allegations hanging over Bonds and the San Francisco Giants would not offer Bonds a contract for next season, leaving him a free agent when the indictments came.

"This is a very sad day," the Giants said in a 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," it said.

Bonds now faces four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to investigators in the BALCO case.

Bonds will have a plea hearing on Dec. 7, when potentially a trial date will be set for a legal case next year that could become the blockbuster trial BALCO never had thanks to plea deals for those deepest involved the case.

"Bonds is charged with knowingly and willfully making false material statements, regarding his use of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances while under oath," the state Justice Department said.

The maximum sentence for perjury is five years on each charge while the maximum term for obstruction of justice is 10 years.

An interesting dynamic of a trial would be how a jury of San Franciscans would regard Bonds, who was a hero to some and villain to many.

Bonds had immunity from prosecution for everything except perjury when he testified to the BALCO grand jury on Dec. 4, 2003. He allegedly lied to investigators several times by denying he took performance-enhancing drugs.

The BALCO scandal has already implicated several top athletes in baseball and track including US sprint stars Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery and baseball stars Jason Giambi and Garry Sheffield.

Bonds, who has denied knowingly taking steroids, also set a single-season mark of 73 homers in 2001, before the major leagues began testing for steroids.

"There has been an effort to get Barry for a long time," Bonds attorney Michael Rains said.

"I'm curious to see what evidence they have now that they didn't have before. It goes without saying that we look forward to rebutting these charges in court," he said.

Also on Thursday, long-time Bonds trainer Greg Anderson -- one of five men convicted in the BALCO scandal -- was ordered by a federal judge to be released from prison.

Anderson had served his BALCO sentence but was being kept behind bars for 13 months for refusing to testify against Bonds to the grand jury which had been investigating the player for lying to the BALCO grand jury.

Mark Geragos, Anderson's attorney, said his client had not cooperated with authorities but was released after charges were filed because his testimony was not needed to produce enough evidence to bring charges.

Pittsburgh deserving All-Star recipient

With a sun-splashed Pittsburgh skyline serving as a picturesque background, Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig held a press conference at PNC Park on July 20, 2004, to announce that Pittsburgh would serve as host of the Midsummer Classic in 2006.
While Pirates officials and local politicians soaked up the sun and the good news with obvious delight, most of the rest of the baseball world was left wondering how the Bucs had pulled off such a coup.
How, just 12 years after hosting baseball's midseason showcase at Three Rivers Stadium in 1994, had the Pirates managed to convince Selig to hold another game in Pittsburgh? After all, other cities had gone decades since their last shot at the All-Star Game. San Francisco, despite their lovely new ballpark, had pushed hard to bring the Midsummer Classic back to the City by the Bay for the first time since 1984.
The answer, according to Selig, was three-fold.
First and foremost, the Commissioner wanted to reward the Pirates and the city of Pittsburgh for building what ESPN.com in 2003 selected as the best ballpark in the Major Leagues.
"This ballpark is spectacular. It certainly played a critical role," said Selig. "I wouldn't be standing here today if PNC Park didn't exist.
"I felt during the [construction] of PNC Park that we really also had a commitment to this community. If they built it and it worked out well we ought to bring an All-Star Game back."
Selig also believed that the Pirates were in greater need of the economic boost that comes with hosting the All-Star Game than the Giants and other top bidders for the 2006 Midsummer Classic.
At the time of Selig's announcement, the Pirates' full-season ticket base had declined by approximately 50 percent from the opening of PNC Park in 2001 to 8,500 full-season equivalents in 2004. After aligning their full-season ticket plans to the availability of All-Star Game tickets, the Bucs experienced a predictable upturn in sales. More than 11,300 full-season equivalents have been sold for the 2006 season.
The third factor in bringing the All-Star Game back to Pittsburgh so quickly, according to Selig, was the relentless nature in which Pirates CEO and Managing General Partner Kevin McClatchy lobbied the Commissioner's Office.
"Kevin was tenacious, sometimes in a rather intense manner," said Selig. "He really wanted to get it."
McClatchy downplayed his role in securing the 2006 All-Star Game for the Steel City, choosing instead to spread the credit around to all involved.
"Why did we get the 2006 All-Star Game? Because we have the best ballpark in America. Plain and simple," said McClatchy. "The other thing is in 1994 we put on one of the greatest All-Star Games of all time.
"I'm proud for the organization, the people who worked on it and the city. We worked hard and put a pretty good pitch together. It worked out." McClatchy did admit, however, that he was driven by the opportunity to show off how far Pittsburgh has come in the 12 years since the Midsummer Class was last played there.
"It was an incredible experience for the city of Pittsburgh in 1994. It was something we had to work very hard to bring back because we felt it would be a very important event for the Pirates and the city," said McClatchy.
"I am excited for the Pirates, but I'm probably more excited as somebody who lives in Pittsburgh for this city to get the All-Star Game."
The hard work will be rewarded in July, when Pittsburgh and the "Jewel of the North Shore" will be put on display for all the world to see.

They might be "coaches on the field," as the old cliché goes.
But that doesn't mean catchers for the All-Star Game have to be chosen by the managers, as other coaches are.
No, these "coaches" are picked by the fans, and there are several deserving candidates for the job behind the plate during the 77th Midsummer Classic, which will be played in Pittsburgh's PNC Park on July 11.
Fans can cast votes up to 25 times with the Monster.com 2006 All-Star Online Ballot at MLB.com and all 30 club sites. Online balloting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 29.
Both leagues have their share of men who not only know how to squat behind the plate but also how to drive their teammates across it.
In the American League, 27-year-old Victor Martinez has emerged as one of the game's more feared hitters, regardless of position. He put up a Major League-best average of .380 with 11 home runs and 45 RBIs for the Indians in the second half of 2005.
Martinez backed up his strong finish to '05 with a strong start to '06. Through Sunday, he was batting .306 with five home runs and 26 RBIs.
But Martinez, an All-Star in '04, has plenty of worthy competition for the AL catcher's job.
He needs to look no further than the rival White Sox to find a rival for the position in A.J. Pierzynski, who has batted .344 with two homers and 12 RBIs this season.
Yankees catcher Jorge Posada remains a tough out, as he's put up a .307 average with six homers and 26 RBIs. Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez (.311 average, six homers, 26 RBIs), Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez (.305, two, 15) and Minnesota's Joe Mauer (.338, three, 22) have been solid, as well.
And with the Japanese ballot available online this year, it's tough to count out Mariners rookie Kenji Johjima, who has adjusted well to playing ball in the States with a .281 average, three homers and 20 RBIs. He could be a sleeper to get the starting nod.
Over in the National League, the fans always seem to gravitate toward Mike Piazza, whether he's hitting or hurt.
This year probably won't be any different, even though Piazza's team colors have changed. The perennial All-Star is batting .257 with five homers and 14 RBIs. Perhaps more importantly, he's helped the Padres turn in one of the best ERAs in baseball in the early going.
The Diamondbacks' Johnny Estrada has stats deserving of some votes, as he's compiled a .316 average with three homers and 29 RBIs.
Second-year Braves catcher Brian McCann has a .353 average that is best among NL catchers, and veteran Brad Ausmus of the Astros is right up there with a .325 mark.
The Brewers' Damian Miller is batting .300 with four homers and 21 RBIs and the Cubs' Michael Barrett is hitting .284 with five homers and 20 RBIs.

Rosters for the 77th All-Star Game will be unveiled at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 2. The announcement will reveal the 16 elected starters, as determined by fan balloting, and 45 pitchers and reserves, as determined by the player ballot, the two All-Star team managers -- Ozzie Guillen of the World Series champion Chicago White Sox and Phil Garner of the NL champion Houston Astros -- and Major League Baseball.
Fans will once again have the opportunity to select the final position player for each league's 32-man roster at MLB.com. The Final Vote will provide fans the opportunity to cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over a three-day period. Fans added Roy Oswalt (NL) and Scott Podsednik (AL) to the rosters with that Final Vote last summer.
For the fourth consecutive year, the league that wins the All-Star Game will receive home-field advantage during the World Series. The AL has won back-to-back-to-back Midsummer Classics since that provision was added prior to the 2003 World Series, and eight straight overall.

Options behind the plate

They might be "coaches on the field," as the old cliché goes.
But that doesn't mean catchers for the All-Star Game have to be chosen by the managers, as other coaches are.
No, these "coaches" are picked by the fans, and there are several deserving candidates for the job behind the plate during the 77th Midsummer Classic, which will be played in Pittsburgh's PNC Park on July 11.
Fans can cast votes up to 25 times with the Monster.com 2006 All-Star Online Ballot at MLB.com and all 30 club sites. Online balloting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 29.
Both leagues have their share of men who not only know how to squat behind the plate but also how to drive their teammates across it.
In the American League, 27-year-old Victor Martinez has emerged as one of the game's more feared hitters, regardless of position. He put up a Major League-best average of .380 with 11 home runs and 45 RBIs for the Indians in the second half of 2005.
Martinez backed up his strong finish to '05 with a strong start to '06. Through Sunday, he was batting .306 with five home runs and 26 RBIs.
But Martinez, an All-Star in '04, has plenty of worthy competition for the AL catcher's job.
He needs to look no further than the rival White Sox to find a rival for the position in A.J. Pierzynski, who has batted .344 with two homers and 12 RBIs this season.
Yankees catcher Jorge Posada remains a tough out, as he's put up a .307 average with six homers and 26 RBIs. Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez (.311 average, six homers, 26 RBIs), Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez (.305, two, 15) and Minnesota's Joe Mauer (.338, three, 22) have been solid, as well.
And with the Japanese ballot available online this year, it's tough to count out Mariners rookie Kenji Johjima, who has adjusted well to playing ball in the States with a .281 average, three homers and 20 RBIs. He could be a sleeper to get the starting nod.
Over in the National League, the fans always seem to gravitate toward Mike Piazza, whether he's hitting or hurt.
This year probably won't be any different, even though Piazza's team colors have changed. The perennial All-Star is batting .257 with five homers and 14 RBIs. Perhaps more importantly, he's helped the Padres turn in one of the best ERAs in baseball in the early going.
The Diamondbacks' Johnny Estrada has stats deserving of some votes, as he's compiled a .316 average with three homers and 29 RBIs.
Second-year Braves catcher Brian McCann has a .353 average that is best among NL catchers, and veteran Brad Ausmus of the Astros is right up there with a .325 mark.
The Brewers' Damian Miller is batting .300 with four homers and 21 RBIs and the Cubs' Michael Barrett is hitting .284 with five homers and 20 RBIs.Rosters for the 77th All-Star Game will be unveiled at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 2. The announcement will reveal the 16 elected starters, as determined by fan balloting, and 45 pitchers and reserves, as determined by the player ballot, the two All-Star team managers -- Ozzie Guillen of the World Series champion Chicago White Sox and Phil Garner of the NL champion Houston Astros -- and Major League Baseball.
Fans will once again have the opportunity to select the final position player for each league's 32-man roster at MLB.com. The Final Vote will provide fans the opportunity to cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over a three-day period. Fans added Roy Oswalt (NL) and Scott Podsednik (AL) to the rosters with that Final Vote last summer.
For the fourth consecutive year, the league that wins the All-Star Game will receive home-field advantage during the World Series. The AL has won back-to-back-to-back Midsummer Classics since that provision was added prior to the 2003 World Series, and eight straight overall.

Options behind the plate

Marlins to unload stars for prospects

Team gets permission to explore relocation

One reason John Henry sold the Marlins was the lack of government money for a new ballpark. Florida's failure to get a stadium deal is helping Henry, now the owner of the Boston Red Sox, obtain one of baseball's best young pitchers.
Only physicals stand in the way of a trade that would bring 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell to Boston for three prospects: shortstop Hanley Ramirez and right-handed pitchers Anibal Sanchez and Jesus Delgado.
The preliminary agreement was confirmed Monday by a baseball official who did not want to be identified because the physicals had not been completed.
The Marlins received permission from the commissioner's office to explore a move after 2007 season. Las Vegas and Portland, Ore., are likely to try to lure the franchise.

2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Features

PITTSBURGH -- Representatives from Major League Baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the City of Pittsburgh assembled Tuesday at PNC Park to begin planning the events of the 2006 All-Star Week.
The meetings, which will continue Wednesday, are the first step in a 10-month cooperation between the city, team and league to showcase Pittsburgh and PNC Park during the events and activities surrounding the July 11, 2006 Midsummer Classic.
"We're anxious to get started," said Patty Paytas, Pirates' vice-president of communications and the ballclub's All-Star coordinator. "A lot of work has already been done, but now the heavy lifting begins. We're excited to welcome Major League Baseball to the best ballpark in America and look forward to working with them and the entire Pittsburgh community to make the 2006 All-Star Game the best ever."
Approximately 20 MLB officials were on hand Tuesday for the first round of meetings. Marla Miller, senior vice president for special events for Major League Baseball, held a general information session for the staff, followed by breakout sessions on such issues as security, appropriate use of space and ticketing.
"We now have our All-Star manual and timetables. Everybody has their own binder," said Paytas. "It's really impressive. It's a very organized process."
The 2006 game marks the fifth time that the City of Pittsburgh has hosted the Midsummer Classic. Forbes Field was site of the 1944 and 1959 All-Star Games and Three Rivers Stadium hosted the 1974 and 1994 All-Star Games.
"Major League Baseball is thrilled to once again be in the great city of Pittsburgh and to begin planning and preparations for the 2006 Midsummer Classic," said Mille. "Each year, All-Star Week brings a high level of excitement to the middle of summer and we are sure that this year's events will give the fans in Pittsburgh and the state of Pennsylvania the ultimate baseball experience."
Although the All-Star Game itself remains the marquee event of All-Star Week, the ancillary events have taken on added prominence since the Pirates last played host in 1994.
Major League Baseball All-Star Week festivities get underway with John Hancock All-Star FanFest, July 7-11 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center; Taco Bell All-Star Sunday -- which includes the XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game and the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game -- on July 9 at PNC Park; and All-Star Workout Day -- including the All-Star Home Run Derby -- on Monday, July 10 at PNC Park.
"It's a very, very large event," said Paytas. "The more you get into the planning, the more you realize that. But you also realize how fortunate we are to have this because it really is a premiere event."
The XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game will be televised live on ESPN or ESPN 2 on Sunday, while on Monday the All-Star Home Run Derby will air live on ESPN, immediately followed by the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. The 77th MLB All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports and around the world by Major League Baseball International. ESPN Radio will provide exclusive, national radio coverage of the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage and MLB.com Radio will provide exclusive play-by-play coverage of the Midsummer Classic on the Internet.
Ed Eagle is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Popularity of All Major League Baseball All-Star Games Televised

All-Star Game
Telvision Analysis & Ratings Breakdown
Year
Network
Rating
Share
Households
1967
NBC
25.6
50
14,050,000
1968
NBC
25.8
49
14,450,000
1969
NBC
15.1
42
8,610,000
1970
NBC
28.5
54
16,670,000
1971
NBC
27.0
50
16,230,000
1972
NBC
22.9
43
14,220,000
1973
NBC
23.8
45
15,420,000
1974
NBC
23.4
44
15,490,000
1975
NBC
21.5
41
14,730,000
1976
ABC
27.1
53
18,680,000
1977
NBC
24.5
45
17,440,000
1978
ABC
26.1
47
19,030,000
1979
NBC
24.4
45
18,180,000
1980
ABC
26.8
46
20,450,000
1981
NBC
20.1
36
15,640,000
1982
ABC
25.0
44
20,380,000
1983
NBC
21.5
39
17,910,000
1984
ABC
20.1
35
16,840,000
1985
NBC
20.5
36
17,400,000
1986
ABC
20.3
35
17,440,000
1987
NBC
18.2
37
15,910,000
1988
ABC
20.4
33
18,070,000
1989
NBC
18.2
33
16,450,000
1990
CBS
16.2
33
14,940,000
1991
CBS
17.4
32
16,200,000
1992
CBS
14.9
27
13,720,000
1993
CBS
15.6
28
14,550,000
1994
NBC
15.7
28
14,790,000
1995
ABC
13.9
25
13,260,000
1996
NBC
13.2
23
12,659,000
1997
FOX
11.8
21
11,446,000
1998
NBC
13.3
25
13,034,000
1999
FOX
12.0
22
11,928,000
2000
NBC
10.1
18
10,181,000
2001
FOX
11.0
19
11,242,000
2002
FOX
9.5
17
10,023,000
2003
FOX
9.5
17
10,137,000
2004
FOX
8.8
15
9,897,000
2005
FOX
8.1
14
8,878,000
Year
Network
Rating
Share
Households
All-Star Game :Telvision Analysis & Ratings Breakdown

2006 Major League All Star Game Directory

Pittsburgh Pirates
PNC Park115 Federal Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Phone: (412) 323-5000