Everett, Wash.
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2008

MLB NOTES: Bonds prosecutors lay out some of the case

Associated Press

 SAN FRANCISCO -- Federal prosecutors say they will prove personal trainer Greg Anderson supplied Barry Bonds with the steroids that led to a positive test in November 2000, the offseason before the slugger hit a major league record 73 home runs.

In a court filing Wednesday, prosecutors provided a glimpse of their trial strategy against Bonds, who's accused of lying to a 2003 grand jury investigating steroids use among elite athletes. Prosecutors said they have two documents showing Bonds tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2000 and that Anderson supplied the drugs, but they did not give details.

Prosecutors made the claim in opposing Bonds' bid to have nine of the 15 felony charges against him tossed out.

Bonds has pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of making false declarations to a grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice. He's accused of lying when he said he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs during his 2003 grand jury testimony.

In asking that some of the charges be dropped, Bonds' lawyers argued that prosecutors asked ambiguous and confusing questions during his grand jury appearance.

For instance, Bonds argues that the question, "In the weeks and months leading up to November 2000, were you taking steroids?" is ambiguous because of an ill-defined time element. He answered no.

Prosecutors countered Wednesday that a jury should decide whether the question was unfair. They said the two documents they have showing Bonds tested positive for steroids in November 2000 will put that question into context.

Bonds' lead attorney, Allen Ruby, did not immediately return a call for comment.

Bonds' trial is scheduled to begin March 2.

RED SOX: Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew returned to the lineup for the first time in a month on Wednesday night, playing right field and batting fifth against the Cleveland Indians. Drew was 1-for-2 with a fielder's choice and scored a run before leaving for a pinch runner after he singled to start the third inning.

TIGERS: Tigers reliever Todd Jones is retiring, he announced in his own column in the Sporting News.

Jones has 319 career saves with Detroit, Houston, Minnesota, Colorado, Boston, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Florida. He's 14th on the all-time list and his 235 saves for Detroit are a team record.

YANKEES: New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte is done for the season because of a sore left shoulder.

Pettitte had an MRI exam on his shoulder earlier this month, revealing no major damage. He won his last start on Sunday night, beating Baltimore in the final game at Yankee Stadium. The 36-year-old Pettitte went 14-14 in 33 starts and threw 204 innings. His 4.54 ERA was his highest since 1999, when it was 4.70. Pettitte, who has 215 career wins, is eligible for free agency after the season. He said he'll go home before making a decision about 2009, but would like to return to New York and open the new Yankee Stadium.

BREWERS: With the Brewers' rotation in tatters and Milwaukee trying desperately to catch the Mets in the wild-card race, interim manager Dale Sveum said Yovani Gallardo will start Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gallardo, who hasn't pitched since May 1, was activated on Tuesday and was expected to help Milwaukee with limited innings out of the bullpen. But the Brewers are running out of time to make up a game on New York, with just five left entering Wednesday night.<

CUBS: Lou Piniella said Wednesday he plans on managing the Chicago Cubs next year and could stay around longer. Chicago already has clinched the best record in the National League, just two years after going an NL-worst 66-96. Piniella said managing a major league team becomes more tiring as he gets older.

DODGERS: The Dodgers activated shortstop Rafael Furcal from the 60-day disabled list Wednesday night, making room on their 40-man roster by placing right-hander Brad Penny on the 60-day DL.

GIANTS: J.T. Snow signed a one-day deal with San Francisco on Wednesday so he can retire as a member of the Giants after all. Snow, a special assistant and broadcaster for the club who last played for Boston in 2006, will be activated for Saturday night's game against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers so the former first baseman and fan favorite can be honored for his nine seasons with the franchise from 1997-2005.

DODGERS: Frank McCourt said Wednesday that fans have voiced their desire for him to re-sign outfielder Manny Ramirez, but the Los Angeles Dodgers owner sidestepped questions even about his interest level in doing so. Ramirez casually expressed his willingness to finish his career with the Dodgers on his second day in the clubhouse, but that it would cost McCourt plenty. In order for the trade to go through, it was agreed upon that the two $20 million options on Ramirez's contract would be dropped, allowing him to become a free agent to seek a long-term deal.

Ramirez has forced his way into the National League MVP conversation. He's hit an astounding .395 with 16 homers and 51 RBI in 49 games with the Dodgers, who are 28-21 since acquiring Ramirez July 31.

MLB: Pedro Alvarez signed his four-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates after Major League Baseball agreed with the players' association Wednesday that management can't unilaterally extend the Aug. 15 deadline for draft picks to reach agreements with teams.

The players' association filed a pair of grievances after the commissioner's office allowed Alvarez, the No. 2 pick in June's draft, to reach an agreement minutes after the deadline. Kansas City and No. 3 pick Eric Hosmer also completed their deal after the deadline.



































































Alvarez, a power-hitting third baseman from Vanderbilt, originally agreed to a minor league contract with a $6 million signing bonus. He instead receives a major league deal that guarantees him $6,355,000.

Hosmer, a first baseman, receives the same deal he agreed to early Aug. 16, a minor league contract with a $6 million signing bonus. Both players were represented by agent Scott Boras.

The Pirates may have felt some urgency to renegotiate with Alvarez because, if the arbitrator ruled in favor of the union and determined the club negotiated past the deadline, they risked losing Alvarez -- and, possibly, a 2009 compensatory pick.

Pirates president Frank Coonelly contends the new contract is essentially the same because the club will pay Alvarez over four years, rather than two, and thus will benefit from inflation. Boras disagreed, saying Alvarez is getting more money.

Under a major league contract, Alvarez would make $8.15 million if he is on the major league roster every day of all four seasons.

"Once he was given a fair negotiation, he received a contract proposal that was much different from the one that was previously offered," Boras said.

Alvarez also disputed the Pirates' contention that Boras didn't allow him to negotiate and think on his own, saying, "Throughout this whole process, I wanted a fair trial, a fair negotiation. ... I thought for myself and made decisions for myself."

Under the agreement between MLB and the union, terms of major league contracts for draft picks must be confirmed by both the commissioner's office and the union by the midnight Aug. 15 deadline. Terms of minor league contracts must be received by MLB by e-mail or fax by the midnight deadline.

"The rules -- and I was one of the people that helped draft them -- were not as clear as they should have been, and the players' association and the commissioner's office in the settlement ... set out very detailed rules that will govern next year and in the future under this CBA," said Coonelly, a former MLB legal counsel. "There won't be any extensions granted, whether they're signed off by one or more than one party."

Boras, unhappy in the past with the Coonelly-designed slotting system for draft picks, disagreed again.

"I don't think the rules have changed at all. I think the fact is the remedies for enforcement of the rules have been clarified in the sense that the arbitrator now has rules that are clarified where he can void a contract and move forward," Boras said. "This process was really about a fair negotiation."

Alvarez will receive a signing bonus in four $1.5 million installments, with one payment Dec. 24 and three payments on each June 15 starting in 2009. He is guaranteed annual salaries of $88,750 in the minor leagues and if he is on the major league roster during the entire season, he would get $400,000 next year, $500,000 in 2010, $550,000 in 2011 and $700,000 in 2012.

Under his original deal, Alvarez would have received his signing bonus in two installments of $3 million, payable 90 days after approval and next June 1.

Alvarez will report by this weekend to the Pirates' Florida Instructional League team in Bradenton, although it wraps up in about three weeks. He could play in the Hawaii fall league, but only if a spot opens up -- the Pirates don't want to pull a player they've already assigned.

"Nothing's going to stop me now from being the best player I can be," Alvarez said.

To make room on their 40-man roster for Alvarez, the Pirates shifted left-hander Tom Gorzelanny from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.















































Taveras out with leg injury; Helton having surgery

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Colorado center fielder Willy Taveras is done for the season because of a stress fracture in his right lower leg.

Taveras, who had been experiencing some soreness in the leg, was scratched from the Rockies' lineup for Wednesday's game with the San Francisco Giants because of the injury to his tibia bone.

In addition, the Rockies announced that first baseman Todd Helton will have back surgery Tuesday to alleviate a disk problem.

Taveras had a follow-up X-ray that showed a problem with his bone, Rockies athletic trainer Keith Dugger said, and an MRI exam Wednesday revealed the stress fracture.

Meanwhile, Helton was examined by Dr. Robert Watkins in Marina del Rey, Calif., where he will have the operation.

"Dr. Watkins this afternoon said Todd will benefit from a microdiscectomy," Dugger said. "Basically, they take a small piece of the disk where it's bulging and it takes pressure off the nerve that's irritated. He thinks it'll be a very successful surgery. ... One key for him will be not playing in a fatigued state. We need to make sure to be smart and give him rest."

Helton missed 54 games before being activated from the disabled list Sept. 12. He had been used as a pinch-hitter since coming off the DL.

Helton was placed on the 15-day DL on July 3 because of a strained lower back. He was transferred to the 60-day DL on Aug. 10. It was his third trip to the disabled list in his 11-year career and first time since 2006. In the initial 10 years of his career Helton played an average of 154 games and never missed more than 18 games.

The Rockies were 33-29 with Helton on the DL.
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