Giants outfielder Barry Bonds on Tuesday defended his personal weight trainer and insisted he hasn't been distracted by a widening sports- doping scandal involving a Burlingame laboratory whose services he once touted.
Bonds' comments came on a day he won a record sixth National League Most Valuable Player award and became the first player ever to win the honor three consecutive years.
The news came even as his name continues to get bounced around the edges of a San Francisco federal grand-jury investigation that involves his weight trainer, Greg Anderson, and that is seeking Bonds' testimony.
"I can't comment on the BALCO situation due to the request of my attorney," Bonds said during a teleconference with reporters. "... Greg Anderson and I are childhood friends who grew up together. To me, a man is innocent until proven guilty."
Bonds, scheduled to appear before the grand jury Dec. 4, is the biggest of a host of big-name athletes who have been subpoenaed to testify as witnesses. Others include Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi, Olympic sprinters Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, and boxer "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
The grand jury is investigating whether Victor Conte and his Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) laundered funds through the sale of banned performance-enhancing drugs. Anderson's role in the case isn't clear, but his house was raided Sept. 5, two days after officials with the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, San Mateo Narcotics Task Force and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency raided BALCO.
Bonds' attorney, Michael Rains, said he believed Bonds had been training with Anderson for six years. In the winter of 2000, according to an article in the June 1 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine, Bonds began his association with BALCO. Conte has said his company does testing for mineral deficiencies and then, through an affiliated business, provides nutritional supplements.
A photo accompanying the story shows Conte standing above the seated Bonds and Anderson, with one hand resting atop each man's shoulder.
"We are friends and we have always been friends since we were kids," Bonds said Tuesday about Anderson. "But I don't know what a person does after they leave me. I can't really comment because I don't really know anything. And I refuse to even get the answers because I don't want to know anything. And therefore, if I don't know the answers, I have nothing to say about it.
"All I know is Greg Anderson and I are good friends. He's a wonderful person, a very, very giving person. But I associate with a lot of people. I know a lot of people, but that doesn't mean I'm involved in anything. And I don't think it's fair to single out me or any other people."
Though Bonds wouldn't comment about the BALCO investigation, he said he was pleased Major League Baseball would implement steroid testing with penalties beginning next year. Last week, MLB announced that 5-7 percent of its players had tested positive for steroids -- triggering a clause in the basic agreement with the players' union to implement penalties.
"I'm glad there's gonna be testing," Bonds said. "Hopefully that will diminish a lot of people's speculation and everyone can just move on."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GIANTS' MVPs
2003: Barry Bonds
(45 HRs, 90 RBIs, .341, 111 runs, 148 walks)
2002: Bonds (46 HRs, 110 RBIs, .370, 198 walks)
2001: Bonds (73 HRs, 137 RBIs, .328, 177 walks)
2000: Jeff Kent (33 HRs, 125 RBIs, .334)
1993: Bonds (46 HRs, 123 RBIs, .336, 129 runs)
1989: Kevin Mitchell (47 HRs, 125 RBIs, .291)
1969: Willie McCovey (45 HRs, 126 RBIs, .320)
1965: Willie Mays (52 HRs, 112 RBIs, .317)
1954: Mays (41 HRs, 110 RBIs, .345)
1936: Carl Hubbell (26-6, 2.31 ERA, 25 complete games, 304 innings)
1933: Hubbell (23-12, 1.66 ERA, 22 CGs, 3082/3 innings)
www.sfgate.com
Bonds' comments came on a day he won a record sixth National League Most Valuable Player award and became the first player ever to win the honor three consecutive years.
The news came even as his name continues to get bounced around the edges of a San Francisco federal grand-jury investigation that involves his weight trainer, Greg Anderson, and that is seeking Bonds' testimony.
"I can't comment on the BALCO situation due to the request of my attorney," Bonds said during a teleconference with reporters. "... Greg Anderson and I are childhood friends who grew up together. To me, a man is innocent until proven guilty."
Bonds, scheduled to appear before the grand jury Dec. 4, is the biggest of a host of big-name athletes who have been subpoenaed to testify as witnesses. Others include Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi, Olympic sprinters Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, and boxer "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
The grand jury is investigating whether Victor Conte and his Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) laundered funds through the sale of banned performance-enhancing drugs. Anderson's role in the case isn't clear, but his house was raided Sept. 5, two days after officials with the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, San Mateo Narcotics Task Force and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency raided BALCO.
Bonds' attorney, Michael Rains, said he believed Bonds had been training with Anderson for six years. In the winter of 2000, according to an article in the June 1 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine, Bonds began his association with BALCO. Conte has said his company does testing for mineral deficiencies and then, through an affiliated business, provides nutritional supplements.
A photo accompanying the story shows Conte standing above the seated Bonds and Anderson, with one hand resting atop each man's shoulder.
"We are friends and we have always been friends since we were kids," Bonds said Tuesday about Anderson. "But I don't know what a person does after they leave me. I can't really comment because I don't really know anything. And I refuse to even get the answers because I don't want to know anything. And therefore, if I don't know the answers, I have nothing to say about it.
"All I know is Greg Anderson and I are good friends. He's a wonderful person, a very, very giving person. But I associate with a lot of people. I know a lot of people, but that doesn't mean I'm involved in anything. And I don't think it's fair to single out me or any other people."
Though Bonds wouldn't comment about the BALCO investigation, he said he was pleased Major League Baseball would implement steroid testing with penalties beginning next year. Last week, MLB announced that 5-7 percent of its players had tested positive for steroids -- triggering a clause in the basic agreement with the players' union to implement penalties.
"I'm glad there's gonna be testing," Bonds said. "Hopefully that will diminish a lot of people's speculation and everyone can just move on."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GIANTS' MVPs
2003: Barry Bonds
(45 HRs, 90 RBIs, .341, 111 runs, 148 walks)
2002: Bonds (46 HRs, 110 RBIs, .370, 198 walks)
2001: Bonds (73 HRs, 137 RBIs, .328, 177 walks)
2000: Jeff Kent (33 HRs, 125 RBIs, .334)
1993: Bonds (46 HRs, 123 RBIs, .336, 129 runs)
1989: Kevin Mitchell (47 HRs, 125 RBIs, .291)
1969: Willie McCovey (45 HRs, 126 RBIs, .320)
1965: Willie Mays (52 HRs, 112 RBIs, .317)
1954: Mays (41 HRs, 110 RBIs, .345)
1936: Carl Hubbell (26-6, 2.31 ERA, 25 complete games, 304 innings)
1933: Hubbell (23-12, 1.66 ERA, 22 CGs, 3082/3 innings)
www.sfgate.com
