Category: Sports

Tejada named in Mitchell Report While Roberts, Knoblauch, Clemens, Justice Also Implicated
NEW YORK (AP) — Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte were named in the long-awaited Mitchell Report on Thursday, an All-Star roster linked to steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs that put a question mark — if not an asterisk — next to some of baseball’s biggest moments.
Barry Bonds, already under indictment on charges of lying to a federal grand jury about steroids, also showed up in baseball’s most infamous lineup since the Black Sox scandal.
The report culminated a 20-month investigation by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, hired by commissioner Bud Selig to examine the Steroids Era.
It was uncertain whether the report would result in any penalties or suspensions.
Several stars named in the report could pay the price in Cooperstown, much the way Mark McGwire was kept out of the Hall of Fame this year merely because of steroids suspicion.
Besides Clemens and Pettitte, other ex-Yankees named include Mike Stanton, Chuck Knoblauch and Jason Grimsley. Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts also is in the report, as is Yankees and Braves postseason hero David Justice.
Other players include: Mo Vaughn, Paul Lo Duca, Eric Gagne, Glenallen Hill, Gregg Zaun, Rondell White, Hal Morris, Todd Hundley, Larry Bigbie, Lenny Dykstra, David Segui, Matt Herges, Kevin Brown, Mike Lansing, Wally Joyner, Nook Logan and Randy Velarde.
Tejada spent the past four seasons with the Orioles and was acquired in trade by the Astros this week for five players.
In 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Grimsley had accused six players, including Clemens and Pettitte, in a federal agent’s affidavit as players who had used performance-enhancing drugs. Both Clemens and Pettitte denied the rumors at the time.
Pettitte, who in September reached the 200-win mark, recently agreed to return to the Yankees for one year and $16 million after mulling retirement for at least the second time in recent years. He has long credited Clemens, his longtime friend and teammate, with boosting his workout regimen and enabling him to stay in better shape. The two men have both worked with trainer Brian McNamee, who has also reportedly been linked to figures in the Mitchell Report.
Clemens, who has not made a decision yet whether to play in 2008, has maintained his famously rigorous workout routine and credits his long hours in the gym with helping him continue to perform at a high level. He initially retired after the 2003 season, but, thanks in large measure to Pettitte’s persuasion, joined the Astros instead and won the 2004 NL Cy Young at age 42. He joined the Yankees in June of this season and finished 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA, then had to leave his start during Game 3 of the AL Division Series with a hamstring injury in the third inning.
Rafael Palmeiro, who was suspended by MLB for failing a drug test just weeks after reaching the 3,000-hit mark, had angrily denied using steroids during an appearance before Congress in March of 2005. After his suspension later that summer, he speculated he might have tested positive after receiving a B-12 shot from Tejada, who was his teammate with the Orioles in 2004 and 2005. B-12 isn’t a steroid or illegal, and subsequent searches of Tejada’s other vials of B-12 found no traces of steroids.
Stanton has pitched for eight different teams over a 19-year-career and was once one of the game’s premiere left-handed set-up men. Roberts is a switch-hitting speedster and two-time All-Star who had hit just 12 home runs in 1,502 at-bats through 2004 — with a career high of five — before breaking out for 18 in 2005, including seven in April alone.
Tejada won the 2002 AL MVP award with Oakland and drove in no fewer than 98 runs between 2000 and 2006. After playing 1,152 straight games, Tejada landed on the disabled list with a broken wrist this season after being hit by a pitch. He finished the 2007 season batting .296 with 18 HRs and 81 RBI in 133 games.

Who’s headlining the Super Bowl XLII halftime show?
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. So it only makes sense to have the biggest names in music headline the halftime show. For the Feb. 3 event, Tom Petty and Heartbreakers will join the ranks of Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Prince and the legendary Janet Jackson.
Let’s hope the band sticks to Free Fallin’ and not ‘malfunction.

Roughriders win 95th Grey Cup Game
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have come full circle in their quest for Canadian football’s most coveted prize.
Eighteen years after winning their last Grey Cup at Toronto’s SkyDome, the Riders defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19 on Sunday to capture the trophy on the same field at Rogers Centre.
It is Saskatchewan’s third Grey Cup win and their first since 1989, when Dave Ridgway’s last minute field goal earned a 43-40 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The first quarter was a low-scoring affair, with the Riders held pointless after kicker Luca Congi missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt early in the stanza.
The Bombers got their offence going from there, with defensive back Greg Moss picking off Riders quarterback Kerry Joseph for the first interception of the game. Joseph did not throw a single interception in two games against the Bombers in the regular season.
Bombers quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie then grabbed the spotlight, leading a seven-play, 61-yard drive – including 16 and 42-yard bombs down the middle to Milt Stegall – which led to a 15-yard field goal by Troy Westwood.
After a couple of Winnipeg safeties conceded by Jamie Boreham in the second quarter, the Riders continued to struggle on offence. Joseph ran for 25 yards and hit D.J. Flick with a long pass to get into into the red zone later on, but a fumble recovery by Bombers linebacker Ike Charlton in the end zone left them scoreless.
Saskatchewan finally got in the game on Winnipeg’s next possession, Dinwiddie’s pass intended for Stegall was picked off by defensive back James Johnson for a 30-yard interception return.
Starting at their own 21-yard line, the Riders capped off the second quarter on a high note. They took advantage of a 24-yard reception by Wes Cates and an 18-yard pass to Andy Fantuz for a 45-yard field goal by Congi to lead by three at the half.
The Bombers’ offence in the third quarter was a roller coaster ride to say the least.
The struggles started at 1:51 of the stanza when Saskatchewan lineman John Chick sacked Dinwiddie and forced a fumble recovery for Rider teammate Scott Schultz. Congi split the uprights from 17 yards out for a 13-7 lead. Dinwiddie settled down on the very next possession, hitting receiver Derick Armstrong for a 50-yard touchdown and a 14-13 Winnipeg lead. But later in the quarter, the former Boise State star was picked off by again by Johnson and Congi’s third field goal of the game put the Riders ahead by two.
Joseph hit Fantuz with a 29-yard touchdown pass – and the Riders’ first offensive touchdown of the game – to pad the lead by nine.
The Bombers showed plenty of fight and came right back, closing the gap with a safety and Westwood’s second field goal of the night.
But with just under a minute left in the game, Johnson picked off Dinwiddie again for his third interception of the game and a Rider victory.
Led by the league’s most outstanding player in Joseph, the Riders are in their first Grey Cup since 1997, when they lost lost 47-23 to the Toronto Argonauts.
In a storyline that has been stretched out well over the last seven days, Dinwiddie made his first career start on the CFL’s biggest stage. He got the start after No. 1 quarterback Kevin Glenn broke his left arm in last weekend’s 19-9 East Division final against the Toronto Argonauts.
No quarterback has ever made his first start in the Grey Cup or Super Bowl.
The Bombers are looking for their 11th Grey Cup title, with their last championship won 17 years ago to the day – a 50-11 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos on November 25, 1990. Their last appearance in the Grey Cup was at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium in 2001, when they lost 27-19 to the Calgary Stampeders.
The Riders were 11-point favourites, mainly because of Glenn’s injury.

Lions to face Riders in West Final for the third time in four years
SURREY, B.C. – Facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL West final has almost become a tradition for the B.C. Lions.
For the third time in four years the Lions will battle the Riders Sunday with a trip to the Grey Cup on the line.
“It’s not by chance the two best teams in the West are going to face off,” Wally Buono, the coach and general manager of the defending Grey Cup champion Lions, said Monday.
“We have a history with the Riders. They are going to be a tremendous challenge for us.”
The Lions will host their fourth consecutive West Final on Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET). Over 43,000 tickets have already been sold for the game at B.C. Place Stadium.
Last year the Lions embarrassed Saskatchewan 45-18 in the West final. B.C. then defeated Montreal 25-14 in the Grey Cup in Winnipeg.
In 2004, the Lions advanced to the Grey Cup with a 27-25 win in overtime after Saskatchewan kicker Paul McCallum missed a field goal in extra time. The Lions lost 27-19 to Toronto in the championship game.
Quarterback Jarious Jackson, who began the season third on the B.C. depth chart, is expected to start against Saskatchewan. Bruising slotback Jason Clermont, who has been nursing a sore shoulder, will also play.
“Saskatchewan is an excellent football team,” said Buono. “The clubs are evenly matched. They are both well rounded as far as they are good on offence, they have very good defences and they are good on special teams. They are both well coached. ”
B.C.’s 14-3-1 record was the best in the league. It was the first time the Lions won 14 games in a season.
Saskatchewan finished second in the West with a 12-6-0 record. The Riders defeated Calgary 26-24 in the West semi-final Sunday in Saskatchewan’s first home playoff game since 1988.
“Their offensive schemes were really good,” said Clermont, who was third in the league this season with 86 catches for 1,158 yards and seven touchdowns. “Calgary did have a chance to win that game a few times.
“We’ll look at some of the things they did defensively and we’re pretty optimistic on what we can do with the game plan.”
The Lions won two of the three games they played against Saskatchewan this year, outscoring them 88-67.
There also has been bad blood between the teams all season.
Lions quarterback Dave Dickenson suffered a concussion in a July 13 game after a hit by Rider defensive end Fred Perry. Dickenson didn’t play again until the second last game of the season and Buono wanted Perry disciplined. The CFL investigated but ruled the hit was legal.
A melee broke out in a Sept. 22 match resulting in Lions guard Sherko Haji-Rasouli being suspended for one game while tackle Rob Murphy and receiver Cory Rodgers both were fined.
Clermont said emotions run high when the teams meet.
“They’ve been meaningful games we’ve played against them,” said the Regina native. “They play us tough and it’s always been physical.
“There are professionals on both sides with a lot of pride. You couldn’t have scripted a better West Final.”
The Lions could be without offensive lineman Jason Jimenez Sunday.
The CFL suspended the right tackle for one game Monday for a hit on Calgary Stampeder defensive lineman Anthony Gargiulo in the final game of the regular season.
Jimenez can appeal the suspension.

Bring on the Lions: Riders edge Stamps
REGINA – The Saskatchewan Roughriders earned their first home playoff win in 30 years Sunday with a 26-24 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL’s Western semifinal.
Kicker Luca Congi kicked six field goals and quarterback Kerry Joseph threw a touchdown pass to D.J. Flick on the second play of the game for the Roughriders, who hosted their first playoff game since 1988 but hadn’t won one in Regina in since 1976.
Saskatchewan moves onto the Western final next Sunday in Vancouver against division-winner B.C. Lions.
The Stampeders lost in the Western semifinal for the third straight season.
Trey Young scored off an interception in the first half. Calgary quarterback Henry Burris twice threw touchdown passes to Ken-Yon Rambo in the second half. Stamps kicker Sandro DeAngelis kicked one field goal.
In the Eastern Conference semifinal, Troy Westwood’s field goal gave Winnipeg a 24-22 win over the Montreal Alouettes. The Blue Bombers advance to Sunday’s Eastern final against the Toronto Argonauts.
The Grey Cup is in Toronto on Nov. 25.
Burris’s 16-yard pass to Rambo with 53 seconds left pulled Calgary with two points, but the Stamps weren’t able to get the ball back for a field-goal attempt.
Congi was named to the CFL’s West Division all-star squad last week, but was removed from it three days later in favour of Calgary’s Sandro DeAngelis after a tabulation error was discovered.
He made six of eight attempts Sunday and his sixth, a 10-yarder at 9:29 of the fourth quarter, was the difference.
DeAngelis didn’t get out onto the field for a field-goal attempt until late in the third quarter. He was good from 18 yards to pull the visitors within five points.
After a 7-for-13 first half, Burris threw his first touchdown pass early in the third quarter with a 39-yarder to Rambo.
The Stamps’ pivot was stopped on a third-and-one-yard attempt for a first down later in the quarter, which gave the ball to Saskatchewan on Calgary’s 38-yard line.
Calgary head coach Tom Higgins challenged the call, but the Roughriders kept the ball and Congi kicked his fifth field goal of the game from 37 yards.
Saskatchewan quarterback Kerry Joseph, the West’s nominee for the league’s MVP, found the holes in Calgary’s secondary to work the Roughriders into field-goal position, which drew chants of “M-V-P” from the ‘Rider faithful.
The Saskatchewan defence was superior in this game as they clamped down on Calgary’s receivers and held Calgary running back Joffrey Reynolds to a handful of yards.
The game had been long sold out, with 28,800 tickets sold within 30 minutes of a general call to buy on Oct. 29.< The temperature at kickoff in Regina was nine degrees and the skies were mostly sunny. The hard northwest wind gusting to 60 kilometres per hour across Mosaic Stadium died to barely a breeze by the fourth quarter. Congi took advantage of the wind behind him in the first quarter for field goals from 48 and 49 yards and was then wide on a 50-yard attempt. He had the wind against him in the second quarter but was good from 16 and 40 yards. The Stampeders' offence in the first half was limited to a touchdown off Dwaine Carpenter's interception in their end-zone. Carpenter ran the ball 74 yards out and tossed it over to Young, who finished the major with a 39-yard run. Burris worked the Stamps 50 yards downfield in the first quarter only to have his attempted touchdown pass to Rambo picked off by Eddie Davis in the end zone. Saskatchewan scored on the first play after the kickoff when Joseph connected with Flick on a 62-yard play for a touchdown. Joseph completed 23 of 35 passing attempts for 391 yards and one touchdown pass. He also rushed for 109 yards. Burris was 20-for-36 for 323 yards and two touchdown passes.

Westwood’s field goal gives Winnipeg 24-22 win over Als in East semifinal
WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are off to the CFL’s East final.
Embattled Blue Bombers kicker Troy Westwood kicked the winning 20-yard field goal on the last play of the game Sunday to give his team a 24-22 win over Montreal in the East Division semifinal.
Winnipeg faces the Toronto Argonauts next weekend for the right to go to the Grey Cup.
Sunday’s win was Winnipeg’s fourth of the season over the Als, who came into the game with their first losing record (8-10) since they rejoined the CFL in 1996. The Bombers were 10-7-1.
Montreal led for most of the game, which was played with swirling, gusting winds in front of a season-low crowd of 22,843 at Canad Inns Stadium.
The turning point came with 1:35 left in the game when Montreal quarterback Marcus Brady kept the ball on a third-and-one gamble and was stopped. A Montreal challenge was unsuccessful and the Alouettes turned the ball over for the fourth time in the game.
Winnipeg took over at the Als’ 44-yard line.
Running back Charles Roberts ran three times for 24 yards and quarterback Kevin Glenn ran for three yards to set up Westwood’s kick.
Westwood, whose inconsistency this season put him in head coach Doug Berry’s doghouse, had earlier missed a go-ahead 39-yard field-goal attempt with about five minutes left in the game.
The 17-year veteran, who likely won’t be back next season, said before the game he relished having the opportunity to make the winning kick.
Winnipeg got its TDs on a 19-yard reception by Milt Stegall and 19-yard run by Roberts, who missed the past two games with a deep thigh bruise.
Westwood also booted field goals from 18 and 33 yards and added a 74-yard punt single.
Westwood now has 45 career playoff field goals, moving him into third place on the CFL’s all-time playoff list.
Montreal’s scoring came off a one-yard run by fullback Kerry Carter and a 65-yard TD reception by Kerry Watkins. Damon Duval connected on field goals from 43 and 20 yards and Winnipeg conceded a safety.
Montreal led 16-10 at halftime after a first half that featured two Montreal turnovers and one by Winnipeg.
After the Bombers scored on their first possession with the TD toss to Stegall, Montreal receiver Ashlan Davis appeared to score on a reverse early in the second quarter.
However, a Bombers challenge reversed the call and it was ruled Winnipeg linebacker Ike Charlton had pulled Davis down before the ball crossed the goal-line.
With third and one yard to go, Brady handed the ball to running back Jarrett Payton, who was stuffed by Bombers linebacker Barrin Simpson.
Payton left the game late in the third quarter after a rib injury that kept him out of last week’s game flared up.
The Bombers used the turnover on downs to claw their way close to midfield, but Glenn’s throw to O’Neil Wilson bounced off his gloves into Montreal cornerback Davis Sanchez’s hands.
The Als took over at Winnipeg’s 50-yard line and it became the Eric Deslauriers show.
The rookie Montreal receiver made a leaping grab and stayed in bounds for a 39-yard reception and then hung onto a low 10-yard throw at the one-yard line.
After Brady was stopped on the next play, fullback Kerry Carter plunged in for the tying TD at 6:15 to make it 7-7.
Late in the second, newly acquired Als kick returner Bashir Levingston fumbled a punt return. Winnipeg linebacker Neil McKinlay recovered the ball at Montreal’s 35, leading to Westwood’s 18-yarder.
On Montreal’s next possession, Brady fired the ball to Watkins, who got a good block from offensive tackle Luke Fritz and ran 65 yards for the TD and 14-10 edge at 13:19.
Westwood, who also did the punting in place of Pat Fleming (sore leg), conceded a safety to finish the first-half scoring.
Turnovers also played a role in the second half.
Glenn threw his second interception of the game (15th of the season) midway through the third quarter when Als DB Randee Drew stepped in front of a pass intended for Stegall.
After a drop by Watkins cut the drive short, Duval booted his 43-yarder and made it 19-10 at 7:48.
Roberts scored his TD at 9:27 of the third to finish off a four-play, 75-yard drive aided by Montreal penalties for a face mask and pass interference.
Bombers cornerback Juran Bolden, who missed the past three games with a back injury, stretched out and intercepted Brady six minutes into the fourth quarter.
Westwood ended up kicking the 33-yarder.
After missing his 39-yard attempt, he closed the lead 22-21 with a 74-yard punt single at 12:52.

Kravitz to headline Grey Cup halftime
Grammy-Award winning American rocker Lenny Kravitz will perform during the halftime show at the Grey Cup in Toronto next month, organizers of the Canadian Football League championship announced Wednesday.
Kravitz has recorded multiple hits over his music career including, Are You Gonna Go My Way, It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over, Fly Away, Mama Said, and the remake of the Guess Who anthem, American Woman.
The 95th annual Grey Cup is Nov. 25 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. CBC will have the game live at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Kravitz, who has sold over 20 million records worldwide, will release his ninth studio album, Love Revolution, on Feb. 5, 2008.
The American rocker is the latest big act to perform at the Grey Cup, one of the oldest professional sports championships in North America.
Others include:
2006 in Winnipeg: Canadian pop songstress Nelly Furtado.
2005 in Vancouver: American hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas.
2004 in Ottawa: Tragically Hip.
2003 in Regina: Bryan Adams and Sam Roberts.
2002 in Edmonton: Country star Shania Twain.

Sharapova unveils U.S. Open wardrobe
NEW YORK ó Maria Sharapova loves New York, especially its style and skyline. When Sharapova defends her U.S. Open title next week, she’ll be wearing tennis dresses decorated with graphic interpretations of the cityscape on the chest.
The designs, created in collaboration with Nike senior designer Colleen Sandieson, were unveiled Wednesday evening on a rooftop at Rockefeller Center.
Like last year, Sharapova will have one outfit dedicated for day play and another for night matches.
“It’s always important to feel comfortable in what you’re wearing when you’re playing, but in tennis, you can do so many things with your wardrobe,” Sharapova said wearing the flame-red dress in a flared shift silhouette that she’ll wear at night.
The color is in honor of the Big Apple. “I’ve worn a red top before but never a red dress, but there is no better place to do it than New York,” she told the Associated Press.
The dress is a sleek garment made of a breathable wicking jersey and constructed with a no-sew technique with seams bonded with heat and silicone instead of thread.
There are more than 600 Swarovski crystals incorporated into the design, adding a little flash to the outfit, but Sharapova said it’s simple and classy, which suits her taste. “I don’t like things with too much pattern … things that are tacky.”
There also are three crystal buttons down the back, creating a keyhole effect.
For the daytime, the look is similar but in black and white ó and without the crystals. It has a scoop-back design that facilitates movement, according to Sandieson.
Performance is always the priority, Sandieson said, but she and Sharapova strive for designs that marry function with fashion.
“She has a fantastic game and I have a lot of respect for that but she has a great eye for detail,” Sandieson said. “She’s got a style that’s very natural to her, and she also knows what she likes and doesn’t like.”
Sharapova, 20, has become a player in the fashion world and has sponsorship deals with Parlux Fragrances, handbag company Samantha Thavasa and watchmaker Tag Heuer in addition to Nike. She follows Venus and Serena Williams and Anna Kournikova as tennis players who are also seen as style icons.
“She wears clothes that a lot of other women would like to own and look good in,” said Susan Kaufman, editor of People StyleWatch.
Kaufman also notes that today’s tennis stars are photographed when they’re off the court, too, giving more of a glimpse of their personal style.
Sharapova noted that the U.S. Open, which runs Aug. 27-Sept. 8, coincides with New York Fashion Week and she tries to make it to at least one show. For the past two years, it’s been Marc Jacobs but she also hopes to make it to Michael Kors, Peter Som and Vera Wang this year.
Once her tennis career is over, she said, fashion is something she’d like to further explore.

Aaron outrates Bonds on television
NEW YORK – Hank Aaron is still the home-run king when it comes to television ratings.
ESPN2’s broadcast of Barry Bonds’ record 756th homer received a 1.1 cable rating on ESPN2 Tuesday night, which translates to 995,000 households.
When Aaron hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974, to break Babe Ruth’s record, NBC’s broadcast received a 22.3 rating on NBC, the equivalent of 14.9 million homes.
Back in Aaron’s day, there were only a fraction of the TV channels that viewers can choose from today. Also, baseball had far less competition for the attention of fans.
Aaron’s historic home run in Atlanta was hit at 9:07 p.m. EDT, while Bonds’ drive in San Francisco came at 11:51 p.m. EDT. During the 11:45 p.m. to midnight time period, ESPN2’s telecast averaged a 1.7 cable rating (1.6 million homes), and for the following 15 minutes the rating jumped to 1.9 (1.8 million homes).
NBC did not have 15-minute breakdowns available for the 1974 game.
Bonds’ game did better in San Francisco, where is received a 7.2 rating and 15 share on FSN Bay Area (172,000 homes). During the 15-minute time period when Bonds homered, the telecast got an 11.1 rating (265,000 homes).
Tuesday’s game was the 10th added Giants telecast by ESPN/ESPN2 during Bonds’ home run chase.
The rating is the percentage of television households watching a broadcast, and the share is the percentage watching among those homes with televisions on at the time.

Bonds makes history with 756th home run
SAN FRANCISCO – Barry Bonds hit No. 756 over the right-center field wall Tuesday night, and hammered home the point: Like him or not, legitimate or not, he is baseball’s new home run king. Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s storied record in the fifth inning, connecting on a 3-2 pitch from Washington’s Mike Bacsik. Three days earlier, Bonds tied the Hammer with a shot to left-center in San Diego.
Conspicuous by their absence were the commissioner and Aaron himself.
Bud Selig was on hand for the tiebreaking homer, deciding to put baseball history ahead of the steroid allegations that have plagued the San Francisco Giants slugger. On this night, he sent an emissary, Major League Baseball executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon.
As for Aaron, he said all along he had no interest in being there whenever and wherever his 33-year-old mark was broken. He was true to his word, but he did offer a taped message of congratulations.
Absent, too, were the fans who held up asterisk signs, sure that Bonds wasn’t the real deal and that his power came from steroids.
Bonds didn’t face such suspicions at AT&T Park, in front of a loyal, home crowd that included his godfather, Hall of Famer Willie Mays. Bonds has always denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.
Yet even with Bonds at the top of the chart, fans will surely keep debating which slugger they consider the true home run champion. Some will continue to cling to Aaron while other, older rooters will always say it’s Babe Ruth.
“It’s all about history. Pretty soon, someone will come along and pass him,” Mays said before the game.
A seven-time NL MVP, the 43-year-old Bonds hit his 22nd home run of the year. Bonds broke Mark McGwire’s single-season record by hitting 73 in 2001 and while he’s no longer such a force, opposing pitchers remain wary.
Bonds and Giants management bickered in the offseason over contract issues. This big night was the main reason owner Peter Magowan brought back the star left fielder for a 15th season in San Francisco, signing him to a $15.8 million, one-year contract.
Bonds’ once-rapid quest for the record had slowed in recent years as his age and balky knees diminished his pace. He hit 258 home runs from 2000-04, but has only 53 since then.
While steroids have tinged Bonds’ pursuit, it was race that was the predominant issue when Aaron broke Ruth’s mark in 1974. Aaron dealt with hate mail and death threats from racist fans who thought a black man was not worthy of breaking the record set by a white hero, the beloved Babe.
Former commissioner Bowie Kuhn watched Aaron tie the record but was not present for the record-breaker, a slight that bothered many fans of Aaron. Selig is a close friend of Aaron’s and offered Bonds tepid congratulations when he tied the record.
“I think Hank is his own man,” Mays said. “I think if he wanted to be here he would be here.”
“When he hit 715, the commissioner wasn’t there,” he said. “You may not blame him because he wasn’t represented the right way.”
Bonds was destined for stardom at an early age. The son of All-Star outfielder Bobby Bonds and the godson of one of the game’s greatest players, Bonds spent his childhood years roaming the clubhouse at Candlestick Park, getting tips from Mays and other Giants.
“I visualized him playing sports at a high level. He was 5 when he was in my locker all the time,” Mays said.
In a matter of years, Bonds went from a wiry leadoff hitter with Pittsburgh in 1986 to a bulked-up slugger. That transformation is at the heart of his many doubters, who believe Bonds cheated to accomplish his feats and should not be considered the record-holder.
There are plenty of fans already hoping for the day that Bonds’ total ó whatever it ends up ó is topped. Rodriguez may have the best chance, with his 500 home runs at age 32 far ahead of Bonds’ pace.