Sports Radio Service


		Babo can duck high and tight pitch from Feds By Ken Gimblin and Joe Cronin February 27, 2009

	SAN FRANCISCO--Legal experts now tell Sportstalk radio that the evidence that will be used against Barry Bonds will be mostly on witness testimony. The 2003 positive lab tests conducted for Major League Baseball did not get that much play from attorneys on either side despite the fact that the urine samples had proved positive for strains of steroids and Clomid (a female fertility) from a Barry Bonds urine test. U.S.District Court Judge Susan Illston threw out three key pieces of positive steroid evidence that was confiscated in a 2003 home raid of Anderson's in Burlingame that included steroid injection calendars which Feds say trace back to Bonds steroid injection schedule. The Judge said that no such evidence would be admissible without Anderson's testimony verifying where, when and how the injections or oral steroids were distributed outside of Anderson's testimony on these confiscated items it's hearsay ruled Illston. Anderson lawyer Mark Geragos has stated that the Government is retaliating against Anderson for refusing to testify in the upcoming Bonds trial on March 2nd by raiding his Mother in Law's business for tax evasion and using a federal agent posing as a trainee at Anderson's wife's gym and tried to get her to talk about Anderson giving steroids to Bonds. Anderson's wife only would say Bonds "was a jerk" and she never said anything about her husband giving steroids to Bonds. The Federal agent was wearing a wire during the training sessions with Anderson's wife. All that remains is a bevy of athletes, former teammates, BALCO staff figures, and of course IRS agent Jeff Novitzky. Novitzky according to Bonds defense team members has a ax to grind against the former Giant superstar. Novitzky was the key figure in pushing the BALCO/steroids investigation against Babo. Novitzky worked out at Gold's Gym in Burlingame between 2000-2002 around the same time that Bonds was working out with the Detroit Tigers Gary Sheffield who he invited to work out with him at the gym. Novitzky a former college basketball player in his own right and had to give up the game and any chance to try and break into the NBA due to injuries. Novitzky turned to law enforcement and thus worked as an IRS agent. Novitzky tried in the later years to try and strike up a conversation with Bonds at the gym, Bonds who never was one for small talk particularly from people he doesn't know told Novitzky to "expletive himself". Novitzky who had the ear of then President George W Bush at that time and called his well-connected boss in Washington who later used steroids in baseball in his state of the union speech. At that point that was the first volley across Bonds' bow and the start of the BALCO/steroids Bonds investigation. Novitzky also chaired the raids and attacks on Bonds' childhood friend Greg Anderson and gathered up as much information as he could on Anderson. Novitzky knew from working out at the gym that Anderson was involved with steroids from talk in the gym and that Bonds was using steroids for power according to the talk. Novitzky was labled a liar by Bonds attorneys and that Novitzky is just out to get Bonds for revenge starting with the gym tiff, that it took a life of it's own and this is where they ended up. As far as any further evidence to be used at trial against Bonds the jury must weigh testimony and be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bonds did knowingly take steroids "the Clear" and "the Cream" before 2003. BALCO founder and president Victor Conte has held off on any talk of Bonds in interviews or in court. While Conte is expected to appear at trail it's expected that Conte will not be able to shed any injection or distribution details for the court regarding Bonds. The court has soley made it clear that Anderson holds the key to Bonds guilt or innocence and Anderson and only Anderson maybe the only hairdresser in this case (Bonds doesn't need a hair dresser by the way) who knows where all the skeletons are. Bonds legal team are saying that the witnesses coming to appear can not prove that Bonds knew about steroid use and the witnesses can only provide hearsay testimony. There are a number of athletes however that will testify that Anderson was distributing in the Giants clubhouse and to other players from other teams. Ken Gimblin and Joe Cronin are covering the Barry Bonds perjury trial for Sportstalk Radio