Bonds is confident of vindication after mandatory steroid test
By wire services
Published September 27, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds was randomly tested for steroids before Friday night's game against the Dodgers. All major-league players must be tested as part of the drug prevention program between Major League Baseball and the Players Association.
"I'm glad this is finally happening," Bonds told an MLB.com reporter. "They'll get the results and it will clear my name. It'll show that there's nothing behind what I've been doing (on the field) all year."
But Bonds, when he was read his comment, denied the implication that his name needed to be cleared.
"My name ain't dirty," said Bonds, who has never been charged with anything and has faced accusations of steroid use despite a complete absence of concrete evidence.
Bonds is having arguably his best season, which should provide evidence that he didn't need performance-enhancing drugs to put up his past Bondsian numbers.
EXPOS MOVE: Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli offered an interesting solution to the team's concern about losing revenue if the Expos move to Washington.
"Switch leagues," he said, suggesting Baltimore join the NL and the Washington team move to the AL. "Milwaukee did it. It's something to think about. There would be rivalries with the Phillies, Pirates, Giants. It's very intriguing."
An announcement on the Expos' fate could come this week. Baltimore owner Peter Angelos is steadfastly against the team's move to Washington, saying both teams could not be economically competitive if located so near each other.
Orioles Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson figures Washington will get a team and believes Baltimore can cope with the competition.
"They've waited long enough," Robinson said of Washington's fans. "It's going to happen. The Orioles just have to put a winning product on the field and they're going to draw a lot of people."
CYCLING TOUR ENDS: Charlie Hamilton's bicycle handlebars told the story. Miles traveled: 11,741. Speed: 0.0.
Hamilton dismounted from his bike at Fenway Park after a 25-week odyssey across North America in which he saw games at all 30 ballparks, raising $13,000 for cancer research and treatment.
"It was a cockamamie scheme I came up with," said Hamilton, 40, a software engineer from Provincetown, Mass. "Once I thought about it, I didn't stop thinking about it."
LARKIN PLANS RETURN: Reds shortstop Barry Larkin said he wants to come back for his 20th season rather than retire, and he hopes he can return with Cincinnati. Larkin, 40, has played sparingly the past month and can become a free agent after the season.
UMP ILL: First-base umpire Ed Montague was in stable condition at a hospital after he left the game between the Mariners and Rangers before the start of the fifth inning with elevated blood pressure. Rangers spokesman Gregg Elkin said Montague was hospitalized for observation.
