Giambi Off The Juice, Denies Use

[GonzoStyle]

The San Francisco Chronicle reported late Monday that federal investigators have learned that Giants slugger Barry Bonds—as well as Yankees stars Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, and several other players—received steroids and human growth hormones from the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative suspected of directing a steroid-distribution ring. In testimony last fall before a grand jury that indicted four men in the alleged steroid distribution (including Bonds' personal trainer Greg Anderson), all three players denied receiving or using any of the steroids alleged to have been distributed. "We continue to adamantly deny that Barry was provided, furnished or supplied any of those substances at any time by Greg Anderson," Bonds' attorney Michael Rains told the Chronicle. The other players implicated in the reports include two former Bonds' teammates—Royals catcher Benito Santiago and White Sox outfielder Marvin Benard—former A's infielder Randy Velarde, and NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski.


Up until this report, Anderson's legal counsel had insisted that Bonds and the others had been offered the steroids, but vehemently denied ever accepting them. The report does not specify where the new information confirming the athletes' reception of the steroids comes from. Nonetheless, Bonds, Giambi, and Sheffield are now in a precarious situation given the fact that they testified to the contrary to a grand jury. Thus, not only do they face a potential league suspension for substance abuse but also for lying to a grand jury. It's too early in the process to speculate on how much time, if any, these sluggers might miss, but the direct implication of the players is a significant development in the investigation. Stay tuned.