Oakland A's Owner Wolff's Anti-Oakland Words Called "Sob Story" By Oakland City Attorney

 

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In a strongly worded letter I just received as of this writing from the office of Oakland City Attorney John Russo (and is reproduced in full at the end of this post), Oakland's lawyer penned what is without a doubt the strongest attack on the Oakland Athletics attempts to leave Oakland by and Oakland City Official. Russo writes:

Oakland A’s managing partner Lew Wolff is a talented and smart businessman.


But if Wolff thinks anybody is buying his sob story about why the A’s have to leave Oakland, he’s seriously underestimating the intelligence of the team’s fan base, the press and the people of this city.

 

Oakland City Attorney John Russo with me in 2008 in his office. 

What started this has been a process of dissing and trying to excavate the team from Oakland almost since it was sold to Ken Schott and Steve Hoffman after the beloved Haas Family sold the organization in 1994; Schott and Hoffman then sold the team to the ownership group headed by Wolff. In fact, the Haas family put the team up for sale under the condition that it remain in Oakland; a desire basically ignored by the last two ownership groups, at least by their actions.

Schott and Hoffman entertained the idea of moving the A's to Sacramento as far back as 1996, (and I know this personally because when I was Economic Advisor to Mayor Elihu Harris I met John McCasey, who was then and still is now the Executive Director of the Sacramento Sports Commission at a Cal Football game, and who sold me openly they were trying to lure the organization out of Oakland and the owners were receptive; news I quickly communicated to Mayor Harris.) Mr. Wolff and his operatives have - according to a source via email - talked with San Jose officials about moving the A's there as far back as just after they gained control of the Oakland A's in 2005.

That means the "moves" Wolff was making to keep the A's in Oakland were for all practical purposes not "real" and considering the impossible timetable Wolff gave the City of Oakland to come up with a development plan, then the politically unrealistic one that Wolff wanted which called for the relocation of 80 businesses, it seems Oakland was being "played" all the time.

That, and other actions including my intelligence that the current meetings with the Major League Baseball Committee regarding assessing Oakland's ability to be a host for a baseball team aren't going well, and you have Russo's tirade of a letter. He also writes:

Here is the truth: A’s owners and Major League Baseball have been plotting to abandon Oakland for at least 10 years. They have never been partners in the city’s efforts to build a new stadium and keep the franchise in Oakland.

Collusion between A’s owners and the league has been evident since 1999, after a settlement gave Oakland and Alameda County the right to force a sale of the team to different owners. A team of buyers committed to keeping the club in Oakland stepped up and a price was set. But, for the first time in anyone’s memory, Major League Baseball denied the transfer of a franchise to a qualified ownership group.

City leaders – former Mayor Jerry Brown and former City Manager Robert Bobb – even tried to attend a baseball owners meeting to present the plan to transfer ownership. But they were treated as presumptuous interlopers and denied the opportunity to pitch the plan. The Lords of Baseball made it clear that they do not see American cities as partners, but rather as ATMs that exist to provide them with ever greater amounts of taxpayer dollars.

I exchanged text messages with Russo to determine if this meant the City of Oakland was preparing legal action against the A's and Major League Baseball. He wrote: "I was thinking about other interested parties who might feel that an A's move to San Jose would violate that interested parties contractual rights."

He means the San Francisco Giants.

The Major League Agreement, which governs the actions of Major League Baseball and its member organizations, spells out exactly what counties in the San Francisco Bay Area belong to the Giants:

The Giants' territory includes San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and Marin Counties, plus Santa Clara County with respect to another major league team.

Again, read that. Santa Clara County includes San Jose. Thus, San Jose is the San Francisco Giants' official territory, a fact that seems lost on some media types down there.

And with respect to the A's..

The Athletics' territory includes Alameda and Contra Costa Counties;

Now many observers will say that all the Athletics brass needs is for 75 percent of the owners of Major League Baseball to approve the move, but a little known rule "52" blocks that action allowing the Giants to block the move of "any major league or minor league team from playing within 15 miles of its territory without permission."

The Giants could argue the A's are already within their territorial limits established by Rule 52 and any closer move into it would be economically harmful. But what's more important and interesting to me is the possible joint legal assault this seems to signal, one pitting the Giants and the City of Oakland against the Oakland A's and Major League Baseball. With such heavy-hitters as Senator's Boxer and Feinstein on the side of the City of Oakland and the San Francisco Giants, and the City and County of San Francisco, I would not bet against them.

Here's Russo's full letter:

Keeping the A's in Oakland
By City Attorney John Russo

Oakland A’s managing partner Lew Wolff is a talented and smart businessman.

But if Wolff thinks anybody is buying his sob story about why the A’s have to leave Oakland, he’s seriously underestimating the intelligence of the team’s fan base, the press and the people of this city.

Wolff has been telling reporters and anyone who will listen that the A’s have done everything possible to build a new ballpark and stay in Oakland. As Wolff put it in a recent press release, the team has “exhausted (its) time and resources over the years” with the city.

Claiming the A’s have made an exhaustive effort to stay in Oakland is like George W. Bush saying he did everything he could to stay out of Iraq – it’s not a “reality-based” statement.

Here is the truth: A’s owners and Major League Baseball have been plotting to abandon Oakland for at least 10 years. They have never been partners in the city’s efforts to build a new stadium and keep the franchise in Oakland.

Collusion between A’s owners and the league has been evident since 1999, after a settlement gave Oakland and Alameda County the right to force a sale of the team to different owners. A team of buyers committed to keeping the club in Oakland stepped up and a price was set. But, for the first time in anyone’s memory, Major League Baseball denied the transfer of a franchise to a qualified ownership group.

City leaders – former Mayor Jerry Brown and former City Manager Robert Bobb – even tried to attend a baseball owners meeting to present the plan to transfer ownership. But they were treated as presumptuous interlopers and denied the opportunity to pitch the plan. The Lords of Baseball made it clear that they do not see American cities as partners, but rather as ATMs that exist to provide them with ever greater amounts of taxpayer dollars.

A few years later, when Oakland hired HOK, the nation’s most respected stadium architects, to look at possible sites for a new ballpark, the A’s refused to provide any support for the firm’s search. The city brought together a commission of business and community leaders to work on options for a new stadium, and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on staff time and consultants. However, the team demonstrated no interest in the process or in the architect’s favored site – a spot in downtown Oakland, next to two BART stations, with enough land for the city and the team to build a dream ballpark. Instead of a new ballpark at the site, we now have condos.

It’s telling that Wolff’s only proposal to stay in Oakland depended on the city using eminent domain to take the property of about 100 blue-collar businesses in East Oakland. The proposal came in August 2005, just two months after a Supreme Court ruling – Kelo v. City of New London – that decidedly turned the public against the use of eminent domain for private development. Wolff is too smart to not know that his proposal was totally unrealistic.

Mayor Ron Dellums and other Oakland leaders have made it clear that the city is prepared to continue working on feasible options for a new ballpark.

Moving the A’s to San Jose – which is contractually Giants territory – would require a special deal with Wolff’s old fraternity brother, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. Such a deal would be a blatant example of collusion in baseball and would likely be tied up in court for years.

The idea that the A’s have made a real, exhaustive effort to stay is disingenuous at best. With some imagination and a real partnership among the city, the business community and the ball club, the A’s could build a new ballpark and remain the team of the people of the East Bay.

It shouldn’t take an act of congress to compel the Lords of Baseball to give Oakland a fair shot.

Oakland A's On SFGate.com

SF Giants Baseball Opening Day; Party Economy Still Active In San Francisco

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San Francisco and the SF Bay Area have developed what I call a "party economy" where to the layperson people have events with food and drink and music everywhere, but really are marketing gatherings to present a restaurant or a type of drink or even a car. These happenings are the lifeblood of San Francisco and are prevalent during the Opening Day Game of the San Francisco Giants' baseball season as my video will show.

The game pitting the Giants against the Milwaukee Brewers was one I did not see much of. I was too busy talking to old friends and meeting new people and I wasn't the only one. Even with the wet weather, which eventually cleared, spirits were high, smiles were many, and at some events people dressed as if it was 90 degrees outside.

I went to meet friends in what has become an annual ritual for us, even though I live in Oakland, like the Oakland A's and even made a game called "The Oakland Baseball Simworld." But my good friends live in San Francisco and are in the marketing and promotions business, and have relationships with me that are over 10 years in the case of two of them, Beth Schnitzer and Randy Gordon, who helped me form the bid to bring the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland (we lost to Jacksonville at the Atlanta Fall NFL Owners meeting in 2000). From those two I've developed a long list of friends and contacts in the restaurant, political, media, and hospitality areas. All of them come out on baseball opening day.

The parties were many and most of the visits were unplanned; I had no idea where we were headed next until we were at an event. We left the game early in the eighth inning, as I was literally dragged to a gathering thrown by Epic Roasthouse on the waterfront, the new eatery created by San Francisco restauranteur Pat Kuleto and Pete Sittnick, who's Epic's managing partner.

The party was part vodka promotion and part networking fest, but for me since about 70 percent of the party attendees were with our group, it was a kind of family day by the Bay. Then we went across the Embarcadero to Gordon Bierch and were treated to a great spread of food and drink by the marketing manager and staff of the legendary bistro.

Good friends who are also business contacts are a kind of way of life in the Bay Area, and especially in San Francisco, where its developed into an art form. These are my best friends, but also have helped me in various ways in building my business. Why San Francisco has evolved in that way is the stuff for another blog, but for now it's a way of life.

The event was for Blue Angel Vodka, and because of the name I expected to see the planes fly overhead. But what I got was a great time presented by Sittnick, who told me that people were "tired of talking about the Recession" and want to party. All the better for Epic Roasthouse and the people employed to staff the party, including three "dressed to sell vodka" women from Davis, California who told me what "Cow Tipping" was (where they actually turn over a poor cow) as I had no idea at all. Seriously. (In fairness, they said it was something they did when they were young and never again.)

And people were indeed out spending money. But not as much as even last year just by an observation. You could see it in the stands, where the third deck at AT&T Park was about half full. You could see it around the grounds where not as many were walking, but then it was the rain as much as the economy. That written, it was still crowded.

What I took from today's event was that the Giants have some offensive firepower from what little I saw of the game, but equally important, people are still out trying to drum up business and consummate agreements and partnerships to bring in money. Americans are losing their jobs at big firms and in government departments, but it's a great time to be an entrepreneur, especially in San Francisco on Giants Opening Day.

Zennie62.com version More at Zennie62.com

Oakland A's Ownership Rumored To Consider Firing Lew Wolff - Oakland Focus

The above headline will catch you by surprise, but the wind is blowing in that way.  The point is that several people behind the scenes, in touch with the ownership group, and around the Bay Area are talking about how Oakland Athletics Managing Partner Lew Wolff has, as one person put it "blown $20 million" on the effort to find a new home for the Oakland Athletics. Another contact told me one would be "fired" if they lost even $8 million on such a development project so early into the process. 

But the concensus for now is to let Wolff continue to do his work, but he's on a short leach.  The main problem is Wolff fell in love with the "baseball village" concept, where the ownership has to buy a lot of land not just for a baseball stadium but for residential development in the hope that the improved land sells for more than the group bought it for.  That works in a credit-health, prosperous economy, but in today's recessionary and deflationary world its a terrible strategy.  

And there's where a lot of the money was lost; in land acquisition.  As has been reported, Wolff was not-so-quietly buying land in Fremont with the idea of implementing the village strategy.  But now, with the credit crunch that blew up in his face.  I explained to the other member of the A's  ownership team Don Fisher not too long ago (at a party) that such a move was risky because of the economic bet, but hey, no one listens to me except Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley.

Maybe that will change.  

Perhaps in calling Mayor Dellums for a meeting, Wolff has seen the light of a possible new approach involving redevelopment funds and whatever stimulus money can be gotten from the federal government.  It's a better gambit now than it was even a year ago, when the word "stimulus" wasn't in the American lexicon.

When I use the term "rumor" in this case, it's not to be taken as something I "overheard"; this possible letting go of Wolff was told to me by two different sources, which I will not reveal, but frankly do want the news out there.  So am I saying "the knifes are out"?  Yes.  They are.  And they're sharp ones.

People in the A's organization will wonder who the person's are, but the unfortunate fact is I talk to a lot of people, even folks there.  Zeroing in on who it is?  Impossible.

Wolff's on notice.  Perform and stop losing money.  Or else.  Of course, now that Major League Baseball's committee on the need for a new A's stadium is in place, it could be said that Wolff's college buddy Commissioner Bud Selig saved him from almost certain doom.

Maybe.

BREAKING: Senator Barbara Boxer Sent "Keep A's In Oakland" Letter To Baseball Commissioner Selig

I just received this letter copy via email.  It comes on the heels of the news that Oakland A's Owner Lew Wolff called Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums to request a meeting to discuss ways to keep the A's in Oakland.  

SEN. BOXER WORKS TO KEEP A’S IN OAKLAND

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today sent the following letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig:


March 31, 2009


Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
Major League Baseball
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167

Dear Commissioner Selig:

            I appreciate the announcement you made yesterday that you are forming a committee to review the various proposals regarding the future of the Oakland Athletics.  As your committee does its work, I urge you to do everything possible to keep the team in Oakland.

            As you may know, Oakland has recently gone through some difficult times and families there deserve some good news. As someone who splits her time between Washington, DC, southern California and Oakland’s Jack London Square neighborhood, I have seen first hand that Oakland is teeming with new young families and major developments that present endless possibilities. My children learned to love baseball through the Oakland A's and our family was so fortunate to develop that common bond.  We must give a new generation of families that same chance.

Oakland is witnessing a downtown renaissance, with new residences, restaurants, art galleries and entertainment venues opening weekly.  Two new office towers are in development and the Port of Oakland recently announced a private investment of close to $1 billion. Major League Baseball can play a key role in continuing this momentum by working to keep the A's in Oakland.

            Through their rich history and shared experiences, the identities of the City of Oakland and the Athletics are forever linked.  For more than 40 years, the people of Oakland have backed the Athletics during good times and bad. In the 1970s, Oakland celebrated the Athletics' glorious run of three consecutive World Series victories. And, together, the city of Oakland and the Athletics mourned the devastation caused by the Loma Prieta earthquake that took place during the team's 1989 championship run.

            Now that the team has ended its consideration of Fremont as a possible home, the time is right to renew the focus on keeping the Athletics in Oakland.
        

            It is critical that Major League Baseball and the A's ownership do everything possible to keep the A's in Oakland and I stand ready to help in any way possible, including attending and setting up meetings for you and the Committee.  Please do not hesitate to call me at 202-XXX-XXXX to discuss this issue.

                                                            Sincerely,



                                                            Barbara Boxer
                                                            United States Senator

Julie Donaldson, Sports Reporter Testifies Ivan Lattimore Beat Her

Julie Donaldson, Sports Reporter Testifies Ivan Lattimore Beat Her

In an unfortunate and sad twist of events, Julie Donaldson, the famous New York Mets features producer and sports reporter who's Internet popularity rocketed with a video of her being doused with beer by celebrating NY Mets after they won the pennant in 2006 that became so popular one can't even find it anymore, has testified that her bofriend Ivan Lattimore bear her.

In a case of "What was she thinking", the Boston Globe reports:

Since she and Lattimore started dating, Donaldson said, there have been at least four violent episodes. The first, she said, occurred at the Super Bowl in Arizona and resulted in bruises on her arms. "I wore a long sleeve shirt and didn't tell anyone," she said.

The second attack was more serious, she said. After a Celtics game against the Miami Heat on March 30, Donaldson said that she lied to Lattimore about her whereabouts and that he was waiting for her when she returned to her apartment.

"He grabbed me by my hair and took my hands by my wrists and made me punch my face," she said, adding that she had to miss work the next day because of bruises on her face. A few months ago, she said, another fight ensued after a night of drinking at Sonsie on Newbury Street.

Why women -- some women -- chose guys like Ivan Lattimore is beyond me. He's a nut case.

Billy Kristol's Only Spring Training At Bat - Video

Roger Clemens Video Stating He Did Not Use Steroids

Roger Clemens made this video stating "No. I did not use steroids, human growth hormones, or anything". He states that he's angry and will sit down with Mike Wallace at 60 Minutes and "Do the whole thing over again."

I too am angry over the witch hunt that's taken place regarding this issue. At some point, there will be a major legal backlash.

The Barry Bonds Indictment - I've Read It; It's Weak At Best

As you may know by now, San Francisco Giants Slugger Barry Bonds was indicted for perjury before a federal grand jury. I've just read the indictment , and if this is what the government's basing its case on, even with evidence, it's shaky at best. I'll explain why in the next blog post, but here it is.

SCOTT N. SCHOOLS (SCBN 9990)
United States Attorney
E-filing
I
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION I
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )
Plaintiff,
v.
BARRY LAMAR BONDS,
1
1 VIOLATIONS: 18 U.S.C. $ 1623(a)
) Pej ury; 18 U.S.C. 8 1503 - Obstruct~ono f
1 Justice
1 i sAN FRANCISCO VENUE
1
Defendant.
1
I N D I C T M E N T
The Grand Jury charges:
Backmound
At all times relevant to this Indictment:
1. The defendant, BARRY LAMAR BONDS ("Bonds"), was a Major League
Baseball player for the San Francisco Giants.
2. Balco Laboratories, Inc. ("Balco"), was a California corporation performing
blood-testing, among other functions. Balco was located in Burlingame, California.
3. Greg Anderson ("Anderson") was a personal athletic trainer whose clients
included numerous professional athletes, including Bonds. Anderson was affiliated with Balco
INDICTMENT
in that, among other things, he: obtained illegal drugs for later distribution to his clients
(including professional athletes); submitted biological specimens from his clients to Balco for
testing (including sending the specimens off to outside laboratories for analysis); and obtained
the laboratory analysis results of those specimens from Balco.
4. A federal criminal investigation ("the criminal investigation"), led by the Internal
Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division ("IRS-CID), commenced in the Northern
District of California concerning Balco's distribution of anabolic steroids and other illegal
performance-enhancing drugs and the related money laundering of proceeds from the drug
distributions. The criminal investigation initially resulted in an indictment and the convictions of
four defendants on federal charges, including illegal drug distribution and money laundering
offenses.
5. One focus of the criminal investigation, among others, concerned whether Balco,
Anderson, and others were engaged in illegal drug distribution and money laundering arising
from distributions of illegal drugs to professional athletes and others.
6. As part of the criminal investigation, on or about September 3, 2003, federal
search warrants, issued in the Northern District of California, were executed. Among other
things, investigators obtained evidence concerning Bonds and his relationship with Anderson and
Balco.
7. As part of the criminal investigation, several professional athletes, including but
not limited to Bonds, along with other witnesses, were subpoenaed before the Federal Grand Jury
to provide, among other things, testimony about their knowledge and involvement with Balco
and its employees, including but not limited to Victor Conte and James Valente, as well as any
relationship with Anderson.
8. On or about December 4,2003, Bonds testified before the Grand Jury. Bonds
received an Order of Immunity for his Grand Jury testimony, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 6003 and
28 C.F.R. 8 0.175, and was informed that pursuant to that order neither his testimony nor any
information directly or indirectly derived from his testimony could be used against him in any
criminal case except a prosecution for perjury, false declaration, or otherwise failing to comply
INDICTMENT 2
with the Court's order.
9. During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests
for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances for Bonds and
other professional athletes.
COUNT ONE: (18 U.S.C. 5 1623(a) - Perjury)
10. The factual allegations contained in paragraphs one through nine above are
incorporated herein as if set forth in full.
11. On or about December 4,2003, in the Northern District of California, the
defendant,
BARRY LAMAR BONDS,
having taken an oath to testify truthfully in a proceeding before a Grand Jury sitting in the
Northern District of California, unlawfully, willfully, knowingly, and contrary to such oath, did
make false material declarations, that is, he gave the following underlined false testimony:
Q: I know the answer - - let me ask you this again. I know we kind of got the into
this. Let me be real clear about this. Did he [Anderson] ever give you anything that you
knew to be a steroid? Did he ever give a steroid?
A: I don't think Greg would do anything like that to me and jeopardize our
friendship. I just don't think he would do that.
Q: Well, when you say you don't think he would do that, to your knowledge, 1 mean,
did you ever take any steroids that he gave you?
(a) A: Not that I know of.
................................
Q: Okay. So, 1 got to ask, Mr. Bonds. There's this number associated on a document
with your name, and corresponding to Barry B. on the other document, and it does have
these two listed anabolic steroids as testing positive in connection with it. Do you follow
my question?
A: I follow where you're going, yeah.
Q: So, 1 guess I got to ask the question again, I mean, did you take steroids? And
INDICTMENT 3
I1 Q: - - or anything like that?
2
3
5 11 (0) A: No, 1 wasn't at all. I've never seen these documents. I've never seen these
and months leading up to November 2000, were you taking steroids - -
(b) A: No.
8 I Q: So, starting in December 2001, on this page. again, there's BB here, which
6
7
obviously are consistent with your initials; correct?
A: He could know other BBs.
Q: Correct.
But BB would also be your initials; is that correct.
A: That's correct.
................................
papers.
................................
Q: Okay. Were you obtaining testosterone from Mr. Anderson during this period of
time?
(d) A: Not at all.
................................
Q: In January 2001 were you taking either the flax seed oil or the cream?
A: No.
Q: And were you taking any other steroids?
(e) A: No.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1623(a).
/I/
Nl
IN
//I
Ill
INDICTMENT
12. The factual allegations contained in paragraphs one through nine above are
incorporated herein as if set forth in full.
13. On or about December 4,2003, in the Northern District of California, the
defendant,
BARRY LAMAR BONDS,
having taken an oath to testify truthfully in a proceeding before a Grand Jury sitting in the
Northern District of California, unlawfully, willfully, knowingly, and contrary to such oath, did
make false material declarations, that is, he gave the following underlined false testimony:
Q: Did Greg ever give you anything that required a syringe to inject yourself with?
A: I've only had one doctor touch me. And that's my only personal doctor.
Greg, like 1 said, we don't get into each others' personal Iives. We're friends, but I don't
- we don't sit around and talk baseball, because he knows I don't want - don't come to
my house talking basebalI. If you want to come to my house and talk about fishing, some
other stuff, we'll be good friends. You wme around talking about baseball, you go on. I
don't talk about his business. You know what 1 mean?
................................
Q: So no one else other than perhaps the team doctor and your personal physician has
ever injected anything in to you or taken anything out?
A: WeIl, there's other doctors from surgeries. I can answer that question, if you're
getting technical like that. Sure, there are other people that have stuck needles in me and
have drawn out - - I've had a bunch of surgeries, yes.
Q: So - -
A: So sony.
Q: - - the team physician, when you've had surgery, and your own personal
physician. But no other individuals like Mr. Anderson or any associates of his?
(a) A:
................................
INDICTMENT 5
Q: And, again, 1 guess we've covered this, but - - and did he [Anderson] ever give
you anything that he told you had to be taken with a needle or syringe?
A: Greg wouldn't do that. He knows I'm against that stuff. So, he would never
come up to me - - he would never jeopardize our fnendship like that.
Q: Okay. So, just so I'm clear, the answer is no to that, he never gave you anything
like that?
(b) A: &g&
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1623(a).
COUNT THREE: (18 U.S.C. S 1623(a) - Perjury)
14. The factual allegations contained in paragraphs one through nine above are
incorporated herein as if set forth in full.
15. On or about December 4,2003, in the Northern District of California, the
defendant,
BARRY LAMAR BONDS,
having taken an oath to testify truthfully in a proceeding before a Grand Jury sitting in the
Northern District of California, unlawfully, willfully, knowingly, and contrary to such oath, did
make false material declarations, that is, he gave the foIlowing underlined false testimony:
Q: All right. Did Greg ever talk to you or give you anything called human growth
hormone?
(a) A: &
.................................
Q: And, again, just to be clear and then 1'11 leave it, but he [Anderson] never gave
you anything that you understood to be human growth hormone? Did he ever give you
anything like that?
(b) A: No.
.................................
Q: And were you obtaining growth hormone from Mr. Anderson?
(c) A: Not at all.
INDICTMENT 6
Q: In January of 2002, then, again, just to be clear, you weren't getting any
testosterone or growth hormone from Mr. Anderson during that period of time?
d) A: No.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1623(a).
:OUNT FOUR: (18 U.S.C. 1623(a) - Perjury)
16. The factual allegations contained in paragraphs one through nine above are
ncorporated herein as if set forth in full.
17. On or about December 4, 2003, in the Northern District of California, the
lefendant,
BARRY LAMAR BONDS,
laving taken an oath to testify truthfully in a proceeding before a Grand Jury sitting in the
$orthem District of California, unlawfully, willfully, knowingly, and contrary to such oath, did
nake false material declarations, that is, he gave the following underlined false testimony:
Q: Let me ask the same question about Greg at this point, we'll go into this in a little
bit more detail, but did you ever get anything else from Greg besides advice or tips on
your weight lifting and also the vitamins and the proteins that you already referenced?
A: This year, in 2003 - - at the end of 2002,2003 season, when I was going through -
-my dad died of cancer, you know, and everyone knows that.
Q: Yes. I'm sorry about that.
A: And everyone tries to give me everything. You got companies that provide us
with more junk to try than anything. And you know that as well.
I was fatigued, tired, just needed recovery, you know. And this guy says: "Try
this cream, try this cream." And Greg came to the ballpark and he said, you know: "This
will help you recover," and he rubbed some cream on my arm, like, some lotion-type
stuff, and, like, gave me some flax seed oil, that's what he called it, called it some flax
seed oil, man. It's, like: " Whatever, dude."
And 1 was at the ballpark, whatever, I don't care. What's lotion going to do to
NDICTMENT 7
me? How many times have I heard that: "This is going to rub into you and work." Let
him be happy. We're friends. You how?
Q: When did that happen for the first time?
A: Not until 2003. this season.
................................
Q: And - - all right. So, how many times approximately do you think you got these
tubes with what Mr. Anderson told you was flax seed oil?
A: Maybe once a home stand or something, if that. Greg didn't travel with me on the
road. So, I was at home, when I came home.
Q: And the first time was the beginning of this year's season, in 2003?
A: Yes. 2003, because I was battling with the problems with my father and the - -just
the lack of sleep, lack of everything.
................................
Q: Mr. Anderson had never given you anything or asked you to take anything before
the 2003 season; is that right?
A: We never had those discussions. We don't discuss about his -- you how, part of
his world of business is his business. My business is my business. So, we don't --
Q: I'm asking --
A: No.
Q: That's not my question. My question is - -
A: No.
Q: - -prior to the last season, you never took anything that he asked you to take, other
than vitamins?
A: Right. We didn't have anv other discussions.
Q: No oils like this or anything like this before?
A: No, no, no. not at all. Not at all.
................................
Q: Okay. So, first of all, Mr. Bonds, 1 guess 1 want to recheck with you or ask you
INDICTMENT 8
again exactly when you started getting the - - what 1'11 call the recovery items, what you
understood to be flax seed oil and the cream, when you started getting that from Greg
Anderson. I think that you said - - but please correct me if I'm wrong - - that you thought
it was prior to this current baseball season.
But let me ask, 1 mean, is it possible it's actually a year before, after the 2000 - -
well, actually two years before, after the 2001 season? Because this first calendar is dated
December 2001 with "BB" on it and its got a number of entries that I'd like to ask you
about.
Were you getting items during that period of time from Greg?
A: No. Like I said. I don't recall having anvthing like this at all during that time of
year. It was toward the end of 2000, after the WorId Series, you know, when my father
was going through cancer.
................................
Q: In December 2001.
And what about the - - the clear - - either the clear or the cream, were you getting
either of those substances in December of 2001 from Mr. Anderson?
A: No. Like I said. I recaIl it beine toward the end of 2002 - - 2002, after 2002
season.
Q: Okay.
A: And that's what I recall.
................................
Q: And you weren't getting this flax seed oil stuff during that period of time [January
2002]?
A: Not that I can recall. Like I sav. I could be wrong. But I'm - - I'm - - going from
my recollection it was. like. in the 2002 time and 2003 season.
in vioIation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1623(a).
Ill
Ill
INDICTMENT
COUNT FIVE: (1 8 U.S.C. 5 I503 - Obstruction of Justice)
18. The factuaI allegations contained in paragraphs one through nine above are
incorporated herein as if set forth in full.
19. On or about December 4,2003, in the Northern District of California, and
elsewhere, the defendant,
11 unlawfully, willfully, and knowinglByA, dRidR Yco LmApMtlAy Ren BdeOaNvoDr Sto, influence, obstn~cta, nd impede 11 the due administration ofjustice, by knowingly giving Grand JUT testimony that was
1) intentionally evasive, false, and misleading, that is:
(a) The false statements made by the defendant as charged in Counts 1-4 of this
indictment; and
(b) Evasive and misleading testimony.
All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1503.
A TRUE BILL.
,
I 1 SCOTT N. SCHOOLS United States Attorney

Video - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's Speech At February 8th 2007 Fox Sports Luncheon

Just after a bad PR period where San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom admitted that he slept with the wife of a friend and co-worker and then claimed he had a drinking problem, the Mayor gave a great speech before the Fox Sports Bay Area Baseball Season Kickoff Luncheon on Treasure Island February 8th.

I'm a regular attendee at this function, which this year featured an appearance by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. But this year, I decided to set up a camcorder and tripod and just let it run while I ate my lunch.

The Mayor gave a general talk, but couldn't resist taking a swipe at the San Francisco 49ers when he said that he'd give Niners tickets in place of MLB All Star Game tickets because he only had one All Star Game ticket for 300 requests.

You can't blame Gavin for the joke considering how Niners owner John York had been treating him.

Here's the video:



Also see the video of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's speech with a click here.