BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Bonds: ’91 Argument Staged

The Pittsburgh Pirates reacted with amused chuckles to Barry Bonds’ charges that the team staged his 1991 spring training blowup with Manager Jim Leyland to intentionally make the outfielder look bad.

The oft-replayed shouting match occurred several days after an obviously unhappy and disillusioned Bonds arrived in spring training camp after losing his arbitration case.

Leyland yelled at Bonds for several minutes at one time saying, “I’ve kissed your rear end for years and I’m not going to kiss it anymore,” after Bonds and coach Bill Virdon began shouting at each other during a routine ball-shagging drill.

Minutes before, Bonds had exchanged words with Pirate publicist Jim Lachimia when Bonds objected to TV crews and photographers taking his picture.

“It wasn’t an accident. They set me up,” Bonds is quoted in the July issue of Playboy. “Why would a microphone and TV crew be right there at the time?

“After that, for the first time in my life, I didn’t want to play. I started out 17 for 100, (batting) .170. . . . I couldn’t hit, I couldn’t play until I got that off my back.”

The Pirates don’t plan to answer Bonds’ charges.

“We won’t dignify them by making a statement,” publicist Rick Cerrone said.

Despite the argument, Leyland and Bonds remain friends, even though Bonds now plays for the San Francisco Giants. Bonds even said the two are even closer now than they were in Pittsburgh.

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The Baltimore Orioles have talked with the Boston Red Sox about sending outfielder Brady Anderson to the Red Sox for left-hander Frank Viola, a Rhode Island newspaper reported.

According to the Providence Journal-Bulletin, Baltimore General Manager Roland Hemond has been negotiating with Boston since Monday.

Oriole Manager Johnny Oates denied the reports.

The Orioles reportedly might also be interested in acquiring first baseman Eddie Murray from the New York Mets. Baltimore had no comment on its possible interest in Murray. With the Mets in last place, several clubs have expressed interest in Murray.