Aunt Says Bonds Was Betrayed

Barry Bonds’ family believes that he was betrayed and “doped” with steroids by his trainer, Greg Anderson, Rosie Bonds, Barry’s aunt and a 1964 U.S. Olympic hurdler, said.

“The family does not believe he would knowingly take steroids; he would not jeopardize his family or his own future with the deadly effects of steroids,” Rosie Bonds said Saturday from her Riverside home, adding the implication that Barry was knowingly a steroid user is “a lie and a tragedy.”

Rosie Bonds said Barry’s increased bulk and improved power statistics in recent seasons were due to a regimen of diet and strenuous exercise. The effect of his work, she said, has been tarnished by the revelation that he was “doped, like a horse.”

The statements from Barry Bonds’ grand jury testimony in the BALCO case should not discredit the accomplishments of the seven-time MVP or the credibility of his 703 career home runs, his aunt said.

“This is the price you pay when you’re on top of the heap, but all he’s tried to do is give everyone his best,” Rosie Bonds said. “Ever since Barry has been a kid, he has dedicated himself to the game. And he has given the American public what it wants to see.”

-- Lance Pugmire