Barry Bonds says "Go ahead, investigate me."

[BengalszoneBilly]

Barry, you were truly a great player, (before steroids of course) but you are even a bigger idiot!

Bonds' message: Go ahead, investigate me, By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Barry Bonds had a pointed message for the grand jury: Go ahead, investigate me. After arriving at spring training Tuesday, more fit than in recent years following a productive winter of conditioning, the slugger insisted he's unfazed by all his off-the-field issues and is ready to resume his pursuit of the home run record.

"Let them investigate. Let them, they've been doing it this long," Bonds said Tuesday after his first workout this year with the San Francisco Giants. "It doesn't weigh on me at all — at all. It's just you guys talking. It's just media conversation."

When Bonds showed up, he waved twice to the swarm of people waiting to see him make his entrance, then quickly headed into Scottsdale Stadium to get to work.

Noticeably absent were his two personal trainers, Greg Oliver and Harvey Shields, who no longer can be with the slugger at the ballpark. Bonds, who spent the weekend in Las Vegas for the NBA All-Star game, was flanked by his two publicists and a Major League Baseball security guard assigned to him.

He joked with new teammate Barry Zito in their corner space of the clubhouse, then the 42-year-old Bonds made his way through the room and greeted outfielder Jason Ellison, infielder Rich Aurilia and pitcher Matt Morris. Clubhouse staff soon came his way with new undershorts and hats.

Bonds took part in a team meeting before walking to the field for the Giants' first full-squad workout — and he took a big bow for the horde of cameras. He re-emerged later in the morning to start his routine and waved his batting helmet to fans in the bleachers, carrying two bats in his right hand.

He shagged fly balls and hit five home runs in batting practice, including a shot to the berm in right-center on a fastball from No. 2 starter Matt Cain. That was enough to impress new skipper Bruce Bochy, who saw Bonds do his share of damage against his old team, the Padres. Bonds has hit more homers against San Diego than any other team.

"He's an incredible talent," Bochy said. "He showed it today on the first day."

Bonds was mostly business — with a little fun mixed in — once he got on the field.

He still could be indicted if a federal grand jury determines that he perjured himself when testifying in 2003 in the BALCO steroid distribution case that he hadn't knowingly taken performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds, who has long denied ever using steroids, said his level of concern about the investigation is "none."

Last month, the New York Daily News reported that Bonds failed an amphetamines test last season and then attributed it to a substance he took from teammate Mark Sweeney's locker. Bonds publicly apologized to Sweeney at the time, then stretched alongside him and Ray Durham on the first day of workouts.

"I did not blame Mark Sweeney," Bonds said Tuesday, noting he apologized only "because you guys just started talking about it and I just thought it was unfair for him to be accused of something that wasn't true."

Asked if he had failed an amphetamines test, Bonds declined to comment. Also, he denied reports that he wasn't always available to pinch-hit last season.

"That's not true at all," said Bonds, who has language about behavior in his new contract. "I'm always available. I'm in uniform, so I'm always available."

As far as Bonds is concerned, all that is over with.

"I don't need to say anything to anybody," he said.

Bonds quickly ended his 12-minute interview in the dugout when the questions turned from baseball to his problems away from the field.

He begins his 22nd major league season, and 15th with San Francisco, needing only 22 home runs to break Hank Aaron's career record of 755. Bonds isn't about to make predictions, but said he won't stop once he catches Hammerin' Hank.

"I said I'm playing till I'm 100 — you guys get used to me," Bonds said.

Bonds and Zito had a little fun, coming out of the clubhouse at one point in matching black T-shirts with this orange writing on the back: "DON'T ASK ME ... ASK BARRY," each with an arrow that pointed at the other Barry. Zito, who threw to Bonds this winter at UCLA, stood on the left with his arrow aimed at Bonds.

"Hey, ya'll don't want to miss this," Bonds said to get everyone's attention.

New center fielder and leadoff man Dave Roberts knelt next to Bonds' folding chair to chat with the resting slugger between rounds of BP.

"It's going to be interesting to see how this shakes out," Roberts said about the hype. "We'd be naive not to think he's going to be a big part of this team. He wants to win as much as anybody."

Bonds, the seven-time NL MVP who's still facing constant questions about whether his home run pursuit was fueled by steroids, finally signed his $15.8 million, one-year deal last week after he and the Giants squabbled over contract language. The original deal was agreed to Dec. 7, the final day of baseball's winter meetings.

"My contract wasn't a problem. I'm here," Bonds said. "It was never a problem. There are guys who still aren't signed. I'm here. I don't have any problems."

Bonds worked out earlier in the day offsite with Oliver and Shields, who are no longer employed by the Giants or allowed in restricted areas of the ballpark. They used to have their own lockers near Bonds.

[bengalboomer7]

Their you go, hatin on Bonds, AGAIN. Why don't we stop throwing one guy under the bus and focus on the problem. What's the difference between a clean hitter hitting a homerun off a clean pitcher and a dirty hitter hitting a homerun off a dirty pitcher. The playing field is still even

[Stripes]

Their you go, hatin on Bonds, AGAIN. Why don't we stop throwing one guy under the bus and focus on the problem. What's the difference between a clean hitter hitting a homerun off a clean pitcher and a dirty hitter hitting a homerun off a dirty pitcher. The playing field is still even

Because nobody really knows who is who. Bonds is as close to a certainty as we have right now among the players involved with an admittedly league-wide problem. I agree that he has unfairly become the scapegoat for everyone else, but I don't oppose to him being at the center of the investigation regardless.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Why don't we stop throwing one guy under the bus and focus on the problem.

He's a liar and a cheater. Totally worth throwin' under any bus available IMHO! Any other "juiced up" players should also be deposited under the aforementioned vehicle.

[Kirkendall]

Their you go, hatin on Bonds, AGAIN. Why don't we stop throwing one guy under the bus and focus on the problem. What's the difference between a clean hitter hitting a homerun off a clean pitcher and a dirty hitter hitting a homerun off a dirty pitcher. The playing field is still even

You guys are all wrong. Bonds is not a scapegoat.

Bonds, a suspected steroids user that's in the middle of a grand jury investigation as well as possible perjury charges, is about to do what NO ONE ELSE HAS done. That's not a scapegoat. That's everyone really pissed off that he's using (even admitted it in grand jury testimony) and about to break an all-time record that most baseball fans covet and can recite by heart.

It's more about what Bonds is about to do rather than what he's done. If he's another Sammy Sosa, then fine, whatever. But that's not the case.

He's about to do something that no other man in history has done.

If you guys want to defend Bonds, then go for it. Make a case that he's a scapegoat and how close they are to a home run record.

If you guys want to "address the problem", then go for it. Put a call into Donald Fehr and demand he relinquish all control of the players union and de-solve it. Put a call into Bud Selig and tell him to put big-time funding into science and research centers that will constantly find ways to detect the undetectable.

My only point is you guys don't realize the scope of what Bonds is about to do. You don't know the difficulty it is to get anything done with the players union -- my point earlier this month about unions destroying professional sports.

It's like politics. It's easy to say let's get something done. But when asked what they should do, all they get is blank stares and ridiculous over-reaction (ban for life!!!!!).

[Dawg BpG]

To Baseball (err Bud Selig):

You reap what you sew.

[Stripes]

Kirk, I honestly don't give a rat's butt about the home run record, or at least not Bonds' chances of breaking it. The man is [likely] guilty of what everyone has accused him of, and many other players are probably just as guilty. I fault him for "cheating" in a professional sport, and I fault every other player involved for "cheating" in a professional sport. Whether he breaks the record or not is irrelevant to me... All I see is black and white here: Cheater/Non-cheater. Furthermore, I don't think the problem can be fixed.

The legal issues seem juvenile to me too.

[Kirkendall]

You're absolutely right. Couldn't agree with you more. But...

There are cheaters in sports. They always have been cheaters. There's a known cheater in the baseball hall of fame. NASCAR is notorious for the cheating without getting caught game. Cheating exists in the business world and in politics. Other than a one-page blurb on page three of the newspaper, you hear about it, forget about it and move on.

Quick, without looking it up, tell me the latest MLB player to be suspended for violating the drug policy.

Fact is, people will always cheat in sports. They will always find a way to gain a competitive advantage. And really, most people found cheating generally fade away.

The whole hysteria about Bonds, is the record he's assaulting. If it was some other Joe, this would never become an issue. Perhaps that's everyone's point. But he's not some other Joe. He's breaking a very awesome record. And there will find the source of your guy's scapegoat theory.

[bengalboomer7]

Let's keep things a little in context here, this isn't a trial for murder, it's a game. Govt. entities and former senators have better things to do than run around investigating a game. The Hall of fame is full of liar's, cheaters, wife beaters, womanizers, and a**h***s(and should have a gambler too!) In every sport every athlete is looking for whatever edge they can get.

[Kirkendall]

Let's keep things a little in context here, this isn't a trial for murder, it's a game. Govt. entities and former senators have better things to do than run around investigating a game. The Hall of fame is full of liar's, cheaters, wife beaters, womanizers, and a**h***s(and should have a gambler too!) In every sport every athlete is looking for whatever edge they can get.

100% agree. But in regards to Bonds, he's dealing with tax issues and possible perjury that have nothing to do with the game.

And I have no problem with Congress dealing with this. First of all, it keeps them from f**king up real life issues even more than they are today. And it finally gets something moving in the stalemate that is union and MLB.

[BengalszoneBilly]

When Hank Aaron was nearing Babe Ruth's record, nearly everyone was wanting to see him do it. With Barry Bonds, it's almost the exact opposite. The difference I see is the moral make up of the men involved. People liked Hammerin' Hank for what he was, and dislike Bonds for the same thing.

On a side note I could give a rats patoot about his tax situation. All I care about is how he arrived at the doorstep of baseballs greatest record.

[SteelerFan87]

Barry Bonds is an ass. It's pretty obvious he took steroids. You don't go from the Bonds of the Pirates to the Bonds of now naturally.

[Kirkendall]

[BengalszoneBilly]