Selig will wait to read Bonds book

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says he has no plans to meet with embattled Giants outfielder Barry Bonds and will reserve judgment on the book that offers exhaustive details of the slugger's alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.

''I will review all the material that's relative in every way," said Selig, on hand at the World Baseball Classic game between the United States and Canada. ''Obviously, we've only seen parts of things.

''The book itself doesn't come out until the end of the month. But we will review everything there is to look at and at some appropriate time I'll have further comment."

Bonds was absent from Giants camp yesterday, as team officials said he had been excused long before Sports Illustrated released excerpts from the book ''Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports," written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams. Bonds had to attend a custody hearing for his 16-year-old son in Los Angeles. He is due back today.

In a statement released yesterday, Bonds's attorney, Michael L. Rains, said Bonds ''has not read the Sports Illustrated article and does not intend to. Furthermore, he does not intend to read the book from which the article is excerpted. Barry regards this as an unfortunate distraction to his friends and teammates at the San Francisco Giants, and to the good name and the great players in Major League Baseball."

Rains attempted to discredit the sourcing, saying, ''Although most of the authors' supposed 200 or so 'sources' for this book remain anonymous, we know and understand that one of the most prominent sources is a woman who previously attempted to extort Barry for money, and who, after that failed, told Geraldo Rivera that she never saw Barry take illegal or performance-enhancing drugs, but explained that her source of knowledge supposedly came from conversations she had with him -- conversations she intended to report in her soon-to-be published book.

''Some of the other prominent but 'anonymous sources' surfaced during the BALCO investigation, and we understand that reporting their identity would also expose their lack of credibility."

Giants teammates have almost viewed Bonds's distractions as routine. He remains a popular figure in the clubhouse and reports have been that he's been much looser this spring.

''I personally don't read about it," said Giants player rep Tyler Walker. ''Obviously we're not numb to it. There are 15 more reporters, maybe more, in here than there were yesterday. You notice it a little bit because of the size of the number of media."

This is Mark Sweeney's first season with the Giants and he knew going in that Bonds would dominate the news. Yet, for now, anyway, he doesn't believe it's been distracting.

''He's going to get all of the attention because he's the best player in the game," Sweeney said. ''It's not a big deal. It's up to all of us to go out and do our jobs and get better."

Sweeney said ''as baseball players we don't want to talk about steroids. We're all grown men."

While no current player will take Bonds on, Roger Clemens, who was asked about the controversy, said his concern about anyone who takes steroids is about his health. He also termed the interest in Bonds's use of steroids a ''witch hunt."

''You know, I don't worry about people's records," he said. ''You still have to hit a baseball, but you know I think we've been warned that your body will break down. Things will happen, but I worry about your health."

Clemens, who said he considers Bonds a friend, added, ''Until I guess, you know, something's found out or something, you know, somebody's -- these are other people judging him. I guess you hear about tax evasion and all the other things. Until there's substantial evidence in that nature coming out, I guess I'd worry about it for them."

Added Rains in the statement, ''The exploitation of Barry's good name and these attempts to eviscerate his sensational accomplishments in all phases of the game of baseball [throughout high school and college, as well as 20 years playing professionally] may make those responsible wealthy, but in the end, they need to live with themselves. Beyond this -- Barry has no further comment now nor in the foreseeable future. His focus remains on staying healthy, playing baseball, and doing everything he can to help the Giants play in the World Series seven months from now."

Although MLB executive Bob DuPuy was quoted by Bloomberg News as saying Selig would meet with Bonds, Selig said, ''I don't have any plans to do that now. I know Bob said that, and I'm not saying it will or it won't happen. But I don't have any plans at this moment."

Selig was pressed for an answer about what he would do to the records of any player caught taking steroids.

''We have no empirical data before 2003," he said. ''I've heard a lot of people make observations. I think I've even used the term McCarthyism in some great regard about people who, without much evidence other than what they believe is anecdotal evidence, say well, this person did this or that. And I'm going to be very sensitive about all that because you're playing with people's lives and their reputations and you ought to be very careful. It doesn't mean I don't have interest. I've spent more time talking to all of you, doctors, trainers, players from different generations. I've had a lot of conversations with a lot of people. More than anybody will ever know."

Selig continued to reiterate that Major League Baseball now has the toughest drug and steroids policy in all of sports. He said he has not heard from Washington or Congress concerning new hearings on steroids.

All Selig wanted to do was watch the WBC and prove to the world that it's a good idea.

''As I was watching the Venezuela-Dominican game, I was enthralled at what I was seeing, and I should have learned 40 years ago, and I do this all the time, I said what a great day this was going to be just watching. That was at 12:01 p.m.," said Selig, whose day was disrupted then and for the foreseeable future by the Bonds bombshell.