Wells is still able to talk good game
PHILADELPHIA -- David Wells turned 43 yesterday, and while he said he feels 10 years older, his mouth hasn't slowed down a bit, as he demonstrated anew in a 30-minute group interview in which he weighed in on Barry Bonds's alleged steroid use and -- much to the shock of Phillies outfielder David Dellucci -- threw Dellucci's name into his musings on players who may be using performance-enhancing substances.
Wells was talking about his rehab assignment this afternoon in nearby Scranton, Pa., which he hopes will serve as a tuneup to a return to the Red Sox rotation Friday, when the clubhouse television showed Bonds hitting his 714th career home run, tying him with Babe Ruth on the all-time list.
Wells said he was tested for steroids four times last season. He said he didn't doubt there were players who were still using steroids, including Bonds, and other performance-enhancing substances. Wells said Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro ''were on the juice" and raised questions about ''itty-bitty guys who hit 30 home runs."
''Like Dellucci, I guess," Wells said. ''How many home runs did he hit last year? Has he ever done that in his career?"
Dellucci, who was acquired April 1 after hitting a career-best 29 homers for Texas last season, was visibly upset when informed of Wells's comments after last night's 8-4 Sox win.
''I guess I would say I take that as a huge insult," Dellucci said, ''for the work I put in during the season and the offseason. It's unfortunate that . . . I'm flustered, man, I can't believe it. I leave the field at midnight every night because I work out after the game. It just so happened last year I had [435] at-bats, and I hit the most home runs I've ever had in the most at-bats I ever had.
''I've been tested probably more than anyone else I know in the game in random tests. I got tested this offseason, so if David has any suspicions, he can check any one of my drug tests and he can go observe my workout routine and then we'll see."
Ruth has long been a Wells idol.
''Records are made to be broken," Wells said. ''I don't have any hard feelings. Why should you? They're already talking about all the [steroids]. Putting up the numbers is impressive enough. You've got to be around a long time and you've got to hit a lot of home runs, but he's going be under scrutiny the way he did it. It's still an impressive number. I'm sure he's happy."
But Wells said he believed Bonds was a steroids user, and mocked Bonds's alleged testimony to a grand jury that he unknowingly used steroids, believing he was using flaxseed oil, according to published reports.
''He's going to be under scrutiny from here on out," Wells said. ''He's hit a few home runs off me while he was juiced. There have been a lot of 'em off people when he was juiced. Look at him, the man is enormous. Still, he's a hell of a ballplayer . . . He's got to deal with it, not me."
Wells's final word on Bonds: ''He's always going to be a great hitter in my mind. I like Barry. He's never done anything to me. He's talked [expletive] at times. I talked it right back. I respect Barry as a person. As an athlete, if he's cheated, it's not going to change my perception of the guy as a person, but if he's cheated as a player, that's as bad as being a scab."
