Barry Bonds Home Run Record

REFILE-FACTBOX-US sports figures convicted in steroids scandal

(Refiling, making clear trial starts on Wednesday)

Roger Clemens, one of the best pitchers in baseball history, goes on trial on Wednesday on charges of lying to Congress when he denied taking steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges -- three counts of making false statements, two counts of perjury and one count of obstructing Congress.

A number of famous sports figures have been convicted in previous prosecutions brought by the U.S. Justice Department. They include:

* Baseball homerun king Barry Bonds was convicted in April by a federal jury in San Francisco on one count of obstruction of justice in an investigation of performance-enhancing drugs in sports.

The jury deadlocked on three other counts accusing Bonds of lying to a federal grand jury. U.S. prosecutors have yet to decide whether to retry Bonds on those charges. Defense lawyers have asked that the one conviction be thrown out or that the charge be retried.

Bonds finished his career in 2007 with 762 home runs, the most in Major League Baseball history. He also set the single-season home run record with 73 in 2001.

* Olympic sprint star Marion Jones received a six-month prison sentence on Jan. 11, 2008, after pleading guilty to lying to federal prosecutors about her steroid use and misleading them about her knowledge of a check fraud case involving her ex-boyfriend, former 100-meters world record holder Tim Montgomery.

Jones, who was stripped of five Olympic medals for using performance-enhancing drugs, was released from prison on Sept. 9, 2008.

* All-Star baseball player Miguel Tejada received a sentence in 2009 of one year of probation and a $5,000 fine for lying to Congress about his knowledge of other players using steroids.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay in Washington, D.C., also required that Tejada perform 100 hours of community service. The Dominican Republic native apologized to his fans, Congress and the court after pleading guilty.

He currently plays for the San Francisco Giants.

* Former National Football League player Dana Stubblefield pleaded guilty in 2008 in federal court in San Francisco to lying to a federal agent regarding steroid use.

The defensive lineman and three-time Pro Bowl performer spent seven of his 11 years in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring after the 2003 season.

Stubblefield, who cooperated with the federal government's investigation, received a sentence of two years of probation.

The Clash of Steroids With America?s Pastime | All Sports Training ...

The Clash of Steroids with America’s Pastime

Swing and a shot into the corner. It might make it! There it is: 62, folks! It just got over the left field wall in the corner and we have a new home run champion! A new Sultan of Swat! It’s Mark McGwire! He touches them all. Unbelievable.

 – Mike Shannon, Cardinals radio (62 and Beyond). 

In 1998, Mark McGwire outpaced Sammy Sosa and set the new single season homerun record, finishing the season with 70 home runs.  Barry Bonds surpassed this mark in 2001 by hitting an additional 3 homeruns, increasing the record to 73 homeruns in a single season.  With these record shattering seasons comes a new era of baseball, the Juiced Era (1994-2004).  This era may be considered one of the game’s greatest boom periods including offensive levels that have escalated at an unusually quick pace (Click 329). 

Statistically, there have been eras of comparable measure throughout the history of the game, but never before has the scrutiny of such increases matched that of today.  The game of baseball has undergone much change such as intensified media coverage, salary structures, off season training, and new legislation. Most of these changes account for this fluctuation of increased performance baseball has seen. Undeniably, nearly all fans, critics, and sports writers have pinned such offensive success to steroid abuse by the new generation of professional baseball players.  One can understand why though.

The catalyst for the steroid hype was the BALCO scandal.  In 2003, evidence was collected accusing several Major League Baseball (MLB) players, including Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Jason Grimsley, and of course Barry Bonds of acquiring steroids from BALCO, a company once known for food supplements (Kimball).  Is it possible that the homerun leader was juicing during his magical season? Yes. Many feel he was using steroids, but still, he has never been charged with taking steroids.

Additionally, former MLB star Jose Canseco, recently wrote a book called, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big, indicting players he encountered throughout his career of taking steroids. This is not unusual to see: people using their fame to grab the spotlight and also cash in while doing it.  Most of the time, they grab their check and fifteen minutes of fame and no one is truly affected. Unfortunately for baseball, congress had the power to issue subpoenas to those accused of steroid use: Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi, and others, as well as nationally televise the hearings. This not only damaged these players’ careers, but tarnished the game of baseball itself.

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Love Me, Hate Me, Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero

Congressional Record, V. 147, Pt. 16, November 8, 2001 to November 28, 2001

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