Saturday, May 7, 2005
The most recent controversy centers around Bonds' reliance on his own doctors.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
NEW YORK -- While Barry Bonds continues to rehabilitate his troublesome left knee, Major League Baseball is conducting its own investigation into the troubled slugger, major league sources told the New York Daily News.
MLB security officials are convinced that Bonds may be at risk of ultimate imprisonment over allegations of tax fraud, and are conducting their own probe into Bonds' relationships and activities. One official from another club said the San Francisco Giants' front office "is starting to freak out" over Bonds' mounting problems.
"I think they realize they've let the situation get away from them," the source said.
The most recent controversy centers around Bonds' reliance on his own doctors and trainers as he attempts to rehabilitate his surgically repaired right knee.
The 40-year-old slugger is recovering from three surgeries on the knee since Jan. 31 and he underwent arthroscopic surgery Monday as doctors tried to clean out an infection, first draining fluids from his knee.
Reprimanded twice
Bonds' surgeon, Dr. Albert Ting, has been reprimanded twice by the California state medical board and is on probation for "unprofessional conduct," according to reports.
Baseball's labor agreement allows players to go outside the organization for help, but requires that the player keep the team informed of any developments.
A Giants spokesman declined comment, other than to refer to a team statement about Bonds' medical care.
"At present, Bonds is undergoing aggressive antibiotic therapy prescribed by [infectious diseases specialist] Dr. [Robert] Armstrong. The Giants will continue to carefully monitor Bonds' progress and give additional updates as events warrant," the statement said.
But MLB was not happy to hear that yet another Bonds associate -- this time Ting, who performed all three of Bonds' knee surgeries -- has had trouble with the law.
Because Bonds is under government investigation for perjury relating to his testimony before the BALCO grand jury and possible tax fraud involving allegedly undeclared income from memorabilia sales, baseball's investigators have found it difficult to conduct their own inquiry, sources said.
"A federal investigation changes everything," a source familiar with baseball's efforts said.
Officials aren't sure where their investigation will lead or what action they would take if they find Bonds has violated baseball's rules.
Suspension could be a possibility. More likely, MLB will encourage teams to keep a closer eye on whom their players associate with via the resident agent assigned to each team by the security office.
In the meantime, Ting continues to be involved in Bonds' medical care, according to the Giants, and has regularly informed them of his observations.
Ting allegedly provided "dangerous drugs and controlled substances to friends and acquaintances, particularly athletes, for whom he kept no medical records or for whom the medical records were fictitious, inadequate or inaccurate," according to documents obtained by the Arizona Republic.