Monday, May 22, 2006
The Boston pitcher also lashed out at reporters for misquoting him.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Count David Wells among those unimpressed by Barry Bonds' move up the all-time home run list.
The outspoken Boston pitcher had harsh words for Bonds, who tied Babe Ruth for second all-time with his 714th home run Saturday. The San Francisco slugger has come under intense scrutiny because of alleged steroid use.
"He's hit a few home runs off me while he was juiced. Look at him, the man is enormous," Wells said Saturday. "Still, he's a hell of a ball player. He's got to deal with it, not me."
A grand jury in San Francisco is investigating whether perjury charges are warranted for Bonds' earlier testimony that he used designer performance-enhancing drugs the "clear" and "cream" but thought it was flaxseed oil.
Not buying it
"He's admitted taking it, but not knowingly. I think that's a crock," Wells said. "I would never take something without knowing what I was putting in my body. There's no way. I don't think anyone in here would put something in their body without knowing what the effect could be."
Wells also had an opinion on Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro, saying, "Since the steroid scandal, the numbers have dropped. Guys have retired because they couldn't handle the pressure and the flak they were taking. Heard Sammy Sosa's name lately? Rafael Palmeiro? Sammy didn't do [anything] in Baltimore. Obviously, he was guilty as charged, but he didn't get caught. To me, if you've cheated as a player, that's as bad as being a scab."
Sosa is fifth with 588 homers and Palmeiro is ninth with 569.
Nonetheless, Wells doesn't think Bonds should get an asterisk for his records just yet.
"Not until proven guilty," Wells said. "Steroids or no steroids, they're not going to make you hit the ball better. If you do hit the ball, there's a better chance you're going to hit it out because you're stronger."
Wells also mentioned Philadelphia's David Dellucci and Houston's Craig Biggio in his comments. Dellucci has 74 career homers. The 40-year-old Biggio has 264 homers while batting mostly out of the leadoff spot.
Response
"I find it odd that we do have guys that finger-point without knowing the truth and facts," Dellucci said before Sunday's game.
A year after hitting a career-best 29 homers with Texas, Dellucci has gone deep once this season in a part-time role for the Phillies. The fact he's only batted 35 times is a major reason for Dellucci's decline.
After a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket in Scranton Sunday afternoon, Wells blasted reporters, saying his remarks about Dellucci were taken out of "context."
"I've known David for a long time. I've been a teammate," Wells said. "The guy busts [it] in the gym, and he works out hard. We were just making conversation. I wasn't accusing him or anything of the sort. I think that he should be cleared, and I feel bad for him. He shouldn't have to go through all that."
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