Fehr To Examine Possible Collusion Against Bonds, Free Agents
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MLBPA To Look Into Possible
Collusion Against Bonds |
MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr said that his staff will "examine possible collusion" against free agent LF Barry Bonds, who remains unsigned less than two weeks before the league's Opening Day, and others, according to Ronald Blum of the AP. Fehr: "We always look at the free-agent markets every year and make judgments about them, and if we come to the conclusion with respect to any player that there's a matter worth pursuing, we'll pursue it." Blum noted Fehr did not say whether he "found it troublesome that no team has publicly said it wants Bonds." The Rays last month acknowledged they "had internal discussions about the prospect of pursuing Bonds," and Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa "had interest in Bonds, but Cardinals management decided against opening talks" (AP, 3/18). Bonds said that he "has no intention of retiring from baseball and he won't reject signing a contract sometime during the season if the right job presents itself." Bonds: "I'm not going to retire. I don't think that's going to happen." Bonds added that he "had no clue what was transpiring in the marketplace." Bonds: "That's why I have an agent, it's his job. I know he's upset and so are a lot of other people." MLB.com's Barry Bloom notes a "host of other big-name free agents ... are also still on the market," including P Roger Clemens, C Mike Piazza and RF Sammy Sosa (MLB.com, 3/19).
WHY FEHR IS SUPPORTING BONDS: In Toronto, Jeff Blair wrote the issue is "best viewed as being an internal players association matter." While Fehr is being criticized in some circles for defending Bonds, he has his "own radical flank that he needs to assuage and some of the more cerebral among them have been quietly asking why the union hasn't done more to take shots at the Mitchell Report." Blair: "The thing about Donald Fehr is this: he's damned good at what he does." However, Bonds is "getting better than he deserves from Fehr" after he has "purposely isolated himself from the players union, including pulling out of its marketing plan" (GLOBEANDMAIL.com, 3/18).
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