COURT: Bonds seeks dismissal
Barry Bonds asked a federal judge yesterday in San Francisco to toss out most of the government’s case against him that charges the slugger lied to a federal grand jury about his alleged steroids use. In a filing made in U.S. District Court, lawyers for baseball’s home run king argue that many of the charges stem from ambiguous answers to ambiguous questions posed by prosecutors.
Bonds is charged with 14 counts of making false declarations to a grand jury in December 2003 and one count of obstruction of justice. His lawyers yesterday asked a judge to toss out 10 charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is scheduled for trial on March 2.
NBA: Suns trade Strawberry
The Suns traded guard D.J. Strawberry to the Rockets yesterday for rookie guard Sean Singletary. Strawberry is the son of former baseball slugger Darryl Strawberry.
HALL OF FAME: Vets on deck
Former Yankees Allie Reynolds and Joe Gordon are among 10 players whose careers began before 1943 who will be considered by the Hall of Fame’s constituted Veterans Committee when it meets on Dec. 7.
Vern Stephens, Bill Dahlen, Wes Ferrell, Sherry Magee, Carl Mays, Mickey Vernon, Bucky Walters and Deacon White also will be on the ballot, the Hall said yesterday. The 10 finalists were selected by a committee of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America that considered pre-1943 players. A 12-member committee of Hall of Famers, media and historians will vote. Players must appear on 75 percent of the ballots to gain election. Results will be announced Dec. 8.
BASEBALL: Guardado dealt
Minnesota has acquired former Twins closer Eddie Guardado, 37, from Texas to bolster its bullpen. The Twins sent 21-year-old right-hander Mark Hamburger to the Rangers.
* Five more players, including four in the Dominican Summer League, were suspended yesterday for testing positive for banned performance-enhancers under baseball’s minor league drug program. The suspended players included Dodgers shortstop Rafael Aybar, Marlins pitcher Alfredo Buret, Orioles pitcher Julio Sanchez and Twins outfielder Eliel Sierra. All were penalized after testing positive for a metabolite of Boldenone. Cardinals catcher Juan Castillo tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.
NHL: Flyers eye Berard
Veteran NHL defenseman Bryan Berard was invited to training camp with the Flyers. Berard, 31, had five goals and 17 assists for the Islanders last season.
OBIT: Bob Labbance, 56
Bob Labbance, author of 16 golf books and former editor of New York Golf magazine and several other publications, died early Sunday morning in Montpelier, Vt. Labbance was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) last December.