Velarde Says He Received Drugs From Bonds�s Trainer
Source: all-breaking-news.com
Velarde said he was introduced to the trainer, Greg Anderson, by catcher Bobby Estalella when the two were with the Yankees in 2001. Anderson initially gave Velarde some cheap viagra to improve his performance, Velarde testified.
Velarde, though, said he was not pleased with the results.
I told him I wasnt getting anywhere with the cheap cialis and he said the next stop was injections, Velarde said, estimating that he met Anderson more than 10 times during spring training in 2002, while he played for the Oakland Athletics.
During his 12 minutes on the witness stand, Velarde said he paid Anderson $500 to 800 for the drugs, which he said gave him endurance and more strength. His transactions with Anderson ended at the end of 2002, which was Velardes 16th and final season in the major leagues.
Velarde was the fourth current or former professional baseball player to testify at Bondss perjury trial in United States District Court. Bonds, the seven-time most valuable player, is charged with four counts of lying to a federal grand jury in 2003 about his steroid use, and one count of obstruction of justice.
Jason Giambi, the former Yankees slugger, and his brother Jeremy testified on Tuesday that they had received drugs from Anderson and that Anderson told them the substances were undetectable by drug tests.
Marvin Benard, who was Bondss teammate with the San Francisco Giants, testified Monday and Tuesday about his relationship with Anderson. He told jurors that he sought Andersons help after buying veterinary steroids from Mexico in 1998 and that Anderson eventually provided him with undetectable steroids and human growth hormone.
But on Tuesday, the defense asserted that prosecutors told Benard what to say in court.
In fact, Mr. Anderson never told you, ever, that he gave you an undetectable steroid, isnt that the truth? Allen Ruby, one of Bondss lawyers, said to Benard.
Smiling, Benard said, I dont remember.
Ruby said of the government, They told you that they wanted you to say that Anderson told you that he was giving you a steroid, an undetectable steroid.
Benard said no.
Three more former major-league players are on the governments witness list: Estalella, Armando Rios and Benito Santiago. But of the seven current and former major leaguers on the list, only one Estalella is expected to testify about his interactions with Bonds.
Prosecutors say that Estalella, who played with Bonds on the Giants, will testify that Bonds had admitted using performance-enhancing drugs and that the two had several discussions about that drug use and its effects on the body.
The rest of the players have testified, or are expected to testify, about their drug transactions with Anderson, who is in prison for refusing to testify at the trial. The government said those players knew Anderson was giving them drugs and that Anderson told them the effects of the drugs and exactly how to administer those substances.
The absence of Andersons testimony has stymied the governments case so much that some pieces of evidence, including several positive drug tests and doping calendars linked to Bonds, were excluded from the trial before it began. The judge, Susan Illston, excluded that evidence because Anderson would not be able to authenticate the documents.
Illston told jurors Tuesday that they should not assume Bonds knew he was taking steroids just because the other players say they did. But clearly, that is what prosecutors are hoping for.
Bonds, though, insists that Anderson said only that he was giving him flaxseed oil and arthritis balm.
The players testimony on Wednesday preceded the testimony of several people who spoke about the collection and processing of Bondss urine samples during the drug-testing process.
But on Thursday, to end the trials second week, two witnesses with very personal interactions with Bonds are scheduled to take the stand.
Dr. Arthur Ting, Bondss former orthopedic surgeon, is expected to testify about his observations of Bondss physical state and Bondss interactions with Anderson. Last week, Steve Hoskins, Bondss former business manager, testified that he had several conversations with Ting about Bondss steroid use and that Ting had said Bondss elbow injury in 1999 was caused by the drug use.
Kathy Hoskins, Steves sister and Bondss former personal assistant, is also expected to testify on Thursday. Prosecutors say she witnessed Anderson giving Bonds an injection.
One of the charges against Bonds is that he told a grand jury no one but his personal doctor ever injected him.