Baseball Notes | Aaron: No time for Bonds

Hank Aaron

says he doesn't plan to be at the ballpark if and when

Barry Bonds

breaks his home-run record.

"Uh-uh. No, no. I'm not going to be around," Aaron was quoted as saying in yesterday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Bonds has 735 home runs, 20 short of Aaron's career record. Though Aaron has declined most interview requests in recent months, he spoke with Journal-Constitution columnist Terence Moore.

Mark Letendre, a former San Francisco Giants trainer, testified before the federal grand jury investigating steroid use in sports, a sign that the top prosecutor's firing did not derail the probe of Bonds.

Letendre told the Associated Press he testified for about an hour on Feb. 14.

Since U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan was fired in December, speculation had been that the Department of Justice quietly would extinguish the long-running investigation into whether Bonds lied under oath when he told a 2003 grand jury that he did not knowingly take performance-enhancing drugs. Ryan was one of eight U.S. attorneys ousted by the Bush administration.

"There is absolutely no doubt that the U.S. attorney is still running a grand jury and still taking evidence that involves Bonds," said Michael Rains, the lawyer for Bonds. "There is still an active effort to indict Barry."

Ryan was replaced by Scott Schools.

Chris Young, a 27-year-old righthander, has impressed the San Diego Padres enough to earn a $14.5 million, four-year contract that would be worth $23 million if the team exercises a 2011 option.

Young, who starred in baseball and basketball at Princeton, is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in two starts this year.

The Boston Red Sox activated righthanded reliever Mike Timlin from the 15-day disabled list and optioned reliever Javier Lopez to triple-A Pawtucket.

New York Mets reliever Duaner Sanchez underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to begin his rehabilitation within two months.

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed outfielder Matt Kemp on the 15-day DL because of an injured right shoulder. They recalled reliever Chin-hui Tsao from triple-A Las Vegas.

Former Phillie Pete Incaviglia and one-handed pitcher Jim Abbott were among 11 former players and coaches elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Abbott, who went to Michigan, was born without a right hand but reached the majors as a lefthander. Incaviglia, who went to Oklahoma State, was one of college baseball's most feared sluggers.

Other former players elected to the hall's second class include: Fred Lynn (Southern California), John Olerud (Washington State), Phil Stephenson (Wichita State), and Derek Tatsuno (Hawaii).

Jim Brock, who led Arizona State to two College World Series titles, was among five former coaches elected. Chuck "Bobo" Brayton (Washington State), the late Bibb Falk (Texas), Jerry Kindall (Arizona), and the late Dick Siebert (Minnesota) also will be honored.

Four pre-1947 selections - Christy Mathewson (Bucknell), Lou Gehrig (Columbia), and players-turned-coaches Joe Sewell (Alabama) and John "Jack" Barry (Holy Cross) - also will be inducted in July.

Last year's inaugural class included Dave Winfield, Rod Dedeaux, Robin Ventura, Skip Bertman, Will Clark and Ron Fraser.

Maryland Baseball and Keystone Baseball, affiliated companies, said they had added Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson to the ownership group.

The group owns and operates the Camden Riversharks, Lancaster Barnstormers and York Revolution of the Atlantic League.

- Inquirer wire services