The MLB player’s association says that baseball teams acted in concert against signing Barry Bonds this offseason. In other words, they all got together and made the decision to avoid him like the plague.
Weiner said the section that had been violated was Article XX (e) of the collective bargaining agreement, which states, in part: “Players shall not act in concert with other players and clubs shall not act in concert with other clubs.” Weiner would not say how long the agreement runs to allow the union to file a grievance.
Baseball attorneys repeatedly have denied that teams acted in concert against Bonds. Management lawyer Dan Halem said Thursday that MLB would have no additional comment.
Bonds pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of making false declarations to a federal grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice, and his trial is scheduled to start March 2. Any grievance is likely to follow the trial.
“The timing of the filing of the case is between the players’ union and the commissioner’s office,” Borris said.
After spending a lot of time during the first half of 2008 trying to get Bonds signed, Borris has stopped his efforts.
“I am convinced based on MLB’s actions in 2008 that they will never let him wear a major league uniform ever again,” he said.
While the teams broke a rule to do so, I think the message is loud and clear: no team wanted Bonds in their clubhouse this year. What I don’t get is why all of these teams got together. If nobody wanted him, what’s the harm in telling Borris, “We’re not interested – thank you.” Why get together to conspire against signing him and therefore break a rule?
