Tag: Jeff Borris

Agent: ‘I couldn’t get Bonds a job.’

December 10, 2009 /

On Thursday, Barry Bonds’ agent Jeff Borris confirmed what everyone already knew: The juiced up slugger’s career is officially over.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

“It’s two years since he played his last game, and if there was any chance he’d be back in a major-league uniform, it would have happened by now,” agent Jeff Borris told The Chronicle. “When 2008 came around, I couldn’t get him a job. When 2009 came around, I couldn’t get him a job. Now, 2010 … I’d say it’s nearly impossible. It’s an unfortunate ending to a storied career.”

Technically, Bonds hasn’t retired, and he repeatedly has said he won’t retire, leaving open the outside chance that some team will call.

There are many who believe that baseball owners blacklisted Bonds from the game because of his alleged ties to steroids. If you believe in conspiracy theories, then it’s an easy argument to buy; surely one AL team in need of a DH would have called Bonds in 2008 when the Giants dumped him, right?

But considering he was severely limited (and that’s putting it mildly) in the outfield, it would make sense that no NL team would sign him. And given that he was being probed for lying to a grand jury regarding his involvement with performance-enhancing drugs, it would make sense that no AL clubs would sign him either. Let’s not forget that Bonds was also highly regarded as an a-hole and was poison to a clubhouse with what, his extra lockers, reclining chairs and big screen TV. It would make sense that no club would think he was worth the risk.

What’s interesting about Borris’ comments is that back in 2008, he said that multiple teams were interested in Bonds. Yet now Borris claims that he “couldn’t get him a job.” I realize all agents lie, but it’s just interesting to hear Borris admit now that nobody wanted his client.

MLB

Report: Teams acted in concert against Barry Bonds

October 17, 2008 /

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?

MLB

Agent Borris says MLB blackballed Barry Bonds

August 16, 2008 /

After yet another team denied having interest in his services, Barry Bonds’ agent Jeff Borris claims that MLB has successfully “blackballed” his client from playing baseball.

Bonds’ agent, Jeff Borris, said Friday that Rays general manager Andrew Friedman failed to respond to a text message he sent this week inquiring about the team’s possible interest in Bonds.

“With (Carl) Crawford and (Evan) Longoria going down simultaneously, I thought I’d make one last vain attempt to reach out to Tampa Bay, and to no avail,” Borris told FOXSports.com.
“That’s because Major League Baseball has been successful in their pursuit in blackballing Barry out of the game.”

The players’ union is investigating possible collusion against Bonds, the game’s all-time home run king. That investigation, however, has slowed down at the request of Bonds’ criminal attorneys, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

I understand that Borris is just trying to do his job and get his client hired by a team. But saying Bonds was blackballed by the league is hilarious. Hmm, I wonder why no team has jumped at the opportunity to have Bonds on their roster? I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he’s 44 years old, is facing multiple perjury charges and can’t play the field anymore. (And oh-not-to-mention he has a media circus following him wherever he goes.)

No, it must be that the league is blackballing him. That makes way more sense than anything previously mentioned.

MLB

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