Barry Bonds To Reportedly Pursue Claim That MLB Owners Colluded To Keep Him Out Of Baseball
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Baseball's home run king and former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds is reportedly working on a grievance against Major League Baseball regarding his claim that teams colluded to keep him from playing after the 2007 season in which he set the home run record.
CBS Sports' John Heyman reported that Bonds could potentially file a lawsuit against MLB, but appears to be first addressing the dispute through the MLB Players Association, as is required through the collective bargaining agreement.
ALSO READ:
Barry Bonds Voted Into Bay Area Sports Hall Of Fame; Remains Hopeful For Cooperstown
After Bonds set the home run record at 762 during the 2007 season, the Giants announced they would not re-sign the 43-year-old Bonds for the 2008 season and he filed for free agency in October of 2007.
His agent Jeff Borris said at the time, "I am anticipating widespread interest from every Major League team."
However, no offers came despite Bonds' 2007 totals: a .276 batting average, a Major League-leading 132 walks, 66 RBIs and 75 runs scored. Bonds was also the starting left fielder in the 2007 All-Star Game played in San Francisco.
Bonds has claimed that baseball owners colluded to keep any team from signing him, ending his career after the 2007 season.
Last month, an appeals court reversed his 2011 conviction for lying under oath about his alleged steroid use in the BALCO scandal.
CBS Sports reports that with the BALCO case resolved, Bonds is now moving ahead with his claim against MLB.