Murray Chass on Baseball: The Name is Still Bonds, Barry Bonds

“making people forget that human beings, not numbers, play the games” Save one, he’s not allowed.

Borris scoffed at the idea that Bonds would be a distraction who would hurt his team, as well as some of the other suggestions.

“Wasn’t the home run record a distraction?” he asked, refering to the 2001 season. “In this country you’re innocent until proven guilty. The last time he played he was an All-Star. Did his skills decline from being an All-Star to not being worthy of a job by all 30 major league clubs?

“As far as distraction is concerned, Major League Baseball is the entertainment business. I don’t think Barry is a distraction. He is an attraction wherever he goes. Whether you love him or hate him, you will pay to see him play so doesn’t it make good business sense for any team to give him a job but for collusion?”

When I asked Rob Manfred, the chief management labor executive, about collusion, he said, “I am absolutely certain that there was no improper activity in the free-agent market following the 2007 season generally and I’m convinced that there was no improper activity with respect to Mr. Bonds. Each individual club made its own decision and I’m not privy to what reasons they had for not being interested in Mr. Bonds.”

Speaking specifically of Borris’ comment that baseball would not let Bonds play again, Manfred said, “Major League Baseball has no meaningful role in whether he will put on a uniform again. The 30 clubs make their own decisions.”

The union has a different view, though it uncharacteristically has no immediate plans to file a grievance.

“Our investigation yielded evidence of a Basic Agreement violation regarding Barry Bonds and his post 2007 free agency,” Michael Weiner, the union’s general counsel, said in an e-mail response. ”The union and the Commissioner’s Office have reached an agreement regarding the timing of the filing of any potential grievance.  Any other comment at this time is not appropriate.”