Man freed after mocking Bonds

April 20, 2006

A 23-year-old Arizona man was released from jail on Tuesday after throwing an object at San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds during a baseball game in Phoenix on Monday in a stunt that mocked the slugger's alleged use of steroids, authorities said.

Mark Gravesend was arrested and booked into jail for disorderly conduct on Monday night for throwing what looked like a toothpaste tube onto the field, said Paul Chagall, a lieutenant and spokesman for the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office. He was released without bail.

Authorities said the tube, which landed near Bonds as he stood in left field during the Giants-Arizona Diamondbacks game, contained a computer-generated, black-and-white lettered label that read: "TO: BARRY BONDS. THE CREAM. FROM: VICTOR CONTE."

The label was a reference to the head of the BALCO firm at the centre of a steroids scandal that has rocked the sports world with its alleged ties to Bonds and several other prominent athletes.

Conte and Grieg Anderson, Bonds' personal trainer, served prison time on steroid-distribution charges and have since been released.

Bonds, baseball's single-season home run record-holder, is being probed by a federal grand jury looking into whether he committed perjury during his closed-door 2003 testimony in the BALCO case. He reportedly told the jury that he never knowingly used steroids.

A new book, "Game of Shadows," alleges the Giants slugger actively used steroids for five seasons, a claim that also has led to a special investigation by Major League Baseball headed by ex-US Senate majority leader George Mitchell.

This is the second time this season that Bonds has been involved in an on-the-field incident. Two weeks ago, a spectator in San Diego, California tossed a syringe at Bonds as he came off the field. The person was not found.

Bonds declined comment to reporters about the latest incident following the game.

Security has been increased this year for San Francisco Giants games in light of the Bonds controversy and his pursuit of baseball's all-time home run record. With 708 home runs, he is six home runs short of tying Babe Ruth for second place on the list. Hank Aaron's leads with 755.