Paper: Sports Stars Got Steroids

Barry Bonds received steroids and human growth hormone from a nutritional supplements lab implicated in a steroid-distribution ring, according to information given to federal investigators, the San Francisco Chronicle reported late Monday on its Web site.

Investigators also were told that New York Yankees stars Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield, as well as three other major leaguers and one NFL player, were given steroids, the paper said.

"The report does not say that drugs were taken. What it says is that the steroids were received, and the steroids we're talking about are designer steroids that had been previously undetectable," Chronicle reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada told KCBS Radio's Debra Ingerson.

Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, gave the players the drugs from the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, according to information given to the government and shared with the newspaper.

Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield, all of whom testified last fall before the grand jury that indicted four men in the alleged steroid-distribution ring, have denied steroid use. The three men declined comment Monday when contacted by the newspaper.

"The reactions range from complete denial to attorneys saying their clients didn't knowingly take any illegal substances," Fanaru-Wada said.

"We continue to adamantly deny that Barry was provided, furnished or supplied any of those substances at any time by Greg Anderson," Bonds' attorney Michael Rains told the newspaper.

Prosecutors released documents last month saying Anderson told federal agents he gave steroids to several professional baseball players. None of those players was identified in those documents.

Anderson's attorney, Tony Serra, said last Friday that Bonds "never took anything illegal" and that the slugger was offered — but rejected — a substance at the heart of the government's case against the four indicted men.

That substance, according to government documents, was the recently unmasked steroid THG.

Anderson has been charged with participating in a steroid-distribution ring that provided performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes. Also charged have been BALCO founder Victor Conte and the lab's vice president, James Valente, as well as track coach Remi Korchemny.

All four have pleaded innocent and are free on bond.

The Chronicle reported that two of Bonds' former teammates — Marvin Benard of the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City catcher Benito Santiago — and former Oakland infielder Randy Velarde also received performance-enhancing drugs, as did Oakland Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski.

An anonymous source told the Chronicle that Anderson provided Bonds with steroids and human growth hormone as far back as 2001, when the slugger hit 73 homers to break the single-season record. Bonds has 658 career homers — 97 shy of Hank Aaron's career mark.