In court documents filed late Thursday in San Francisco, prosecutors objected to a recommendation by a federal probation officer that Bonds get only probation when he’s sentenced Dec. 16 for obstruction of justice.
In the documents, prosecutors are asking that Bonds be sentenced to 15 months in prison.
The 47-year-old Bonds, baseball’s career leader in home runs, was convicted in April of obstructing a grand jury’s sports doping investigation with an evasive answer.
Prosecutors dropped three other perjury counts after the trial jury deadlocked on those charges, which accused Bonds of lying to the grand jury when he denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs.
The filings from prosecutors come after lawyers for Bonds asked a federal judge Tuesday to follow the federal probation officer’s recommendation.
DODGERS MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL OK’D
A judge in Wilmington, Del., said he would overrule an objection by Fox Sports and approve a process for the Los Angeles Dodgers to sell the media rights to future games as part of the team’s plan to exit bankruptcy.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross said at the end of a two-day hearing that he would approve the Dodgers’ plan to sell media rights to games starting in 2014, a key component of a settlement with Major League Baseball that also calls for Dodgers owner Frank McCourt to sell the team.
Gross said he would issue a formal written ruling in a few days. Fox already is planning to file an appeal in U.S. District Court.
JAPAN’S DARVISH SET TO JOIN BIG LEAGUES
Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish ended months of speculation by saying he intends to make a move to major league baseball.
The 25-year-old right-hander, considered the best pitcher in the Japanese professional leagues, wrote on his blog that he had decided to use the posting system, which allows teams to bid for the negotiating rights to Japanese players who have yet to become free agents.
The 6-foot-5 Darvish, the son of an Iranian father and a Japanese mother, went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA this season for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. He had 276 strikeouts to lead the Pacific League.
Darvish, who pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a member of the Japanese national team that won the 2009 World Baseball Classic, has superb control and throws seven effective pitches.
SHORT HOPS
The Cubs acquired third baseman Ian Stewart and right-handed reliever Casey Weathers from the Rockies for outfielder Tyler Colvin and infielder D.J. LeMahieu. … Pitcher Aaron Harang agreed to a $12 million, two-year deal with the Dodgers. … The Phillies signed outfielder Laynce Nix to a two-year contract. … Marlins reliever Leo Nunez, whose real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo, was arrested in his native Dominican Republic but then quickly released, with authorities saying he will not face charges for using false documents to sign a professional baseball contract.
