Bonds asks federal judge to toss charges

Barry Bonds asked a federal judge to dismiss perjury charges against him Wednesday, arguing the indictment is “scattershot” and noted for its “striking inartfulness.”

Bonds was charged in November with lying to a grand jury about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

In the motion filed in San Francisco federal court, the former San Francisco Giant neither admits nor denies taking the drugs, but argues the questions asked by prosecutors during a December 2003 grand jury appearance were vague, ambiguous and confusing.

The lawyers said “the questions posed to him by two different prosecutors were frequently imprecise, redundant, overlapping and frequently compound.” Prosecutors asked Bonds several times whether personal trainer Greg Anderson supplied him with steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs starting in 2000. Bonds answered “no” or “not at all,” but his lawyers said the questions weren’t clear.

•Ex-major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch has not been tracked down by federal marshals trying to serve him a subpoena from a House panel investigating steroids in baseball, a committee staffer told the AP.

•Jose Canseco offered to keep Magglio Ordonez “clear” in his upcoming book if the Detroit Tigers outfielder invested in a movie project promoted by Canseco, The New York Times reported.

•Troy Tulowitzki and Colorado finalized a $31 million, six-year contract that includes a club option for 2014.

•Rafael Betancourt and the Cleveland Indians agreed on a $5.4 million, two-year deal.

•James Shields agreed to an $11.25 million, four-year deal with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Miscellany

Chang elected to Hall

French Open winner Michael Chang was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and IMG creator Mark McCormack and Tennis Week magazine founder Eugene Scott were selected posthumously.

Chang was only 17 when he won the 1989 French Open – the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam title. •Maria Sharapova is set to make her tennis Fed Cup debut for Russia next month in Israel, while Venus and Serena Williams will skip the U.S. match against Germany.

•New Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini signed a five-year contract that pays $1.1 million a year, and he can earn significant bonuses for his players’ achievements on and off the field.

•The long-awaited fight between Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe will take place in Las Vegas on April 19.

•Former Ball State basketball coach Ronny Thompson will get $200,000 as part of his settlement with the university. Thompson resigned in July amid allegations of racial harassment.

•Steve Duplantis, a popular PGA Tour caddie, was killed when he was struck by a taxi while crossing a street in San Diego. He was 35.

•Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany won their second successive pairs title at the European Figure Skating Championships at Zagreb, Croatia.

•Michael McDowell, 23, was tabbed to drive a Sprint Cup car for Michael Waltrip Racing after Dale Jarrett’s retirement.

•The newest WNBA team will be called the Atlanta Dream.