PHOENIX -- Barry Bonds' attorney came out swinging on Wednesday, a day after excerpts from a new book were previewed in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, alleging that the San Francisco Giants slugger used performance-enhancing drugs during a five-year period beginning in 1998.

"The exploitation of Barry's good name and these attempts to eviscerate his sensational accomplishments in all phases of the game of baseball may make those responsible wealthy," Bonds attorney Michael Rains said in a six-paragraph statement that was sent to MLB.com on Wednesday, "but in the end they need to live with themselves. Beyond this, Barry has no comment, either now or in the foreseeable future."

The book, entitled "Game of Shadows" and written by a pair of San Francisco Chronicle reporters who covered the federal investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO), says Bonds used a variety of steroid-based drugs from 1998 to 2002, including the season he hit 73 home runs to break Mark McGwire's single-season record.

Bonds has consistently denied the use of steroids, and Major League Baseball did not test for steroids until 2003. During the past three years, no information has been released by Major League Baseball stating that Bonds tested positive for drug use.

Bonds made a perfunctory statement to reporters at the Giants camp on Tuesday and he wasn't there on Wednesday, flying instead to San Francisco because of a long-scheduled custody hearing involving his son from a previous marriage.

Raines reiterated in his statement that Bonds had not read the excerpts, "nor does he intend to."

"Barry regards this as an unfortunate distraction to his friends and teammates at the San Francisco Giants, and to the good name and great players in Major League Baseball," Raines said. "The San Francisco Chronicle, after announcing that it had (illegally) obtained Barry's grand jury testimony, previously published questions asked of him under oath, and his answers. Many of the assertions in this article were already previously mentioned. To that extent, this is simply a duplication of previously reported information."

Bonds testified in front of a grand jury investigating BALCO. His personal trainer, Greg Anderson, was indicted along with Victor Conte, the laboratory's founder, for money laundering and the selling of performance-enhancing drugs. Both men later pled guilty to reduced charges and were sentenced to spend time in jail.

Bonds missed all but 14 games of this past season after having surgery three times in 2005 on his right knee. He returned on Sept. 12 and hit five homers in his first 36 at bats. He has yet to play a game this spring as he is slowly conditioning himself for a push at the all-time home run record. Bonds, at 708, is six homers in arrears of Babe Ruth and 47 behind Hank Aaron, the all-time leader with 755.