Marty: It was the intention today to write about the past three weeks of play, citing the encouraging developments the Giants could point to, as well as mentioning problems which may or may not have been anticipated. This morning’s headlines, which announced that Greg Anderson, Bonds longtime friend and trainer, had been subpoenaed, overshadowed that intention.

The Giants’ baseball fortunes need to relinquish the spotlight for the moment. It may not be an overstatement to say that there is a personal tragedy pending, the indictment by the grand jury of Barry Bonds for lying under oath when he advised another grand jury that he had never knowingly used steroids.

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The prosecution has Bonds in their cross-hairs. Anderson is simply the most recent of the witnesses the prosecution intends to use to prove their case. Anderson is not in an enviable position His long friendship with Bonds is well known. His unwillingness to implicate Bonds has been established. He has been called to testify in a case which accuses Bonds of perjury. It doesn’t take a great leap of imagination to see himself, perilously in the same situation his friend is facing, if the truth of his, Anderson’s, testimony is questionable.

Bonds may not be considered the most noble of characters. His personal life has become a subject written about unflatteringly of late. Nevertheless, for those who do not delight in seeing a proud person suffer the loss of esteem which an indictment and possible conviction would involve,
the thought of Bonds being brought down, irrespective of his own contribution to his downfall, is not a happy one.

Bonds is about to discover that he is now playing in a different ballpark, under different rules. Avoiding questioning by the media, under rules established by oneself, from which media has no appeal, does not resemble a courtroom. There will be a day in which he will have to answer hard questions, whether he wishes to or not. This may be a day in which he faces a jury or a day in which a judge asks him whether, in fact, he did what he is accused of doing. Avoidance will not be an option.

The impact of all this on baseball fortunes is hard to anticipate. In the larger scheme of things, baseball fortunes may not be the most important concern.

Ed