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		Government's chase of the home run record By Ken Gimblin and Joe Cronin April 17, 2006

	Where Barry Bonds will end up when history looks back on his career and his character, it will all be interesting to see what sticks to the wall. For now the plot thickens just when things would settle down and Bonds and the Giants could get on with the business of baseball. In Los Angeles for the three game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers the series had seen nothing like this before, the Japanese media, Los Angeles media and reporters from the San Francisco market who normally cover just Giants at home and local sports scene are in Los Angeles covering what has turned every pre game in the Giants clubhouse into a circus. Cameras, microphones, note pads and everyone surrounds Bonds locker in the visiting clubhouse at Dodger Stadium before and after ball games. Even reporters from Time and CNN have shown up. Camp Barry could be formed everywhere Bonds goes from Satellite trucks, national T.V. reporters and could be camped out at every park that Bonds goes to visit because the story line's plot is thickening with not only the Government's investigation but also a new book coming out in May on Bonds. The one that was released in March "Game of Shadows" got things brewing with the U.S. Grand Jury calling for an investigation, then Bonds ex-girlfriend Kimberly Bell may end up testifying against Bonds that he told her that he was using steroids. As of Sunday, Commissioner Bud Selig said that Grand Jury testimony is suppose to be secret. The point that the Commissioner makes in his statement might work in Bonds favor he could always claim he never got a fair trial because the his Grand Jury testimony from December 2003 was leaked to the press namely Chronicle writers Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams. "As I said the day we announced it and I say it again today. (Senator Mitchell) was told he can go anywhere he wants wherever things take him. It will be a very wide-ranging, comprehensive investigation." Selig said. The biggest concern in the San Francisco camp is how the players, Manager Felipe Alou, front office staff and P.R. staff are handling this delicate situation. Standing next to Bonds in pre game or post game are Giants P.R. spokesmen who make sure that Bonds is advised not to answer anything concerning steroids. Usually when asked at his locker about the Grand Jury Investigation and the subject of perjury Bonds just waves his hand and tries to get his business done at his locker and tries to leave for the weight room in the case of after ball games he would get dressed , sometimes in another location and leave by the nearest exit to avoid post game questions. This is suppose to be a happy time for Bonds, baseball, the media, the fans, and yes even Government employees who are watching Bonds but none of it could be further from the truth. Its turned into a charade and if and when Bonds passes Babe Ruth for number two on the all time list instead of hearing a chorus of cheers, he'll be jeered while rounding second base and the courts and the government will be pressured to make sure Bonds is convicted on perjury. Everything at this point, every stone unturned, a look at every nook or cranny to find anyway to prevent Bonds from catching Babe Ruth is being used possible. Fainru-Wada and Williams who have not written a column on Bonds since the release of their book in March , wrote a column last Sunday in the Chronicle saying that former trainer for Bonds Greg Anderson gave Bonds "the Cream" and "the Clear", gave a rubbing balm that contained steroids to former Giants Benito Santiago, Bobby Estalella, Armando Rios, and Marvin Bernard. Anderson insists that he did not give "the Cream" or the "the Clear" to Bonds which Bonds later said he used the rubbing creams in the Grand Jury testimony in December 2003. The Government wants to talk to Dr. Arthur Ting, Bonds surgeon who operated on the left fielder's knee three times and also helped Bonds with a staph infection during the healing process during last season. Questions that the Grand Jury would like to ask Ting is how consistent was Bonds in relation to someone using steroids. Also the Grand Jury would like to look at his medical sleeve to see what his urine and blood tests contained. Ting could contend that doctor-client privilege would stop any line of questioning about his tests in Dr. Ting's office. Bonds has been tested by baseball for steroids and his tests have come back negative for steroids. Bonds during the season of play has no home runs and is batting just .167 and says he not distracted at all and will get on track very soon. Bonds has complained about pain in his left elbow when swinging the bat. Bonds is reported to have 10 to 12 bone chips in his elbow but said he could tough it out, "I've played with bone chips before. I've played with them in my knee in Pittsburgh many years. They only hurt when they're in the way. Once they're out of the way, they're all right." said Bonds. Gary Sheffield may also turn out to be the Government's key witness as Sheffield was given "the Cream" and "the Clear" from Anderson and that Sheffield didn't know at the time of using the balms that they contained steroids. Sheffield asked Bonds what were in the products and Bonds told Sheffield "don't ask any questions". "Its always been the U.S. versus Bonds" said Bonds attorney Michael Rains. There is a great number of people now with political influence who would rather not see Bonds tie Ruth and that Bonds would be better off walking away from the game and the mounting steroids investigation is something being used to see if it would do the trick. "If they succeed in convincing some gullible people to indict, No.1 they will never convict him, I am convinced of that. And 2, it will be a bad P.R. stunt for the government." said Rains. Still there are forces in government or otherwise that will do everything they can to stop Barry Bonds from tieing Babe Ruth and going after Hank Aaron. On the other hand Bonds would have helped his own cause if he had been just a little bit more decent with the press and fans over the past decades. Joe Cronin and Ken Gimblin cover the Giants and co-host Sportstalk on 1690 KFSG Sacramento on Saturdays.