Shakespearean

As the father of six, I preside over a large family of baseball fans, San Francisco Giants fans specifically. Over the years, the player who gave us the most thrills was Barry Bonds. One or more of us were at most of the games when he hit his biggest home runs, numbers 600, 660, 700, 715, and 756. We were there the night he hit his last at home, number 761.

He did hit one more after that, on the road, and now it it seems virtually certain that he will never get the chance to add to his all-time record of 762.

Because today in San Francisco, a federal grand jury indicted Bonds of perjury and obstruction of justice, alleging he lied when he testified under oath years ago about his involvement in the steroids scandal that has shaken baseball to its core.

It took four years but the feds finally got their man. Bonds may wiggle out of getting convicted, but I doubt it. I've read dozens of similar indictments and the evidence against Bonds is pretty strong.

Perhaps he will try to plea-bargain, but it's probably too late for that. He could plead guilty and avoid a trial, but he'd probably be sent to federal prison either way.

Only by winning acquittal does Bonds stand any chance of regaining a small shred of his reputation. The tragedy of this has been noted by many others. With or without steroids, Bonds was one of the greatest hitters in history, and the greatest of his era.

For most of his career, by all accounts, he steered clear of what are called "performance-enhancing drugs." But the evidence suggests that in order to keep up with the McGwires and Sosas and Giambis and Cansecos and Palmieros and all of the other leading sluggers of his time, Bonds finally succumbed to the temptation late in his career.

Then, caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, as the news began to leak out, he pulled a Bill Clinton and tried to talk his way around the problem. Trouble is he was under oath.

I envision an extremely sad day ahead, when Bonds goes into prison, and MLB strips him of all his records and honors, bans him from the game forever, and denies him a place in the Hall of Fame. He is already the poster boy for those who hate cheaters, and his arrogant selfishness and surly attitude has not served him well.

In this part of the world, we know there is another side to Barry Bonds -- sensitive, caring, compassionate, loyal, even kind. All human beings are complicated. Those who wanted to break Barry Bonds, for whatever motives, appear to have succeeded. For all his success, wealth, fame, and talent, he looks to be headed for a bitterly tragic end.

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