Barry Bonds Walks

Yes, Barry Bonds walks. Walks. Does he ever!

Walks, not to first base, this time (as usual). But (effectively) walks back to his Beverly Hills home for the holidays and for the next several months to craft his legal strategy for the appeal.

After all these years, all this money, all this time in court, all this discussion, all this lawyering, all this lying, all these women, all these drugs. Barry Bonds walks. He does, in fact, walk.

And, if you didn't know by now, that is the reason for the subheading on The Barry Bonds Trial blog:

Barry Bonds, the all-time MLB leader with 2,558 walks

This was the prediction, the bet, the forecast and the result that was baked into the process all along. Truth.

When Barry Bonds entered the courtroom today, he gave a loving wink to his mother as he headed to the defense table. Barry, his mom, his lawyers, and many others knew this would be a good day at the plate.

Barry Bonds walks.

Legal analysts expected Judge Illston to follow the probation department’s suggestions and impose a sentence less harsh than the federal guidelines calling for 15 months to 21 months in prison.

And was Judge Illston ever, so nice. Ever. It pays to have San Francisco Giants fans in the courtroom. What a home team victory. San Francisco Justice for the world to see and hear! Tony Bennett sings.

The judge sentenced Bonds to two years probation and 30 days home confinement and 250 hours of community service. Barry Lamar Bonds declined to address the judge.

Happy holidays, Barry Bonds!

The judge agreed to stay her sentence while Bonds appeals his conviction. The prosecutors object.

The U.S. Government lawyers were grandstanding all along with calls of 15 months in prison.

Prosecutor Parrella has called the probation recommendation "inadequate and almost a slap on the wrist." Home confinent in a 15,000 square foot mansion and meager fine is "laughable" for someone in Bonds' position. "I urge the court to send a message here." The court did not send a message. Instead, it sent Barry Bonds home for the holidays, a gift for Bud Selig and a message to U.S. Government lawyers.

Bottom line for Barry Bonds?

The MLB home run record.

The MLB walk record.

No prison time.

Next up for Barry Bonds?

A new reality show: "Gardening, at home (for 30 days at the most), with Barry Bonds." Yet, first, more lawyering and more courtroom.

And, the Hall of Fame vote.

Bonds sentencing doesn't end steroid era

Column: Bonds sentencing doesn't end steroid era | The Associated Press | MLB | San Francisco Examiner

Bonds sentencing brings BALCO saga near a close

Bonds sentencing brings BALCO saga near a close | The Associated Press | Local | San Francisco Examiner

Will Barry Bonds be Sentenced to Prison?

Will Barry Bonds be Sentenced to Prison? - Baseball - Tarnished Twenty

Barry Bonds Sentencing Scheduled For Friday, December 16

Barry Bonds Sentencing Scheduled For Friday, December 16 - SB Nation Bay Area

To Vilify or not to Vilify Ryan Braun

"I'm not saying that Braun should be vilified, but why isn't he being vilified as Rafael Palmiero, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez were and still are."

Baseballism

Welcome to Club PED, Ryan Braun

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, the National League’s MVP in 2011, faces a 50-game suspension after reportedly testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone during the playoffs, according to Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn of ESPN.

Braun, of course, will be disputing the result through arbitration. However, no baseball player in world history has ever had this matter overturned.

Ryan Braun also plays left field. He played college baseball at the University of Miami, currently embroiled in a major ongoing NCAA football scandal.

As much as we don't want to say this (we must): flip the MVP to Matt Kemp of the Dodgers.

Federal Prosecutors Recommend Prison for Barry Bonds

In court documents filed, United States prosecutors have asked Judge Susan Illston to send former baseball slugger Barry Bonds to prison. Sentenced to 15 months in prison, to be exact.

Barry Bonds: Give Me Probation, Please

Barry Bonds, Major League Baseball's career home-run record holder convicted of obstructing a U.S. probe of steroid use, asked the federal judge on the case to sentence him to probation and not prison.

Lawyers for the former San Francisco Giants left fielder said in a court filing this week that Barry Bonds' "history of good works" and other factors justify a sentence of probation.

Barry Lamar Bonds is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16.

Sabean and Bochy get contracts extended thru 2013

obsessivegiantscompulsive: Sabean and Bochy get contracts extended thru 2013

I was disappointed by Haft's dig at both Sabean and Bochy when he noted that others have done more than either over their tenure than they have. First, sure, there are those who have done more, but that ignores the cycles that Baer talked about in the press conference when praising the two of them. You have to accept that there will be times when a team is losing and rebuilding. It also ignores that Bochy was handicapped by the Padres poor payroll problems that regularly rolled around and decimate the good team he had, then was hurt by the Giants rebuilding period at the tail end of the Barry Bonds era, where the teams weren't good enough to win yet. Every team has a life-cycle of rebuild/compete/repeat that has to play out, nobody is going to be a winner all the time, that is rarely done in the majors, if ever.