Judge to allow testimonies of former MLB players in Bonds case
Longtime San Francisco Giants clubhouse manager Mike Murphy will testify about Barry Bonds' hat size, a Nike employee will discuss the slugger's feet and prosecutors will show the jury photographs of Bonds' growing physique during his career, court papers filed Monday showed.
In a witness list filed Monday, prosecutors outlined their planned evidence, most of which has been made public since a grand jury started meeting more than seven years ago. The prosecution said former San Francisco Giants teammate Bobby Estalella, and former Bonds girlfriend Kimberly Bell will testify Bonds told them he used steroids.
In addition, they said former Bonds assistant Steve Hoskins will testify he learned of Bonds' steroids use from both Bonds and personal trainer Greg Anderson, who is refusing to testify. And Kathy Hoskins, Bonds' former personal shopper, will testify she saw Bonds being injected by Anderson.
Bonds has been indicted on four counts of making false statements to a grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice for telling the grand jury he never took steroids or human growth hormone from Anderson, took only vitamins from Anderson and was injected only by physicians. He has pleaded not guilty.
The filings Monday include nine photographs of Bonds throughout his career, first as an Arizona State Sun Devil, then a Pittsburgh Pirate and finally a San Francisco Giant. Murphy, who started as a 16-year-old batboy with the Giants and been on the team's payroll for 53 years, also will be asked about Bonds' apparent growth in those photographs, according to the court filing Monday.
"The clubhouse manager for the San Francisco Giants will testify as to the increase in the defendant's hat size," federal prosecutor Jeff Nedrow states in the court filing.
The Nike employee is expected to tell the jury that Bonds' shoe size grew. Prosecutors argue that head and feet growth are a side effect of steroid use.
Also Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston ruled that testimony of former baseball players and their relationship with Bonds' former personal trainer during the slugger's trial scheduled to start March 21.
Other baseball players are expected to testify that Anderson provided them with performance-enhancing drugs and detailed instructions on how to use them.
Bonds' lawyers argued that their testimony shouldn't be allowed because Anderson is refusing to testify and therefore cannot corroborate their stories.
But Illston ruled Monday that prosecutors can use the testimony to support their position that Anderson supplied Bonds with the same drugs and instructions that others received.