The hearing itself did little to shed light on the whole matter. Bonds had said all along he would plead not guilty, and he did. It was a quick appearance, even shorter than some of his postgame media sessions.

It did, however, present a line of demarcation between Bonds’ prideful boasts of innocence and complaints about persecution, and the start of a process that could land him in prison.

The indictment handed down on November 15 charged him with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. The prosecutors haven’t shown all their cards, but there is lots of speculation. The two main contentions: One, that the Feds have an extremely high conviction rate, they don’t like to lose, and they wouldn’t have brought an indictment if they didn’t believe they would win. Two,  that the Feds really need Greg Anderson, Bonds’ longtime friend and personal trainer, to testify against the slugger in order to buttress their case, and if Anderson continues to refuse to testify, then Bonds is safe.

While this plays out, the Bonds situation is the featured attraction in a baseball jamboree of misbehavior. Recently Jose Guillen and Jay Gibbons received 15-day suspensions from baseball for steroid use. Gary Matthews, Jr., was cleared, but only because there was insufficient evidence found; he had been implicated in an investigation earlier this year of an East Coast supplier of human growth hormone. The Mitchell report is almost out, promising to shock more than a few by naming big names.

Bonds may not be the most egregious offender, but he is certainly the biggest fish. He got that way not only through his talents on the diamond, but also because he talks a good game, or should I say, he sarcastically spews one. As Bonds made his way through the courthouse, I couldn’t help but think about all the care and preparation he took over the years to make the bed he now has to lie in.

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If Bonds is eventually found guilty and has to do time, it will be like the end to any other skein of lawbreaking in history. When the authorities take down a kingpin, often the empire will fall. In this case, a Bonds conviction could serve as a centerpiece to a better-late-than-never assault by baseball and law enforcement on a plague that threatens the integrity of a great game.

Of course, if he beats the rap, it will illustrate the impotence of those in power to harness an elusive and insidious threat to organized athletics in the U.S. and around the world.

If that happens, perhaps there’s still a chance the public will remember Bonds in uniform and on the field rather than in suit and tie in a courthouse.

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