On Nov. 15, Bonds was indicted on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice for telling a BALCO grand jury in 2003 that he never knowingly took illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

"I truly believe I have been singled out. Definitely," Bonds said on MSNBC that month.

Perhaps, but a month later, he was named 103 times in the Mitchell Report.

Bonds' only public appearance since the end of the World Series came at the federal courthouse in San Francisco for his arraignment.

He still seems confident — some would say even exhibiting his hallmark arrogance — that everything will be fine. Before that hearing, Bonds cleared the building metal detector, smiled, waved and flashed a Hawaiian hang-loose sign to the crowd waiting for a glimpse.

A day earlier, he offered this message on his Web site: "Despite the charges that have been filed against me, I still have confidence in the judicial system and especially in the judgment of the citizens who will decide this case. And I know that when all of this is over, I will be vindicated because I am innocent."

He also knows this: He's not going back to the Giants. Whether he plays anywhere remains to be seen.

Giants owner Peter Magowan told Bonds in September the club didn't want him back. The Oakland Athletics had interest before the indictment came down; now, they say they want to rebuild and probably aren't interested in an aging cleanup hitter with bum knees even if he has 762 home runs to his name.

No other team has stepped forward, yet Bonds remains undeterred.

"I'm playing till I'm 100," he has said repeatedly.

Given the potential roadblocks ahead, even playing until he turns 44 on July 24 seems in doubt.

"I don't bring baggage to a team, I've never brought any baggage to a team," he said on MSNBC in November. "I've brought my baseball bag, but I don't bring any baggage. I go on the field and I play."

However it was accomplished, Bonds has had one of baseball's most successful careers. A record seven MVP awards, 14 All-Star selections, eight Gold Gloves, as well as the single-season records for home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and walks.

If he never plays again, Bonds will finish his career 65 hits shy of 3,000, four RBIs short of 2,000, and 69 runs scored from breaking another career record.

Most notably, he would leave without the World Series ring he has coveted.

Still, he always knew it all could end abruptly, perhaps under circumstances out of his own control.

"There's always just a little window of opportunity in baseball," he said. "That window can close real fast. Sports are like that. Just a lot of luck comes with that, and good fortune."

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