Bonds’ ex-girlfriend speaks out on steroids, jury testimony

Thursday, March 31, 2005 | 10:03 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

The scene was typical of spring nights in Arizona. Their work for the day done, baseball people gather in various night spots and restaurants in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area: Diamond Charlie's, Capital Grill, Marco Polo, Pink Pony, Axis, Radius, Suede.

One night in the spring of 2000, Sanctuary was a place to be, and Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi were there. So was Kimberly Bell, Bonds' girlfriend at the time.

"Jason and Barry put their arms together, rolled up their sleeves, flexed their muscles and joked about who was bigger," Bell recalled. "About 50 people were standing around."

Who was bigger?

"They were both huge," Bell said.

According to reports of Giambi's testimony to a federal grand jury, he was using steroids at the time. According to Bell, Bonds had told her that he was using them, too.

Bell said her nine-year relationship with Bonds ended in May 2003. Now she is again a major figure in his life. Bell testified recently before a federal grand jury in San Francisco investigating steroids distribution and, presumably, Bonds, and one of her lawyers said she would be called to testify a second time. Giambi and Bonds appeared before the grand jury in December 2003.

Bell's testimony and the evidence she presents to the grand jury, which subpoenaed her, could trigger an investigation into other charges against Bonds, like income-tax evasion, money laundering, evasion of bank reporting laws and perjury. These issues could lead to far greater consequences than any penalty for steroids use.

She would not talk about what she said Bonds had told her about other players' use of steroids.

"He did make references to other players," Bell said. "I believed it to the extent that I knew he would have that type of knowledge because of his own knowledge of what he was doing," she said. But she declined to name names.

"That is the type of material that will be in the book," she said. "We have to leave a few things for the book."

If Cota is ready to play, though, Ross will be optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis, where at best he will share time with Ryan Doumit, the Pirates' top catching prospect. But that is still better than being released, something the Dodgers planned to do with Ross later this week if they couldn't trade him and he was not claimed off waivers.

When the Dodgers acquired Jason Phillips from the New York Mets on March 20, it was clear Ross no longer had a home in the organization.

"I know the Dodgers had a lot of options, and I'm happy to be over here," Ross said upon his arrival at the Pirates' camp in Bradenton. "It's obviously disappointing when they (acquire) guys for your position. I didn't have a good year (last year), and I started off slow in spring training. I didn't take advantage of the situation."

Kim was sent Wednesday to the Rockies for left-handed pitcher Chris Narveson, 23, who was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, and catcher Charles Johnson, who was immediately designated for assignment and released.

As part of the trade, Colorado sent Boston about $2.6 million to equalize the salaries. Johnson is owed $9 million and Kim $6 million, part of a $10 million, two-year deal he signed before the 2004 season.

"We certainly made a mistake and I take responsibility for that," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. "It's just a mystery what happened to this guy."

Ransom spent seven years in San Francisco's organization before signing a minor league contract with the Cubs in January.