Ex-Giants trainer testifies against Bonds

SAN FRANCISCO, March 29 (UPI) -- Former San Francisco Giants trainer Stan Conte provided no direct testimony at Barry Bonds's perjury trial Tuesday that the home run king used steroids.

But Conte, no relation to BALCO doping scandal figure Victor Conte, testified Bonds told him in October 2003 "it was unfair what the government was doing to" his personal trainer, Greg Anderson, whose offices had been raided by authorities investigating doping allegations, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Conte, whose son was in the minor leagues at the time, said he told Bonds it was "unfair" for professional athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs, and that Bonds responded by saying if his son "can't get an erection, get some cream to put on and everything will be fine."

Conte described physical changes he noticed in Bonds but did not give direct testimony he saw Bonds use steroids.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Allen Ruby, Bonds's attorney, appeared to try to show there was tension between Bonds and Conte because the player wanted to rely on his own trainers and himself.

Conte testified he expressed his concerns about Anderson and another trainer with him, Harvey Shields, to Giants General Manager Brian Sabean and then-Giants Manager Dusty Baker.

"I thought those particular individuals should not have access to the training room, that they should not have access to the clubhouse," Conte said he told them.

But he said when they offered no direction, he took no action because "I assumed they wouldn't back me."

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said earlier she will decide whether to bar the jury from considering evidence about Bonds's testicles because a witness, Kimberly Bell, gave testimony Monday that conflicted with her grand jury testimony during which she had said his testicles had shrunk by "half."

Banning use of such evidence would be a blow to federal prosecutors, who allege shrinking testicles result from steroid use.

Earlier, government expert Barry Sample testified that initial testing of urine purportedly to be that of Bonds under the Major League Baseball testing program in 2003 did not detect steroids but follow-up testing in 2004 did.

Bonds is on trial in San Francisco on charges he lied to a federal grand jury about his alleged use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds maintains he never knowingly took any steroids or other such drugs.

Former major leaguers Jason and Jeremy Giambi were in the courthouse awaiting their turns to testify, the newspaper said.

The late-morning proceedings were interrupted by an alarm sounded after a "suspicious package" was found on one side of the building, prompting the judge to decide it was a good time to break for lunch, the Chronicle said.