Judge denies Bonds's bid to halt book profit

A judge denied Barry Bonds's bid to block the authors and publishers from making money on a book claiming the San Francisco Giants slugger used steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, and said Bonds's suit against them has little chance of success.

Bonds's attorneys argued that the authors, publisher Gotham Books, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Sports Illustrated, which published excerpts of the book, should be held liable for publishing ''illegally obtained grand jury transcripts."

The book, ''Game of Shadows," by Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, is based partly on grand jury testimony from a federal investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, where Bonds and several other major league players allegedly obtained performance-enhancing drugs.

But Judge James Warren refused to issue a temporary restraining order against the authors and publisher yesterday, citing free speech protections. And though he did not throw out the lawsuit, Warren said it has little chance of success.

Meanwhile, Bonds's attorneys also sent a letter to US District Judge Susan Illston demanding the writers and publishers be held liable.

''We fully stand behind our reporting of the book," said Fainaru-Wada.

Top prospect Andy Marte and veteran utility infielder Lou Merloni were among six players cut from the Cleveland Indians' spring training camp.

The Indians obtained Marte from the Red Sox Jan. 27 in a six-player trade that sent outfielder Coco Crisp to Boston.

The 22-year-old third baseman batted .359 this spring with six doubles and nine RBIs, but the Indians intends to begin the regular season with veteran Aaron Boone at third base. Marte was optioned to Triple A Buffalo.

Merloni, 34, was reassigned to the team's minor league camp. Framingham Lou, who spent his first 11 professional seasons in the Red Sox organization, missed nearly all of the 2005 season with torn ligaments in his right ankle. He was hit on the right hand by a pitch in Cleveland's first spring training game and batted .174 in 16 games.

Jorge Posada's broken nose might keep the New York Yankees' catcher out of the Opening Day lineup.

Posada is resting at home after he was hit in the face by a ball while playing catch with backup Kelly Stinnett before Wednesday's night game against the Red Sox at Tampa.

Manager Joe Torre doesn't think Posada will have to go on the disabled list, but didn't rule out the catcher missing the first few games of the season.

In yesterday's game against the Minnesota Twins, Randy Johnson allowed one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings in the Yankees' 3-1 loss at Fort Myers, Fla. The lefthander struck out six and didn't walk a batter.

In other news from Yankees' camp, center fielder Johnny Damon is slated to play in the field for the first time today. He has been used as a designated hitter because of left shoulder tendinitis. Jaret Wright, out with back spasms, might start next week.

Seattle Mariners starting center fielder Jeremy Reed has a broken bone in his right wrist and could miss six weeks . . . St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Larry Bigbie is expected to be sidelined 2-3 weeks with a stress fracture of his left foot . . . Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter, the NL Cy Young winner, had his scoreless spring halted in a 12-2 loss to the New York Mets at Jupiter, Fla. Carpenter, who threw 16 shutout innings in his first four exhibition outings, allowed the first four batters to reach, threw a wild pitch, made a throwing error, and blew a squeeze bunt in 4 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts . . . Giants' ace Jason Schmidt pitched seven innings of five-hit ball in San Francisco's 6-4 exhibition victory over the Colorado Rockies at Scottsdale, Ariz. Bonds went 1 for 3 with a run-scoring single and a walk in seven innings, his longest stretch of the spring . . . Mariners starter Jamie Moyer prepared for his Opening Day start with a near-flawless performance, holding the defending champion Chicago White Sox to one hit in six shutout innings in Seattle's 4-3 victory at Peoria, Ariz. . . . President Bush will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Cincinnati Reds' home opener April 3 against the Chicago Cubs.