againshadow: Bonds trainer sent to prison.

Byline: Elliott Almond

SAN FRANCISCO _ Barry Bonds' personal trainer was sent to prison for the third time in a year Monday.

After a heated hearing in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge William Alsup held Greg Anderson in contempt of court for not answering pertinent questions in a grand-jury investigation of Bonds for perjury and tax evasion.

Two deputy U.S. marshals escorted Anderson to the same federal detention center in Dublin where he served 15 days in July for refusing to answer questions in front of another grand jury investigating the case. Anderson, who trained Bonds and a handful of other baseball players starting in 1998, was released when that grand jury's term expired.

But he was subpoenaed to testify in front of the new grand jury, which has picked up the 5-year-old drugs-in-sports case that could involve other top athletes in baseball and the Olympics.

Anderson faces the possibility of being jailed for the remainder of the current grand jury's 18-month term, which began last month.

"We will see how loyal Mr. Anderson wants to be to someone" other than his country, Alsup said.

Anderson, 40, went in front of the grand jury five times this summer without providing answers the government wanted. After refusing to answer any question four times, Anderson answered 50 questions two weeks ago, defense counsel Mark Geragos said.

The government, however, said all were superficial answers, such as stating his name. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Parrella told the court Monday that prosecutors are seeking evidence about whether athletes and others who testified in the BALCO case obstructed justice or committed perjury.

The government contends Bonds intentionally lied under oath in 2003, when he told another grand jury he didn't knowingly take steroids. The Giants left fielder said he took substances he thought were flaxseed oil and an arthritis balm. Authorities say those products were steroids known as "the clear" and "the cream."

The grand jury also is investigating Bonds for allegedly failing to report tens of thousands of dollars in income from the sale of memorabilia.

New York Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield, Bonds' onetime friend, became the third athlete identified in the current case when Alsup repeated a list of questions Anderson failed to answer. The trainer was asked if he "knew Bonds or Sheffield."

Two weeks ago, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's name was mentioned in a declaration Anderson filed with the court. Brady, who grew up in San Mateo, told reporters he called Anderson once but had no other contact with the trainer.

Sheffield, who has said he trained with Bonds and Anderson but never knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs, testified in the BALCO case in 2003. His attorney, Paula Canny, said Monday that she didn't know what it meant for the player's name to resurface now.

"The original subpoena lists everything," she said of the summons Anderson received. She said it included his cable-TV man.

With Anderson back in prison, it is difficult to predict how long the grand-jury investigation will continue. Prosecutors said they want the trainer to explain "a mountain of evidence" they have obtained in the course of the investigation.

Prosecutors might want to prolong the Bonds' inquiry to keep Anderson jailed until he reconsiders his position _ one that his attorneys said he wouldn't change.

Geragos, however, hopes Alsup's ruling is overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He said he planned to file an appeal by Friday.

It seemed much of Monday's contentious hourlong hearing was intended for the appellate court as Geragos challenged the judge's reasoning. The lawyer said his appeal was strengthened because he had the chance to define his defense:

_Forcing Anderson to testify violates a deal in the BALCO case last year in which the trainer served three months in prison for distributing steroids and laundering money. As part of the agreement, Anderson refused to cooperate with the government, including refusing to wear a wire.

_The government's current investigation is tainted because it has an illegal tape recording of Anderson that reportedly says he gave undetectable steroids to Bonds.

_Anderson shouldn't be compelled to testify when the government can't control grand-jury leaks in the case.

Alsup called the arguments "ridiculous."

"I think we're going through a charade," he said. "You're doing a great job" but "I can see through it." Later, Alsup said of Anderson: "I'm going to give him a chance. If he will go down there and say he injected Barry Bonds with steroids," he won't go to prison.

Geragos said his client wouldn't do that.

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Bonds trainer sent to prison.