DOWN THE LINE

Barry Bonds finally has his trial date: March 2, 2009. He could play this year, if anyone wanted him to.

He works out, agent Jeff Borris said, but he no longer takes batting practice, and he hasn’t hit live pitching in nine months. No matter, former teammate Mark Sweeney said, “If you gave him two weeks, he’d look like he’d been playing for the whole year.”

Sam Holman, the Canadian manufacturer of Bonds’ bats, said Bonds might not jump at an offer. “He told me he really didn’t think he needed another job,” Holman said. “I don’t know how interested he is in working.”

Free to play this summer

Borris said Bonds has not retired. The Red Sox lost David Ortiz to injury last week, but they dismissed any interest in Bonds. “There isn’t a single club that has any interest in Barry at any price,” Borris said. “I’ve turned my file over to the Major League Baseball Players Assn. for their investigation and review.”

Game over? Have a brew

It’s not up there with .406, 755 and 56 among baseball’s magic numbers, but 84 tugs at the heart of L.A.

Eric Gagne set the major league record with 84 consecutive saves, all for the Dodgers from 2002-04. It was the best show in town: the “Welcome to the Jungle” entrance music, his sweat-stained cap and baggy jersey, all those “Game Over” shirts.

He put up 152 saves in all, most by any closer in a three-year span. He blew six.

He blew five in the first five weeks for the Brewers this season, and he is on the disabled list, along with his 6.98 earned-run average. In his absence, the Brewers are 10-4, with a bullpen ERA of 2.41 and Salomon Torres converting all five save opportunities.

Does all that cause Milwaukee Manager Ned Yost to reconsider returning Gagne to the closer role? “Maybe it does,” Yost said.

The trade that was, the career that was

John Smoltz is expected to undergo shoulder surgery this week, ending his season and possibly his career. Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley are the only pitchers with 150 victories and 150 saves, and Smoltz surely will join Eckersley in Cooperstown.

The Braves picked up Smoltz in one of the most unfairly maligned trades of all time, from the Tigers for Doyle Alexander in August 1987. The Tigers needed another starter, and Alexander went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA and three shutouts. And the Tigers held off the Blue Jays by two games to win the AL East, so the trade accomplished its objective.

At the time of the trade, Smoltz had the top-rated arm in the double-A Eastern League -- but a 5.68 ERA, and 81 walks in 130 innings, numbers that did not exactly scream 20-year career.

Yet you probably wouldn’t see that trade today. With the explosion in salaries, no currency is more valuable than young pitching. In 1987, as the 36-year-old Alexander joined his eighth club, he made $650,000. He might make $6.5 million today.

A day in the life of the first-place Phillies

It speaks highly of both men that Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel yanked defending NL MVP Jimmy Rollins from Thursday’s game for not running out a pop fly -- and that Rollins did not respond with complaints or excuses.

“I can’t get mad at him,” Rollins told reporters in Philadelphia. “That’s like breaking the law and getting mad that the police show up.”

Excuse me, that’s my guy

Greg Maddux interrupted an interview to watch a replay of Milton Bradley hitting a home run.

“Cool,” Maddux said. “He’s on my fantasy team.”

-- Bill Shaikin