Barry Bonds - Security Rep Visits Dodgers In Effort To Protect Bonds - SF Chronicle

Baseball security chief visits L.A. as he keeps track of how teams are protecting Bonds

Henry Schulman - SF Chronicle
Saturday, April 15, 2006

Los Angeles -- The first Giants series in Los Angeles prompted a visit from Major League Baseball's security chief, Kevin Hallinan, who revealed he met privately with Barry Bonds each of the last two springs to discuss his safety as he pursues the home-run record.

"I promise these players every year in spring training, I take responsibility for their security and their families' security," Hallinan said. "It's good to have a working relationship with all of them. When one of them is going for a record or is in some way in prominence, they'll get special attention, absolutely."

However, for all the talk of beefed-up security for Bonds in light of the steroids scandal, Hallinan said baseball and the teams Bonds visits are not necessarily flooding ballparks with more cops. Instead, Hallinan is having the teams' operations people talk with one another. For instance, he debriefed the Padres' security folks and asked what they might have done better when the Giants were there last week. Hallinan then had the Padres pass their answer to the Dodgers' people, who in turn will talk to Diamondbacks security ahead of Monday's game in Phoenix.

Hallinan would not divulge specific numbers of security personnel but said, "There's a way of moving people around from a timing standpoint. Sometimes it's good to do a good commercial at the front gate, showing a lot of (security) people. Those are the same people appearing at certain parts of the ballpark. Many times it isn't the number of people, it's how you use them.

"It's like a good shortstop. He knows how to position himself. It's the same with security guards. You've got to know how to position them."

Hallinan will not change his game plan based on the headlines, such as Thursday's revelation that a federal grand jury is investigating Bonds for alleged perjury.

"You try not to let the news of the day dictate what you're going to do or not going to do," he said. "I don't allow what's being alleged in the media and what's happened to impact that. I try to be consistent in my planning process across the board."

More on 25: In a scene sure to be repeated in every city, Los Angeles reporters tried to get manager Felipe Alou to discuss the allegations against Bonds. Alou made it clear he will not answer. When asked for the thousandth time if this was a distraction for the team, Alou said, "We don't have time to give it time here."

General manager Brian Sabean, speaking with Giants beat reporters, was asked if he had any contingencies in case the team lost Bonds for reasons not related to injury. He responded, "We've already done that. We've deepened the team the best we can, whether he's in the lineup or out of the lineup."