Heading into last weekend, Steve Hoskins, a key government witness in the perjury case against Barry Bonds, looked like damaged goods.

But in a mysterious twist, federal prosecutors on Monday scrambled to revive Hoskins' credibility, revealing they've uncovered a long-lost tape recording Hoskins made with Bonds' orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Arthur Ting. Ting last week repudiated Hoskins' claim that the two of them had had "50" conversations about Bonds and steroid use, saying they never had a single such exchange.

Hoskins, however, contacted federal agents Saturday, telling them he'd found a tape that was secretly recorded in Ting's Fremont office shortly after the raids on the BALCO lab in September 2003. As of Monday evening, the content of the tape had not been revealed, but the government suggested it would help "corroborate" Hoskins' testimony.

But U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, who is considering whether to allow the tape to be played for the jury, put a damper on the possibility of it damaging Ting's account by much.

In comments in court, the judge said "almost all" of the tape is "either inadmissible" or "irrelevant to this case," adding that virtually all of the recording is of Hoskins speaking and "very little of what Dr. Ting said."

With the trial on hold for the day because of an ill juror, Bonds' defense team quickly cried foul on the late discovery of the tape. They plan to have the tape tested for authenticity at a San Francisco lab Tuesday morning, and questioned why the tape, missing for more than five years, has now turned up in the midst of the trial.


Allen Ruby, one of Bonds' lawyers, said in court that he suspects the tape "will never come in" as evidence in the trial, but he insisted that the defense needs an opportunity to verify its contents and explore how Hoskins came to turn it over to the government -- when he testified two weeks ago that he had lost track of the tape.

The conflict between Ting's and Hoskins' testimony was a crucial moment in the trial thus far. If the tape provides backing for Hoskins, it would damage the credibility of Ting, who testified as a government witness but provided testimony entirely favorable to Bonds. Ting continues to treat Bonds and performed surgery on him as recently as 2009.

Hoskins testified that Bonds told him of his steroid use, but defense lawyers say he is retaliating against Bonds, who cut him out of his financial affairs because he suspected Hoskins was cheating him out of money.

The trial is set to resume Tuesday with more testimony from UCLA lab witnesses who were involved in the testing of a 2003 sample from Bonds, who allegedly tested positive for steroids in baseball's drug testing program. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Parrella said Hoskins and Ting may have to be recalled to the stand, depending on whether the judge allows the jury to hear the tape.

Ruby, meanwhile, indicated that the defense will put on a few witnesses, but he told the judge they will be ready for closing arguments by the end of the week.

Contract Howard Mintz at 408-286-0236.