It's not going to happen, apparently, but dropping Barry Bonds into the mix would add much-needed intrigue to the slow-speed chase that is the National League West race between the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. . . .
Nobody seems willing to take a flier on Bonds, who a year ago Thursday was playing in the All-Star game. . . .
Soon to be 44 and scheduled to go on trial in March on perjury and obstruction of justice charges, Bonds would bring "more baggage than O'Hare Airport," as ESPN's Peter Gammons noted this week. . . .
All-Star Russell Martin and the Dodgers, by the way, are scheduled to play the Diamondbacks in 16 of their first 48 games after the All-Star break. . . .
The Dodgers, Diamondbacks or both could join the 1994 Texas Rangers of Will Clark and Jose Canseco as the only teams in baseball history to reach the All-Star break as sub-.500 division leaders, according to STATS LLC. . . .
Before Tuesday, Francisco Rodriguez had not given up a walk-off home run in a regular-season game, but Angels fans remember him serving one up to Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox in the playoffs last fall. . . .
Fifty-five percent of respondents in an ESPN poll say the Green Bay Packers should not let Brett Favre return, but Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys tells the NFL Network, "Oh, yeah, he's coming back for sure, are you kidding?" . . .
Energetic role player Ronny Turiaf rarely left the bench during the playoffs, probably would play even fewer minutes when Andrew Bynum returns next season and is a luxury the Lakers probably could afford to lose. . . .
Nice pickup, though, for the Golden State Warriors. . . .
Speaking of Bynum, the injury-rehabbing center still has not been cleared to run, let alone play basketball, Lakers spokesman John Black says. . . .
Reader William Morse of Palm Springs, identifying himself as a season-ticket holder, e-mails to note of the Clippers' failure to re-sign Elton Brand, "These guys would win the lottery and light the cigar with the winning ticket." . . .
The Clippers could have had Emeka Okafor four years ago, but they traded down from the second pick in the draft to take Shaun Livingston at No. 4. . . .
With Brand, of course, they didn't need Okafor. . . .
Neither Venus Williams nor Serena Williams has been ranked No. 1 since August 2003, when the since-retired Kim Clijsters supplanted Serena. . . .
Scandals aside, the Tour de France is still a great event. . . .
