Barry Bonds admits using steroids during his baseball career, his lawyer told a jury Tuesday. The catch is that Bonds' personal trainer misled him into believing he was taking flax seed oil and arthritis cream.

“I know that doesn’t make a great story,” Allen Ruby said during his opening statement at the home run leader’s perjury trial. “But that’s what happened.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Parrella called such claims “ridiculous and unbelievable” and portrayed Bonds as a liar during his first chance to present the government’s position.

And so the crux of the criminal case against Bonds was laid before an eight-woman, four-man jury in San Francisco as the testimony phase of the trial got under way.

Bonds has pleaded not guilty to four charges of lying to a grand jury that was investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative doping ring in 2003 – when he denied knowingly taking steroids – and one count of obstruction.

RING IN THE SEASON

The first recipient of an American League championship ring from the Texas Rangers will be the family of the late Tom Vandergriff, the former Arlington mayor who lured the team from Washington nearly four decades ago.

Vandergriff’s family will be given a 2010 championship ring during the team’s welcome home luncheon March 31 – the day before Texas’ home opener against Boston and two days before Rangers players, coaches and staff get theirs.

SHORT HOPS

Atlanta Braves will retire Bobby Cox’s No. 6 on Aug. 12 – the first manager in franchise history to have his number retired. Cox retired after last season. Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson injured his oblique muscle on his last swing in batting practice. He will be re-evaluated today. On a day the Twins named Scott Baker their fifth starter, Carl Pavano gave up his first run of the spring for Minnesota in 182/3 innings in a 3-0 loss to Florida. Catcher Jake Fox hit his eighth home run, most in the majors this spring, in the Orioles’ 6-2 win over the Yankees.