01:00 AM EST on Friday, March 24, 2006

Barry Bonds plans to sue the authors and publisher of a book that alleges the San Francisco Giants' slugger used steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

Bonds' lawyers sent a letter yesterday to an agent for the authors of Game of Shadows, alerting them of plans to sue the writers, publisher Gotham Books, the San Francisco Chronicle and Sports Illustrated, which published excerpts this month.

The letter, signed by Alison Berry Wilkinson, an associate of Bonds' lead lawyer, Michael Rains, was posted on the Chronicle's Web Site. A hearing was tentatively scheduled today in San Francisco Superior Court.

"The reason we filed in the lawsuit in the simplest terms possible is to prevent the authors from promoting themselves and profiting from illegal conduct," Rains told The Associated Press yesterday.

He said laws prohibit people from possessing grand jury materials unless they are unsealed and said authors Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, both also reporters for the Chronicle, "have made a complete farce of the criminal justice system."

The book, released yesterday, claims Bonds used steroids, human growth hormone, insulin and other banned substances for at least five seasons beginning in 1998.

"We certainly stand by our reporters and the reporting they did for us," Chronicle executive vice president and editor Phil Bronstein said. "Nothing that's happened will change that."

Bonds' legal team will ask a judge today to issue a temporary restraining order forfeiting all profits from publication and distribution, according to the letter. The lawyers plan to file the suit under California's unfair competition law.

ROUNDUP

POSADA OUT OF HOSPITAL: New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was released from the hospital yesterday, one day after being admitted for a broken nose. Posada was hurt before Wednesday's night game against Boston when he was hit in the face by a ball while playing catch. X-rays revealed a fracture. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said yesterday that Posada could be out up to a week, but is not worried about his status for opening day. New York manager Joe Torre thinks the earliest Posada will play in another exhibition game is next Tuesday or Wednesday. Barring any physical problems, Torre said Posada will catch Randy Johnson in the regular-season opener. Posada was playing catch with backup catcher Kelly Stinnett when he was hit by the ball Wednesday. Posada stayed home yesterday after leaving the hospital around 7 a.m. In other news, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez remained in the starting lineup with a bruised left shin, which was the result of being hit by a grounder during batting practice.

NEW YORK VENUES: The New York state economic agency approved plans for new stadiums for the New York Yankees and New York Mets, moving the Major League Baseball teams one step closer toward breaking ground this year. The Empire State Development Corp.'s seven-member board voted unanimously in favor of the projects, which call for the state to contribute almost $150 million for infrastructure improvements and capital reserves.