Giants voice their support after felony is reversed

Tim Lincecum, one of two Giants players still around from the Barry Bonds era, said he’s happy Bonds’ obstruction of justice conviction was reversed Wednesday.

“It’s nice to see it finalized,” Lincecum said. “It’s nice it’s in favor of a great player. It’s unfortunate to have someone you played with have a reputation that was tarnished in a sense for so long. What happened today and having this whole process come to fruition, it’s nice it came out on his side.”

It’s uncertain if the court ruling would change Bonds’ status in the game. The homerun king hasn’t come close to the Hall of Fame, receiving between 34.7 percent and 36.8 percent of votes in his three years on the ballot — 75 percent is needed for election.

The Giants have been speaking with Bonds about a bigger role with the team, and team President Larry Baer said Wednesday’s news doesn’t necessarily accelerate the process.

“We’ve intended to do something with Barry. It’s good to have this behind him,” Baer said. “I wouldn’t say we were waiting for this. We’re kind of on the same path we were before. We’ll be talking.”

It’s possible Bonds, who spent a week working with Giants hitters in spring training last year but not this year, could get an advisory role similar to other Giants legends’. It’s also possible his career would be acknowledged more around the ballpark, including on the team’s Wall of Fame.

“Good for Barry. I’m happy for him,” manager Bruce Bochy said of the conviction reversal. “I’m glad this got resolved so he can move on.”

Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire, who set the homers record in 1998, three years before Bonds broke it, returned to the game in 2010 as a Cardinals coach after apologizing and admitting he used steroids.

“I don’t know what Barry wants to do. I think in general, people are forgiving,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins grew up an A’s fan in the East Bay but paid close attention to Bonds, and Wednesday called him “one of the greatest ballplayers who ever played.”

Rollins added, “Unfortunately, when the water is muddy, it doesn’t matter if you clean it up because it’s always going to be considered muddy water. It was overturned in this case, but it won’t matter in the court of public opinion. It’s just going to be muddy water.”