Bobby Estalella isn’t just a pretty face with an armband tattoo. The former Phillies catcher, who has been out of baseball since 2004, has agreed to become a government witness is the federal perjury case against Barry Bonds. Estalella, who played with Bonds on the San Fransisco Giants in 2000 and 2001 is expected to provide first hand knowledge of Bonds steroid use.
Estalella first made news in 2003 when he testified during the BALCO investigation. In his leaked testomony he stated he knowingly used the “cream” and “clear” as provided to him by Bonds’ trainer, Greg Anderson. Estalella was also mentioned in the Mitchell Report. In 2003 the Los Angeles Dodgers were weighing their options for a backup catcher and referred to Estalella as a “poster boy for the chemicals”.
While physically he may be a poster boy, but steroids didn’t give Estalella the edge he needed. In his nine-year major league career he batted .216 with 48 home runs and 147 RBI’s.
Another former Phillie, …
Pitcher Tom Gordon is on the verge of signing a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The three-time All-Star spent the past three seasons with the Phillies. The marriage started out great, but went downhill fast.
In 2006, Gordon was an All-Star and saved 36 games. Age, injury, and ineffectiveness then caught up to Flash. His 2007 campaign (3-2, 4.73), was filled with injury and disappointment as Gordon eventually lost his closers job to Brett Myers. In 2008 he had high hopes, opening the season as the set up man for Brad Lidge, but his arm again gave him trouble. He didn’t see any action after July 5th due to shoulder and elbow issues. He finished the season 5-4 with a 5.16 ERA.
Gordon had surgery on his ulnar nerve this past October and will be ready by Opening Day. Gordon has expressed interest in returning to Philadelphia, but reports are the Phillies informed him the feeling isn’t mutual.
If Gordon has any gas left in the tank, this might …
Despite having two years left on his existing contract, Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb has made it very public that he wants to sit down with the team’s front office this offseason to work out a new deal.
“Everyone knows that,” McNabb said. “You guys know it and you’ve talked about it. We’ll just leave it behind closed doors.”
McNabb is set to make $9.2 million next season, and $10 million the year after that. His contract is currently set to expire after the 2010 season. While his discussions with coach Andy Reid and team President Joe Banner are expected to largely center around money, there are other issues that McNabb wants to discuss.
“The contract deals with a lot of different things and I’ll kind of leave it at that,” McNabb said. “I want things to get taken care of and then I won’t have to answer whether I’ll be back the next year. I’ve had to answer 20 weeks this year about coming back and last year as well. It’s tiresome, but I’d rather have people asking …
Philadelphia, PA, January 29, 2009 – The Philadelphia KiXX announced today that online registration for the 2009 Philadelphia KiXX Summer Kamp program will be available beginning on Sunday, February 1, 2009. The online registration webpage can be accessed by clicking on the Camps menu option located on the top bar of the team’s official website, www.kixxonline.com.
The summer camp program, which opens in mid-June and runs through late August, is designed for boys and girls (ages four to 14) with approximately 40 locations offered throughout the Tri-State area. The 2009 program offers five different camp options: day, evening, tot, travel team, and goalkeeper-specific. Day camps operate from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, while evening camps will operate from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Day and evening camps will feature new and improved curriculum this summer with more focus on …
Just hours after ESPN.com basketball reporter Chad Ford reported that Elton Brand has been made available for a trade by Sixers’ GM Ed Stefanski, the embattled forward scored 14 points and had six blocked shots in a little over 25 minutes during Wednesday night’s road win against the Houston Rockets.
(For the record, everyone from Sixers’ beat reporter Phil Jasner to Stefanski himself has said that this is absolutely not true.)
The Sixers won their ninth game in 11 tries on a late go-ahead shot by Andre Iguodala, who had 20 points on the night after a first half in which he went 2-6 for just six points.
Sixers’ coach Tony DiLeo is still easing Brand back into the lineup, just three games removed from a shoulder injury that sidelined the star foward for five and a half weeks. There has been a lot of talk surrounding Brand recently as the Sixers have been playing lights out while he has been on the disabled list. …
During an online chat, ESPN basketball analyst Chad Ford reported that the 76ers have made Elton Brand available for a trade.
Yes … from what my sources around the league are saying, Brand is available. The question is, given how poorly he’s played this year and his huge contract, does anyone want him?
Brand was brought in this past offseason with a lot of fanfare and a fat new contract as Sixers GM Ed Stefanski lured him away from the Los Angeles Clippers, but has so far failed to live up to the hype.
That is largely due to the fact that Brand was out for over a month with a shoulder injury, and spent much of the offseason recovering from a left achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss much of last season. While battling back from those injuries, Brand has also had to adjust to a new style of play than he was used to in L.A.
Brand is thought to be more of a half-court, low …
The Philadelphia Kixx, Philly’s own indoor soccer team, face off against Monterrey La RaZa this Sunday in one of the final events ever to be held at the historic Wachovia Spectrum.
The Kixx look to rebound off a tough lost against the first place Baltimore Blast this past Sunday. The 6,759 fans in attendance put the Kixx over the 1.5 million mark for its 13 year career at the Spectrum.
According to a team press release,
“On Sunday, January 25th, the Philadelphia KiXX return to the Wachovia Spectrum to take on the Monterrey La RaZa, kickoff is 4:05 pm. Check out the high-scoring, fast-paced, exciting, off-the-wall soccer action of the Philadelphia KiXX and be part of history in the making during the final year of play at the historic Wachovia Spectrum. January 25th is KiXX Team Photo Night. Team Photos will be given to all fans courtesy of R.R. Donnelley – Baum. Plus, stay for autographs with the entire …
While the Phillies are awaiting an answer from Nomar Garciaparra on whether he plans to play this season, and if he does play, whether he would want to play in Philly, they are not allowing themselves to be held hostage by him.
In addition to expressing interest in Garciaparra, the Phillies are also actively pursuing several other right handed bats, most notably veteran outfielder Moises Alou.
“It’s a possibility,” said GM Ruben Amaro. “He’s in the mix. But ultimately his expectations might be a little too high as far as playing time goes. This is a limited playing role.”
It has been reported that Alou is leaning towards playing for an American League team where he would see some time at DH, which is exactly what I hope he does. While Alou is a nice player when healthy, he has been anything but over the past few seasons. Last year with the New York Mets, Alou played in just 15 games due to a hernia and a torn hamstring. …
Ruben Amaro Jr. has been a busy man the past couple weeks. After signing seven of the Phillies’ eight arbitration-eligible players, he ensured the core of the Phillies stays intact until after 2010. Although the World Champions are ready to defend their title, it doesn’t mean Amaro is done dealing. He’s stated as most recently as Thursday that he still intends on adding an arm to the bullpen and a right-handed bat off the bench (don’t be surprised to see him also take a flyer on a low-cost, high-reward type).
The most notable name that has been mentioned recently is free agent infielder Nomar Garciaparra. Garciaparra makes some sense in the fact that he can play the corner infield position (given the Phils outfield depth), but let’s be honest about a couple things. The Phillies have depth at all positions on the diamond and there’s nothing special about Nomar. Although it wasn’t that long ago that Garciaparra was involved in debates …
Injury plagued Flyers’ forward Danny Briere had exploratory abdominal surgery Thursday at Hahnemann University Hospital, where it was discovered that he had a nerve entrapped in a tear that had already begun to heal. Briere is expected to be out a minimum of four weeks.
It was starting to look like the embattled forward would be able to return to the big league club Wednesday against the Atlanta Thrashers, but after three games with the AHL Phantoms, the soreness and pain that has plagued him all season returned.
The decision was made Wednesday to have the surgery to finally determine exactly what the cause of all his troubles has been. The nerve was surgically released, but it will take several weeks before Briere is (again) healthy enough for full time action.
That led Ed Moran, the Flyers beat reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News, to ask General Manager Paul Holmgren if he was looking at making a move, and if he had contacted former Flyer Peter Forsberg.
It turns …
The Phillies have reached a one-year deal with relief pitcher Chad Durbin. The deal is reportedly worth $1.635 million.
In 71 games last season with the Phillies, Durbin went 5-4 with a 2.87 ERA.
Updating a previous story, it is now being reported that the two-year deal the Phillies reached earlier Wednesday with outfielder Jason Werth is worth $10 million.
Durbin’s signing leaves Ryan Howard as the only arbitration Phillie left. It was reported Tuesday that Howard is asking for $18 million for 2009, while the Phillies offered him $14 million. The two sides are set to go to arbitration sometime in the month of February if a deal cannot be worked out beforehand.
The Phillies have reached another deal with one of their arbitration eligible players, this time coming to terms on a two-year contract with outfielder Jason Werth.
The details of the contract are as yet unknown, but specifics are expected to be released later in the week after Werth takes his physical.
Werth hit .273 with 24 homeruns and 67 homeruns last season as he cemeted himself as the every day rightfielder for the Phillies.
That leaves reliever Chad Durbin and first baseman Ryan Howard as the only two arbitration eligible players left. It was announced Tuesday that Howard is seeking a record $18 million for the 2009 season.
The Phillies have come to terms in the past week with Cole Hamels, Greg Dobbs, Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, and Ryan Madson.
