Kimberly Bell Gets Graphic About Barry Bonds

When talking about the Barry Bonds trial so far, the word "unsavory" probably best fits what's gone on in the courtroom. It began last week when Bonds' late father, Bobby, as an unwitting fixture in how so many shady characters were attached to Barry.

It continued on Monday when we got the *ahem* inside details on what was going on with Barry's anatomy.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Gwen Knapp has been live tweeting from the courtroom since the trial began and today gave us the testimony of Kimberly Bell, Bonds' former mistress, who shared her (very) intimate knowledge about the changes in Barry's...um...life.

Ick indeed. Bell also testified that Bonds said his elbow injury in 1999 was due to steroid use and that he did it because other players - namely Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa - were also using. She went on to discuss how Bonds grew acne on his back and shoulders and how his hair fell out. Later, Bell testified that Bonds "told me to disappear" in 2003 when ending the relationship.

Bonds' defense lawyers followed up by grilling Bell about her promotional appearances on different television and radio shows in an attempt to show that she is less than altruistic with her motives. But whether Bell is in this for justice or a payday should have no bearing as long as she is telling the truth. Lest we forget, Jose Canseco wasn't exactly getting lauded for his nobility when he released the book that started this whole thing in the first place.

Jose Canseco Getting Juiced For Softball

It's been some time since we heard from Jose Canseco. But the former slugger-turned-author-turned-MMA reject resurfaced on Twitter Thursday announcing he has a new deal in the works.

Via Twitter:

Just sign a softball contract with a company named bass They will produce my first softball bat called juiced It Will be out soon

Yes, you read that right. Jose Canseco will have a softball bat called "Juiced". While it's the name of Canseco's book that led to the beginning of the end of the Steroid Era, it's also the black mark that has made the former 40-40 man persona non grata amongst many baseball fans. It's puzzling why he would want to constantly remind people of that instead of trying to rehab his image.

In an earlier tweet, Canseco says he's "completely steroid free", which makes this even more of a name fail. Sadly, Canseco is probably remembered more for being the face that launched a thousand investigations (in which case, it works all too well). Either that or having a home run bounce off his noggin.

Bass doesn't list much about itself on the company website and carries a pretty limited amount of equipment and apparel, leading you to believe it's relatively new. From a business standpoint, this deal seems like a low risk proposition. Considering the number of marketing opportunities Canseco has aligned himself with since his MLB career ended - he now says he's been testing anti-aging products for the last three years - it seems as though his asking price is pretty reasonable. If nothing else, Jose's infamy is probably worth a few looks from the curious.

It's something of a strange move for Canseco, who hasn't totally given up on his baseball dreams. In 2006, he appeared in the independent Golden Baseball League where he played for the San Diego Surf Dawgs (who at one time also had Canseco's former A's teammate Rickey Henderson) before being traded to the Long Beach Armada. He was last seen playing for the Laredo Broncos of the independent United League along with his twin brother, Ozzie. In his first at-bat with the team last September, he reminded everyone of what he once was. It's not exactly Roy Hobbs, but for a kid who grew up cheering for the Bash Brothers of the late 1980s, it's closer to the way I'd prefer to remember Canseco.