Paul Byrd

Byrd was another player that’s name was dragged out by the media as a suspected customer once the Signature Pharmacy raid was made public. In its October 21, 2007 edition, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Byrd had spent nearly $25,000 on HGH and syringes from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center. The Chronicle alleged that Byrd had engaged in 13 transactions between August 2002 and January 2005. In response to the article, Byrd admitted having taken HGH, but he said it was for the treatment of his pituitary gland. He added that he had never taken anything that wasn’t prescribed to him by a doctor, but according to the Chronicle, two of Byrd’s prescriptions had been written by a dentist in Florida, who had his license suspended in 2003. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah. That doesn’t sound too shady. Byrd said that both the Indians (his team at the time) and MLB knew he had been dealing with a pituitary gland issue for a while, but Rob Manfred of the Commissioner’s Office said that baseball had never given Byrd – or any other player, for that matter – an exemption to take HGH for therapeutic reasons. George Mitchell wrote that know one in his staff had any prior knowledge that Byrd may have been a juicer. Byrd’s best season was his rookie year, when he pitched 22 IP out of the Mets’ pen in 1995 and went 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA and 26 strikeouts. This “juicy” Byrd is still kicking around, having split this season between the Tribe and the BoSox, enduring a middling season of 11-12 with a 4.60 ERA.

Jose Guillen

Last December, Guillen got slapped with a 15-game suspension for violating the MLB drug program, but the penalty was later rescinded. Guillen’s name was first introduced as a possible juicer in the wake of the Signature Pharmacy busts. In its November 6, 2007 edition, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that Guillen had bought HGH, testosterone and other ‘roids through the infamous Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center over a three-year period between 2002 and 2004, and possibly into 2005 as well. The article stressed that based on the records the reporter looked at, it was impossible to verify if the products Guillen ostensibly ordered had ever been shipped to him. Further, the Chronicle alleged that some of Guillen’s orders were from a prescription written by the famous dentist who also prescribed HGH for Byrd. Mitchell wrote that no one on his staff had previous knowledge about Guillen’s drug use. His best season came in 2003, when he hit .311 with 31 homers and 86 RBI in 136 games and 484 at bats split between the Reds and the A’s. Guillen struggled with the Royals this season, hitting just .264 with only 20 home runs.

Derrick Turnbow

Turnbow had the honour of being the first MLB player to test positive for steroids, getting nailed in 2003 during training camp for the U.S. Olympic Team. He got slapped with a two-year ban from international competition, but he didn’t face any discipline from MLB because what he tested positive for – androstenedione – was not prohibited by the majors at the time. Turnbow’s best full season was in 2005, when he went 7-1 with 39 saves and a 1.74 ERA, pitching 69 games out of the Brewer pen. He hasn’t come close to duplicating that season since, actually getting farmed out this season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.

Ricky Bones

Bones was involved in one of the early discoveries of steroids. Back in June of 2000, when the journeyman was pitching for Florida, a Marlins clubhouse attendant found a paper bag with over two dozen syringes and six vials of medication in Bones’s locker. The attendant brought this to the club’s attention, but when Bones requested its return, the bag filled with several types of steroids and handwritten instructions were given back to him. When the Mitchell Report was compiled, Bones was working in the Mets’ minor league organization, so had to speak to Mitchell. He said that he had been self-administering steroids and painkillers based on the prescription of a doctor in his hometown in Puerto Rico. At the time, he was dealing with a degenerative hip condition that ultimately caused him to retire. The incident fell into the lap of Dave Dombrowki, the Marlins GM at the time, and he informed the Commissioner’s Office, who told him they “would take it from here.” Bones said several weeks later, he was asked by the Player’s Association to attend a meeting with a couple of doctors who went over the pros and cons of using steroids and wanted to know if everything was okay in Bones’s personal life. Bones assured them everything was fine, and the doctors never actually performed any physical examinations of him, but he was subjected to a urine test a few months later. He said he never heard the results of the test, so assumed he did not test positive. That was that end of that episode, although it was moot once Bones retired after the 2001 season. His best season came in 1998 out of the KC bullpen, when he went 2-2 with one save and three holds while recording a 3.04 ERA. Despite his mediocrity, Bones stuck around for 11 years, pitching in 375 games (164 starts) and going 63-82 with one save and a lifetime ERA of 4.85.

Ricky Stone

Stone was one of the five minor league players who learned about steroids from Todd Seyler, the strength and conditioning coach for the Albuquerque Dukes between 1999 and 2000, at the time a Dodgers’ affiliate. Reportedly, Stone gave money to Matt Herges to buy steroids for the group of players. Before a game in July 1999, Seyler and the five met at Stone’s apartment (Seyler lived in the same complex) and Herges brought the steroids with him. Seyler says he watched them all inject themselves, Stone sticking himself in the thigh with a syringe filled with Deca-Durabolin. This began a six-week workout cycle, but Seyler said he never saw any of the players spike up after that. He did, however, continue to talk to them and based on this, he said he believed they all continued to juice up. Stone never responded to an interview request. His most successful season was as a rookie in 2001, when he recorded a 2.35 ERA in six games with the Astros. He last appeared in the majors in 2007, and this season he pitched very briefly at Triple-A Louisville, getting hammered there (and not in a good way).

Nook Logan

Logan was referred to steroid supplier supreme Kirk Radomski by Rondell White, his teammate in Detroit. According to Radomski, Logan bought one kit of HGH just before the feds raided Radomski’s house in December 2005. He shipped the package to him, and Logan confirmed to Radomski that he received it. Logan’s phone number was in Radomski’s cell phone directory. Logan, however, declined to talk about these allegations. Logan’s best year was in 2006 with the Nats when he had one homer, a .300 BA and an OPS of 726 in 90 at bats. After the following season, he was non-tendered by Washington after the Mitchell Report named him. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in February, but when he didn’t make the team, he shifted over to Indy ball to play for the Long Island Ducks. Talk about getting blackballed by the majors — Logan was definitely screwed by this report.

Scott Schoeneweis

After the story about Signature Pharmacy being raided by New York and Florida agents, Schoeneweis was just one of many players whose name was being tossed around in the media as a possible client of the company. It was on October 1, 2007 that ESPN ran a story about Schoeneweis receiving six shipments of steroids from Signature Pharmacy between 2003 and 2004 when he was with the ChiSox. Schoeneweis denied that the report was true. He was forced to meet with the Commissioner’s Office last December, but it was deemed there was insufficient evidence to discipline him. Schoeneweis’s best season was 2005, when he went 3-4 with one save and 21 holds in 80 games while recording a 3.32 ERA for the Jays. He’s still going strong, enjoying an excellent season in 2008 for the Mets.

David Bell

Bell was another player that’s name was mentioned in the press after the Signature Pharmacy bust. Sports Illustrated, in a March 6, 2007 article, named Bell as someone whoses name was allegedly in the customer records of Applied Pharmacy Services. The article alleged that Bell received six kits human chorionic gonadtropin (HCG) (mmm….gonadtropic…sounds like a milkshake flavour) from this pharmacy in April 2005 when he was a Phillie. HCG is used by heavy steroid users to counteract the effects of the drugs. SI further reported that Bell acknowledged to reporters that he received the HCG but said he had a prescription for it and he was taking the drugs to deal with a medical condition that he wouldn’t talk about, citing privacy laws. There had never been any previous allegations that had come to light about Bell, George Mitchell reported. Bell’s best year was 2004, when he hit .291 with an OPS of 821. Two years later, he was done, having recorded a lifetime OPS of 716 over 4,826 career at bats.

Darren Holmes

In the wake of the Signature Pharmacy scandal, Holmes was also mentioned as a possible client. On March 8, 2007, Sports Illustrated reported that Holmes had bought HGH and testosterone from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center (I love the names of these kind of places – they’re so pastoral sounding) in October 2003, product that was shipped to his house in North Carolina. Apparently, Holmes did admit to reporters that he ordered these drugs but said he never used them. He did, however, say he didn’t order the testosterone that came in the package, and that’s what got him suspicious. Holmes apparently talked it over with his wife and wound up throwing everything away after that. Mitchell says that there was no other evidence that Holmes had been a juicer. His best season was in 2002, when he pitched 55 games and 54 2/3 IP out of the Atlanta bullpen, recording a 1.81 ERA. He pitched just one more year and was done after 551 relief appearances and six starts covering 680 IP. Holmes wound up with 35 wins, 59 saves, 60 holds and a lifetime ERA of 4.25.

John Rocker

Rocker, who definitely had his share of issues during his career, was also implicated after the Signature Pharmacy raid. SI reported in March 2007 that, as per the database of Applied Pharmacy Services, Rocker obtained two prescriptions for HGH between April and July 2003. At first, he denied this, but later a spokesperson for Rocker admitted that he had been prescribed HGH after shoulder surgery. Rocker’s best season was his rookie year in 1998, when he went 1-3 with a 2.13 ERA and 15 holds. He spent six years in the majors, pitching strictly out of the bullpen for 280 games and 255 1/3 IP. All told, he had 88 saves and 36 holds with a 3.42 ERA, last appearing in the bigs in 2003. He went on to pitch in the Independent Atlantic League in 2005, but after he sucked so bad (6.50 ERA), he requested and received a release. He hasn’t pitched professionally since.

Ismael Valdez

Former journeyman hurler Valdez was yet another player implicated in the wake of the Signature Pharmacy bust. On November 6, 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote an article that alleged that Valdez made several purchases of HGH and other drugs designed to counteract the effects of steroid abuse in 2002 from the Palm Rejuvenation Center. According to the article, the prescription was written by the same dentist who prescribed drugs to Paul Byrd, Jose Guillen and Matt Williams. Is anyone else reminded of the dentist in that classic Seinfeld episode? Valdez’s best year was 1997 with the Dodgers, when he went 10-11 with a 2.65 ERA in 30 starts and 196 2/3 IP. He last pitched in the majors in 2005, and all told in 325 career games, he went 104-105 with a lifetime ERA of 4.09.

Steve Woodard

Woodard was also fingered as an alleged customer of Signature Pharmacy. On September 7, 2007, the New York Daily News reported that Woodard had steroids and HGH shipped to him from The Health and Rejuvenation Center, but it was unknown when this occurred. Mitchell wrote that no one had any previous knowledge of Woodard being a juicer. Woodard’s best season was 1998 for the Brewers, when he went 10-12 with a 4.18 ERA in 34 games (26 starts) and 165 2/3 IP. He struck out 135 that season. All told, Woodard went 32-36 with a 4.94 career ERA in 94 starts and 68 relief appearances. He last pitched in the majors in 2003, and spent the 2004 season pitching for two different Triple-A teams. He was out of baseball until this season, when he got battered around (6.04 ERA) while pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque, mostly out of the pen.

Next up, we’ll finally close out this exhaustive report with a look at Paul Byrd, Jose Guillen, Stephen Rudolph and others.

Matt Herges

Herges, a teammate of Paul Lo Duca’s with the Dodgers between 1999 and 2001, called up Kirk Radomski and said he had gotten his number from Lo Duca, according to Radomski. Radomski said there were two or three sales of HGH to Herges, starting in 2004 and finishing in 2005. Herges called up Radomski one more time, when Radomski was cooperating with the feds, and asked for more, but Radomski told him he was dry, and there was never any more contact between the pair. There is one cheque from Herges to Radomski, plus an undated shipping receipt, reproduced in the Appendix of the report. Herges declined the chance to talk to George Mitchell about this. Herges’ best season was in 2003, split between the pens of San Diego and San Francisco, when he went 3-2 with three saves, nine holds and an ERA of 2.62 in 79 IP. He had a disappointing season with Colorado in 2008, and was recently bought out of his contract, so will have to hit the pavement and look for work next season.

Gary Bennett, Jr.

According to Radomski, he was referred to Bennett by Denny Neagle, Bennett’s teammate in Colorado in 2001 and 2002. He says he sold Bennett two kits of HGH in July 2003, and a copy of a cheque from Bennett to Radomski is reproduced for posterity in the Appendix of the report. Additionally, Bennett’s contact info was found in Radomki’s little black book. Bennett declined a chance to set the record straight. His best season came in 2000 with the Phils, when he recorded a 763 OPS in 31 games and 74 at bats. This past season, he spent most of the year on the DL with plantar fasciitis, but also battled the throwing yips when trying to get the ball back to the pitcher’s mound. Hmmm…don’t they have any drugs to fix that kind of thing?

Jim Parque

Radomski drew a blank as far as who hooked him up with Parque but does remember selling him two kits of HGH. At one point, Radomski says he was sent a bottle of Winstrol from Parque, who wanted him to check it out. Radomski says it wasn’t up to snuff, so he ditched it. There are two cheques from Parque to Radomski reproduced in the Appendix, and his contact information was found in Radomski’s address book. Parque didn’t respond to Mitchell’s interview request. His best season was in 2000 for the ChiSox, when he went 13-6 with a 4.28 ERA and 111 Ks in 187 IP. In parts of six big league seasons, Parque went 31-34 with an ERA of almost five and a half in 544 1/3 IP. His last big league appearance was in 2003, but he last pitched professionally in 2007 in Triple-A.

Brendan Donnelly

Donnelly, a 2003 All-Star, was connected to Radomski by Adam Riggs, his teammate on the Halos in 2003 and 2004. Radomski said Donnelly called him in 2004, looking to score some Anavar. Radomski hooked him up with Deca-Durabolin once. Apparently, when the Red Sox dealt for him, some in the organization had concerns that Donnelly was a juicer. At any rate, he declined to meet with Mitchell. Donnelly’s best year came in 2003, when he struck out 79 in 74 IP with 29 holds and an ERA of 1.58. This season, he pitched well in Triple-A, but was shelled in his 15 big league games with the Indians.

Chad Allen

Allen, who was helping the feds with their investigation, was among the more cooperative players who talked to Mitchell for the report. He told him that HGH was the choice of most players because it was undetectable. In fact, he said he believed MLB would always be playing catch up because “there’s always someone ahead of the curve who knows that he will make a quick buck.” Allen’s disclosures to Mitchell were made in the presence of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents who told him he could face prosecution if he made false statements, so the pressure was on to be straight. According to Radomski, he was referred to Allen by Chris Donnels. He says he sold Allen Winstrol, testosterone and Deca-Durabolin about three to five times, but that Allen couldn’t afford HGH. Allen confirmed these purchases, but said they only occurred during the 2003 offseason. One of the cheques he gave to Radomski is reproduced in the Appendix. Allen was also instrumental in providing information to Mitchell about Gary Matthews, Jr. Allen’s best season was in 2001 with the Twins when he hit four homers with 19 RBI in 175 at bats. In 851 career at bats, he had 14 homers, 15 steals, a .269 BA and an OPS of 710. He last played in the majors in 2005, and after spending 2006 at Triple-A, he spent a season in Japan, but has not played professionally since.

Jeff Williams

According to Radomski, he sold Anavar and Dianabol to Williams, and a copy of a cheque Williams sent to him is reproduced in the Appendix. Additionally, Williams’s contact info was found in Radomski’s little black book. Williams never responded to a request to be interviewed by Mitchell. His best season was his first, in 1999, when he went 2-0, 4.08 in five games. He spent four years in the bigs, going 4-1, 7.49 over four starts and 33 relief appearances. Williams then headed over to Japan and has been closing games there since, although he did have shoulder problems this season.

Howie Clark

Radomski says he was hooked up with Clark by Larry Bigbie. Apparently, Clark made several calls to Radomski before he purchased anything, but ultimately he made about four or five buys of HGH. Two money orders from Clark to Radomski are in the report’s Appendix. Clark, like most, declined to be interviewed for the report. His best season came in 2003 when he recorded an OPS of 829 in 70 at bats for the Jays. In 2008, Clark appeared in just four games for the Twins before they DFAed him at the end of May.

Next up, we’ll look at Nook Logan, Scott Schoeneweis, David Bell and others.

Stephen Randolph

While toiling for the Diamondbacks (2003-04), Randolph was referred to everybody’s favourite pusher, Kirk Radomski, by Chris Donnels (although Donnels denied that he did hook the two of them up). After conversations between the pair in which Radomski suggested Randolph research HGH, Radomski says he sold him some, either in 2003 or 2004. Randolph’s name and phone number was found in Radomski’s address book, seized by the feds. Randolph declined the opportunity to meet with Mitchell about the allegations. Randolph’s best season was his rookie year in 2003, when in 50 games and 60 IP out of the D-Back pen, he fanned 50 while going 8-1 with a 4.05 ERA. He spent the entire 2008 season at Triple-A, pitching very well, but never getting promoted. In 109 big league games (six of them starts) and 155 IP, he has 10 wins, four holds, 134 strikeouts, but a lifetime ERA of over five and a half.

Jerry Hairston, Jr.

Hairston met Radomski through David Segui, the uber ‘roid pimp, a teammate of Hairston’s in B-More from 2002 to 2004. According to Radomski, he sold Hairston HGH two or three times between 2003 and 2004. One of the cheques from Hairston to Radomski was reproduced in the report. Additionally, Hairston’s contact information was found in Radomski’s infamous little black book. Sports Illustrated, in March of 2007, reported that Hairston’s name was included in the customer list of Applied Pharmacy Services, one of the agencies that’s been under federal investigation. Once the report was released, Hairston pleaded befuddlement in the press: “It’s disturbing…I have no idea what this is about. I’m really in the dark. Not one time have I taken steroids or anything like that. I would never do anything like that to jeopardize my career,” he said. When Mitchell came calling, Hairston had nothing else to say. We do know this: despite losing over half the 2008 season to injuries, Hairston enjoyed a career year, hitting .326 and recording an OPS of 871 with six homers, 36 RBI and 15 steals in 80 games and 261 at bats. In 2,795 career at bats over 10 seasons, Hairston has 39 homers with a .260 BA and an OPS of 700.

Adam Riggs

Radomski says good old Paul Lo Duca was the one who referred Riggs to him. He says between 2003 and 2005, the two of them were involved in six to 10 steroid transactions, including HGH, clenbuteral and Winstrol. There are five cheques from Riggs to Radomski that are reproduced in the report’s Appendix, and an Express Mail receipt with Riggs’s address was discovered during the raid on Radomski’s home. Also, Riggs’s contact information was in Radomski’s famous little black book. Riggs declined to be interviewed for the report, but he sent a letter to Mitchell via his lawyer that stated that he “never tested positive for improper substances.” Radomski also says that Riggs introduced him to Bart Miadich, discussed below, and Brendan Donnelly, who we will discuss in a subsequent installment of this ongoing series. Riggs enjoyed his best season in 2003 with the Angels, when in 24 games and 61 at bats, he hit .246 with an OPS of 835. After 2004, Riggs headed to Japan to continue his baseball career. He was still playing in the NPB until being released in July. In 61 career games over four big league seasons, he hit .216 with an OPS of 636.

Bart Miadich

As mentioned above, according to Radomski, he was introduced to Miadich by Riggs. He says he frequently sold small amounts of testosterone and Winstrol to Miadich between 2002 and 2005. Radomski also said that Miadich told him he was getting HGH from another source. Chad Allen, an admitted steroid user and former teammate of Miadich’s, told Mitchell that Miadich had issues with “roid rage,” sometimes smashing things in the clubhouse after he had stunk up the joint. Miadich’s name, number and address were listed in Radomski’s address book. Miadich, who never responded to Mitchell’s interview request, enjoyed his best major league season in 2001, his first, when he went 0-0, 4.50 in 11 games and 10 IP with 10 Ks. Two years later, he appeared in one game for the Angels – his only other big league appearance. He spent most of the next three seasons at Triple-A, heading over to Japan briefly in 2005. After 2006, he never pitched professionally again, retiring with a career ERA of 6.75 in his brief major league time.

Fernando Vina

Former All-Star second baseman Vina originally met Radomski when he was a Met farmhand in 1993. According to Radomski, he sold Vina ‘roids around six to eight times between 2000 and 2005, and there are three cheques from Vina to Radomski produced in the report’s appendix. Vina, whose name and contact info was found in Radomski’s little black book, never responded to Mitchell’s interview request. Vina’s finest hour came in 1998 with the Brewers, when he hit .311 with 101 runs in 159 games. Overall, he hit better than .280 in 4,240 career at bats with 40 homers and 116 steals.

Mike Bell

Radomski recalled selling Bell one kit of HGH, but he wasn’t sure when the transaction took place. Employed as a minor league manager by the D-Backs when the report was being compiled, Bell had to talk to Mitchell, and at the time admitted buying the kit from Radomski during the 2003 offseason. He says he couldn’t remember who gave him Radomski’s number (how convenient), and that he never bought or used PEDs ever again. Bell’s contact info was found in Radomski’s address book, by the way. Bell was a career minor leaguer, but appeared in 19 games for the Reds in 2000, going 6-for-27.

We’re nearing the end of our exhaustive report, but there’s still more to come (yippee!). Next up, we’ll look at Matt Herges, Gary Bennett, Jr., and Jim Parque among others.

The report rages on! You can find previous parts here: Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII.

Todd Pratt

Kirk Radomski said he first met Pratt after he joined the Mets in 1997. He says Pratt told him that he had previously acquired ‘roids from another source, and then, in 2000 or 2001, Radomski supplied Pratt with steroids once or twice. Like he did for all players mentioned in the report, George Mitchell gave Pratt the chance to set the record straight, but like most, Pratt declined. Pratt’s best season was in 2002 when, as a back-up catcher with the Phils, he hit .311 with an OPS of 949 in 39 games and 106 at bats. His final big league season was in 2006. Pratt tried to make the Yankees the following spring, but was released just before the season. In 14 seasons as a backup, he hit .251 with 49 homers.

Kevin Young

Radomski reported that he first met Young in the Big Apple during the 2000-01 offseason, and that shortly after that meeting Young called him. Further, Radomski said he couldn’t remember who hooked Young and him up, but he says he was told to bring two HGH kits to that initial meeting. They had lunch and then Radomski sold him the kits in Young’s hotel room. Young called Radomski again in 2003 and bought another five or six kits at that time, according to Radomski. Young’s name and numbers were in the little black book the feds seized from Radomski. Given the chance to set the record straight for the report, Young declined. Young created excitement during his first call up to the bigs, going 4-for-7 with four RBI in 10 games for the Pirates in 1992. His best full season was in 1999, when he smacked 26 homers and drove in 106 runs while recording an OPS of 909 in 156 games and 584 at bats. His numbers dropped substantially over the next four years, and he was done after 2003. For his career, Young hit 144 homers in 1,205 games.

Mike Lansing

Lansing was introduced to Radomski by noted ‘roid pimp David Segui when those two were toiling for the Expos. According to Radomski, he had about four or five small transactions with Lansing involving testosterone and HGH. Copies of money orders from Lansing to Radomski are reproduced in the appendix of the report. When the feds searched Radomski’s home, they found an undated, partial shipping label with Lansing’s name and a Colorado address that has since been confirmed as where Lansing lived when he was with the Rox. Additionally, Lansing’s contact information was in Radomski’s address book. Lansing did not respond to requests to be interviewed for the report. His best season was 1997, his final year in Montreal, when he hit .281 with 20 homers and an OPS of 810 in 144 games. He played another few years, winding up briefly in the Indians’ Triple-A team in 2002, but never playing in the bigs after 2001. In nine big league seasons, Lansing played 1,110 games and had 4,150 at bats, smacking 84 homers, stealing 119 bases and hitting .271 with an OPS of 725 for his career.

Cody McKay

McKay’s name and address were also found in Radomski’s little black book, but Radomski can’t recall for certain who referred McKay to him. However, he said he made two transactions with McKay, the second of which was in 2002. McKay declined to be interviewed for the report. This Canadian kid spent most of his career as a Triple-A catcher, but he made his MLB debut for the A’s in 2002, going 2-for-3 with two RBI in two games. He never hit a major league home run in 37 career games. He broke his arm early in the 2005 season while playing for Triple-A Memphis, and hasn’t played since.

Kent Mercker

Radomski said he sold journeyman pitcher Mercker one kit of HGH in October 2002. The cheque from Mercker to Radomski was reproduced in the report. Reproduced as well is a copy of an Express Mail receipt indicating a shipment to Mercker, who did not respond to Mitchell’s request for an interview. Mercker’s best season was 2003, when he recorded a 2.35 ERA in the Reds pen before a trade to Atlanta, and he was even better with the Braves, sporting a 1.06 ERA. Still kicking around the bigs with Cincy, he’s missed most of this season with a back injury, so could be done, but who knows? Mercker has overcome more serious issues in his lengthy big league career.

Jason Christiansen

One cheque from Christiansen to Radomski is reproduced in the appendix. It’s dated July 2, 2002, and according to Radomski, it was for HGH and was the only transaction between him and Christiansen, who never responded to an interview request from Mitchell. Christiansen’s finest season was back in 1998 with the Pirates when he recorded 15 holds, six saves and a 2.51 ERA in 60 games and 64 2/3 IP. The Giants bought him out after the 2005 season, and he’s never pitched in the bigs since. In 11 seasons in the majors strictly as a reliever, Christiansen had a lifetime 4.29 ERA with 384 strikeouts in 434 innings. He saved 16 games in his career.

Mike Stanton

Former All-Star Stanton originally met Radomski around 2001, when Stanton was a Yankee. According to Radomski, he made two sales of HGH to Stanton, the first in 2003 when Stanton was with the Mets. Stanton declined the opportunity to talk to Mitchell about these allegations. His best season was probably his rookie year back in 1989 with the Braves when he recorded a 1.50 ERA with seven saves in 20 games and 24 IP. Stanton was released by the Reds this April, so appears to be done, but in 19 big league seasons, he pitched 1,114 innings (making just one start in his career), striking out 895 with 84 saves and 266 holds.

Next up, we’ll look at Stephen Randolph, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Adam Riggs and others.

As an aside, let’s give a tip of the hat to dearly departed Paul Newman by remembering his role in one of the greatest sports movies ever made, Slap Shot. (Okay, so this clip is more about the Hanson Brothers, but damn, it’s classic.)

Finally, we must apologize for the fact that the site was down most of the day yesterday. Tim E., the technical genius behind RotoRob, is taking a much deserved vacation, lying on a beach in Cuba sucking on fine cigars enjoying the ladies (or is it the other way around?). At any rate, the day he leaves, our servers went on the fritz, so thanks to Tim’s son for saving the site from dead air.

Denny Neagle

When he was a Yankee, two-time All-Star Neagle first met Kirk Radomski in a New York nightclub, as per Radomski (by the way, is it just me, or was Radomski some kind of omnipresent dude?). Apparently, after the two met, Neagle called up Radomski and wanted to score some HGH, and between 2000 and 2004, Radomski says he sold Neagle HGH and anabolic steroids five or six times. Eight cheques from Neagle to Radomski were reproduced in the index of the report and Neagle’s name and numbers were in Radomski’s little black book. Neagle never responded to George Mitchell’s request for an interview. Additionally, he helped pimp for Radomski by referring Ron Villone (see below) and Gary Bennett, Jr. (who we will discuss later in the series) to the dealer. Neagle’s career essentially ended after 2003. In 2004, he had his contract terminated by the Rox after he pleaded guilty to soliciting a hooker. Apparently, Neagle had a taste for the finer things in life. The following year, he tried to catch on with the Rays, but was released during Spring Training. Neagle’s best year was in 1997, when he went 20-5 with an ERA under 3.00 in 34 starts for the Braves. He hurt his elbow early in the 2003 season and never made it back to the majors. All told, Neagle won 124 games and struck out 1,415 batters with a 4.24 ERA over 286 starts, 106 relief appearances and 1,890 1/3 IP.

Ron Villone

Journeyman Villone is still scuffling around the majors, 13 years after making his major league debut in 1995. As mentioned above, Radomski says that Villone was referred to him by Neagle when the two were teammates in Colorado in 2001. According to Radomski, between 2004 and 2005, Villone made three purchases of HGH from him. In June 2006, Villone reportedly called Radomski, looking to get hooked up again, but this was after the feds had searched Radmoski’s home, so he told Villone he was out of supply. Villone’s name, address and phone number appeared in Radomski’s address book, seized by the feds. Villone declined the chance to be interviewed for the report. Further, Villone also helped Radomski by referring Ryan Franklin to him (see below). Villone’s best season was probably in 2005, when he recorded a 2.46 ERA in 40 1/3 IP as a set-up man for the Mariners, however, he stunk after a mid-season trade to the Marlins. Way back in 1996, his second season in the bigs, he recorded a 3.14 ERA in 44 games split between San Diego and Milwaukee. This season with the Cards, he’s excelled as a lefty specialist, holding lefties to a .181 BAA in a career-high 73 appearances. However, his awful mark against righties has pushed his overall ERA up to 4.74. He has a 56-59 career mark, mostly as a reliever, with a lifetime ERA of 4.76.

Ryan Franklin

As discussed above, Franklin was referred to Radomski by Villone when the pair was teammates in Emerald City in 2004. Villone brokered a deal between Radomski and Franklin, calling up Radomski and telling him to send Franklin Anavar and Deca-Durabolin. In August 2005, Franklin was suspended for ten games after testing positive. At the time of the suspension, Franklin pleaded ignorance to how he tested positive: “There has to be a flaw in the system. I have no clue,” he told MLB.com at the time. Uh, yes. One part of your statement was true, Ryan: you have no clue. Franklin declined to be interviewed for the Mitchell Report. He enjoyed his best season as a set-up man for the Cards in 2007, going 4-4 with 25 holds and a save while recording a 3.04 ERA and striking out 44 with 11 walks in 69 games and 80 IP. This season, he’s taken over the closer role since Jason Isringhausen got hurt, but he hasn’t been quite as effective, with a 3.59 ERA and 30 walks in less innings than he threw last year. He actually wound up losing the job to Chris Perez, but then getting it back in the past week. In 389 games (106 starts) and 1,046 1/3 IP, Franklin has 51 wins, 55 holds, 565 strikeouts and a lifetime ERA of 4.20.

Todd Williams

Radomski says he sold Winstrol to Williams once in 2001; Williams wouldn’t comment on these allegations for the report, however. His best season was in 2004 for the O’s when he recorded a 2-0 record and 2.87 ERA in 29 games and 31 1/3 IP. His numbers went steadily downhill over the next three seasons until the O’s released him in June 2007. Williams hasn’t pitched in the majors since.

Phil Hiatt

Hiatt, a minor league veteran who got a few cracks at the bigs over his career, first talked to Radomski in 2001 and Radomski says he sold HGH and Deca-Durabolin to Hiatt two or three times over the course of several seasons. Hiatt declined a chance to talk to Mitchell for the report. Hiatt’s best season in the majors was 2001, which was also his last appearance as a big leaguer. In 30 games and 50 at bats off the Dodger bench that season, he hit .240. He was signed to a minor league deal by the Astros in December 2003 and played for their Triple-A team in 2004 before packing it in. In four MLB seasons and 170 career games, Hiatt hit .216 with a 645 OPS.

Next up, we’ll look at Todd Pratt, Kevin Young, Mike Lansing and others.

Our comprehensive series recapping the Mitchell Report, nearly a year later, continues. You can find the previous portions of this series here: Part I, II, III, IV, V and VI.

Gregg Zaun

Zaun is yet another player connected to the steroid scandal by Kirk Radomski. According to Radomski, it was Jason Grimsley – another figure made legendary by this report – who referred Zaun to him when both Grimsley and Zaun were teammates on the Royals in 2001. Radomski recalls that someone (whom he can’t remember) called him and placed an order for steroids on behalf of Zaun. While Zaun never spoke directly to Radomski, he did send him a cheque for Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol, and a copy of that cheque is reproduced in the report. Further, Radomski says he sent the drugs to Zaun at the Royals clubhouse. Luis Perez, the Expo bullpen catcher who was nabbed for possessing one pound of marijuana, in 2003 told investigators from the Commissioner’s Office that he had personally supplied steroids to Zaun and seven other players. Former KC manager Tony Muser said he once had a talk with Zaun about the dangers of steroids, but he never accused him of taking them, and Zaun denied ever using them. Further, Zaun declined to be interviewed by George Mitchell for the report. Zaun was a backup back in 2001, but he flashed more pop than ever back then, smacking six homers in just 39 games and 125 at bats. In 2006, he recorded an OPS of 825 in 99 games and 290 at bats for the Jays. He’s been slipping since, and looks near the end of the line now. Apparently, the Jays plan to decline his option for 2009, but he will likely wind up somewhere else as a backup.

F.P. Santangelo

According to Radomski, he was referred to Santangelo by David Segui – the king of ‘roid pimping – sometime between 1995 and 1997, when those two were teammates with the Expos. One cheque from Santangelo to Radomski from 2000 is reproduced in the report. Further, Radomski said he remembered selling Deca-Durabolin and testosterone to Santangelo once or twice in 2001. Santangelo declined the chance to respond to these allegations for the report. His best season was in 1999, when he hit .260 in 254 at bats for the Giants. He was a lifetime .245 hitter with 21 homers in 665 games and 1,691 at bats.

Adam Piatt

Piatt was quite helpful in supplying information for the Mitchell Report, as he was one of the few players implicated who actually agreed to be interviewed. In fact, Piatt, represented by his lawyer, was interviewed twice. Piatt was first hooked up with Radomski by Santangelo. Piatt, the A’s Minor League Player of the Year in 1999, had his lawyer contact Mitchell after Radomski pleaded guilty, and Piatt at that time admitted his use of PEDs, which he took during the 2002-03 offseason, acquired from Radomski. Further to his own admission, Piatt was instrumental in providing evidence that Miguel Tejada, his teammate in 2003, had purchased steroids. In fact, Piatt obtained them for Tejada, but he couldn’t say for sure whether Tejada ever actually used them. Copies of two cheques that Tejada gave to Piatt are reproduced in the report. Piatt’s best season was his rookie year in 2000, when he hit .299 with five homers in 60 games. He was in camp with the Indians, but retired prior to after the 2004 season, having produced an OPS of 745 and 16 homers in 521 games over four seasons played.

Glenallen Hill

According to Radomski, he met Hill at a social function in 2000 at which Hill told him he had been taking HGH, but “not feeling anything.” Shortly thereafter, Radomski – ever the humanitarian – sent Hill a sample bottle of HGH free of charge and told him to give it a shot, so to speak. Hill was thrilled, and promptly bought two kits from Radomski, according to Radomski. One cheque from Hill to Radomski is reproduced in the report. Also, Hill’s name, address and phone number are listed in Radomski’s little black book, seized by federal authorities. Because Hill was employed by the Rockies as a coach in 2007, he had to cooperate for the report. His version of the events was a bit different than that of Radomski, however. Hill said he got Radomski’s contact info from someone he called “David,” a player he met in 1998 who admitted taking steroids and was very knowledgeable about their use (Segui, perhaps?). In late 2000, Hill said he contacted “David” and got Radomski’s contact info, and subsequently had about five telephone conversations with Radomski about the effects of steroids. Ultimately, Hill says Radomski sold him some Sustanton in either late 2000 or early 2001, but he said he never used the ‘roids he bought from Radomski. Hill was asked why he purchased them but never took them and he said at the time he was going through “marital stress,” whatever that means. Uh, my wife was nagging me, so it made me buy some ‘roids. Okay. Hill said he didn’t even know he still had them until he found them during a move in 2007. Further, he said this was the only time he ever bought PEDs and has never taken any. Hill also said he was advised by his lawyers not to name names as it would hurt his chances of advancing in his baseball career. Finally, according to Radomski, Hill referred Mo Vaughn to Radomski. Hill’s best season was probably in 1999, when he mashed 20 homers and hit .300 in just 99 games with the Cubs. Two years later, he was out of the bigs, having racked up a lifetime BA of .271 with 186 homers in 3,715 career at bats.

In Part VIII of the series, we’ll look at Denny Neagle, Ron Villone, Ryan Franklin and others.

Chris Donnels

Donnels, a teammate of Todd Hundley with the Dodgers in 2000, admitted to George Mitchell that Kirk Radomski was supplying Hundley. As for himself, Donnels was trying to overcome a shoulder injury in 2000, and he started researching HGH. During a rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque, he discussed the topic with strength and conditioning coach Todd Seyler and, according to Seyler, Donnels admitted taking HGH. In 2001, after a back injury, Donnels reportedly purchased a variety of ‘roids from Radomski, someone he first met back in 1991 or 1992. Between 2000 and 2004, Radomski apparently sold Donnels both HGH and steroids at least eight times. Donnels was interviewed for the Mitchell Report and he told investigators that he first was exposed to steroids in 1993 when he was a member of the Astros and a teammate of – you guessed it – Ken Caminiti, however, it would be another seven years before Donnels succumbed to juicing. Further, Donnels was apparently a good provider of references for Radomski, steering many players to him for his services. Two of those were Stephen Randolph and Chad Allen, who will discuss later in this series. Donnels was a part-time player and fringe major leaguer who played 450 games over eight seasons. In his brief time (34 at bats) with the Dodgers in 2000, he looked great, smacking four home runs. But after just two more seasons as a bench player, he had played his last big league game.

Mark Carreon

Carreon is yet another Radomski client, a player Radomski said he supplied Dianabol to when Carreon was nearing the end of his time with the Giants, a team he toiled for from 1994 to 1996. Carreon declined the chance to be interviewed by Mitchell for the report. Carreon, generally a bench player/fourth outfielder type over his career, enjoyed his finest season in 1993. Three years later, he was done, having racked up 69 career home runs in ten big league seasons.

Hal Morris

Morris was connected to the ‘roid scandal by — surprise, surprise – Radomski, who said he sold the first baseman two different drugs in late 1999. Morris’s name and address appeared in Radomski’s little black book, and has been confirmed as correct. While Morris himself declined to go on record for this report, he did have his lawyer send a letter that stated Morris denied ever using steroids in his career. He didn’t, however, actually deny buying or possessing steroids, so Mitchell sent a followup letter asking him if he denied ever buying or possessing the stuff. Morris’s lawyer responded by saying he had already addressed the issue of whether Morris had ever taken PEDs and felt no need to respond to any follow-ups. Draw your own conclusions. Morris probably enjoyed his best season in 1990, more or less his first full year, when he hit .340 in 309 at bats, although he also had a big season in strike shortened 1994 (.335, ten homers in 436 at bats). By 1999, he had been reduced to a part-timer and although he experienced a bit of a renaissance after a deal to Detroit halfway through 2000, he never played another big league game after that season. Overall, Morris hit 76 homers and was a career .304 hitter in 1,246 big league games.

Matt Franco

When he was playing for the Mets, Franco apparently met Radomski, and Radomski said there was one steroid transaction between them, occurring in 2000. Franco engaged in a telephone interview for the Mitchell Report, stating at the time that he had never taken any steroids, nor had he ever met, known or even talked to Radomski. In fact, until Radomski pleaded guilty, Franco claims to have never even heard of him. Uh, okay. Franco’s best season was a bench player with the Braves in 2002, when he smacked six homers in 81 games and 205 at bats. He struggled the following season before heading off to Japan for a couple of seasons. Franco never played in the majors again, recording a career OPS of 740 in 661 major league games.

Rondell White

Radomski says White began buying ‘roids from him back in 2000 and he had plenty of evidence to support his claim. Later, White played pimp for Radomski, introducing him to Nook Logan. White’s best season was probably in 2001, when he recorded an OPS of 900 in 95 games for the Cubs. Injuries constantly plagued him, and he retired after the 2007 season, having hit .284 with almost 200 homers in 1,474 games over 15 seasons.

Chuck Knoblauch

According to Radomski, Knoblauch was one of the players who was using Brian McNamee as his personal trainer, and Radomski further said he suspected that McNamee was supplying some of his clients with PEDs. According to the federal officials who investigated McNamee, he told the officials that he had supplied Knoblauch, among others, with ‘roids. In fact, McNamee admitted that he acquired HGH from Radomski in 2001 that was for Knoblauch. He said that he injected Knoblauch seven to nine times from the start of Spring Training through the early portion of that season. Knoblauch reportedly paid Radomski through Jason Grimsley, but occasional paid him through McNamee. Knoblauch declined the opportunity to be interviewed for the report. Knoblauch, the 1991 AL ROY and a four-time All-Star, enjoyed his finest season in 1996 with the Twins, when he hit .341 with a 965 OPS, scoring 140 runs and swiping 45 bases. After the following season, he was dealt to the Yankees, and never again approached those overall totals. He retired after the 2002 season, having accumulated a lifetime BA of .289 through 6,366 at bats, with almost 100 homers and over 400 steals.

In Part VII of the series, we’ll look at Gregg Zaun, F.P. Santangelo, Adam Piatt and others.

After a busy week of football coverage and the continued rollout of our NHL Draft Kit, we’re back with the next part of our look back at the Mitchell Report. You can find the first four parts of the series here, here, here and here.

Paul Lo Duca

Four-time All-Star Lo Duca was originally referred to known PED peddler Kirk Radomski by teammate Todd Hundley, and according to Radomski, he and Lo Duca had about a half dozen drug transactions between them. Lo Duca, in turn, introduced Radomski to several players who would become clients, including Kevin Brown, Eric Gagne and Matt Herges. Lo Duca reportedly first start using steroids in 1999, courtesy Triple-A Albuquerque strength and conditioning coach Todd Seyler. While he declined to participate in Mitchell’s report, in the wake of its release, he finally apologized for “mistakes in judgment.” Great. Don’t forget about those needle marks, too, Paul! Lo Duca’s career season came in 2001, his first year as a full-time player. He looked to be in free fall the past couple of years, but a move to Florida seems to have momentarily revitalized his career.

Rick Ankiel

Ankiel was first connected to ‘roids by a September 2007 New York Daily News report that suggested he was a client of Signature Pharmacy, one of the companies that was raided. According to the paper, Ankiel had ordered eight shipments of HGH during 2004 and, after the story broke, he admitted that he had in fact used the drug. The Commissioner’s Office met with him, but ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence to discipline Ankiel. After flaming out as a pitcher thanks to injuries and psychological issues, Ankiel made an improbable successful transition to the outfield, enjoying great success there last season before the news broke late in the schedule. This year, he was also having a fine campaign, but once again, injuries have thrown a monkey wrench into his progress.

Jay Gibbons

Right after Ankiel was outed, Sports Illustrated reported that Gibbons was also a client of Signature Pharmacy, buying a reported six shipments of HGH between 2003 and 2005. Gibbons refused to comment on the allegations, but the Commissioner’s Office decided to slap a 15-day suspension on him, to begin at the start of the 2008 campaign. Once the suspension was announced, he admitted his mistake and apologized for it. Sorry! Gibbons enjoyed his finest season in 2005, but has been in free fall since. In fact, he sunk so low that he had to go the Independent Atlantic League to get a job this spring. In late-July, he finally got back to organized ball, signed by the Brewers to a minor league deal. Gibbons had to start at Double-A, and after five games of barely acceptable production, he was promoted to Triple-A, where he hit well, but never got a sniff of a Milwaukee brat. Clearly, he faces an uphill battle to get back to where he was a couple of years ago.

Jack Cust

Cust, a teammate of Larry Bigbie’s at Triple-A Ottawa in 2003, apparently told Bigbie he had used steroids and that he had a source who could score him some PEDs if he needed them. Cust refused to be interviewed for Mitchell’s report and, after the report came out, denied ever using ‘roids. He enjoyed a breakout season for the A’s in 2007, and while he hasn’t quite been able to duplicate that this season, he does have a career high in home runs.

Tim Laker

According to Radomski, in 1995 he was introduced to Laker by Expo teammate David Segui, a man famous for his ‘roid hookups. Radomski said he sold Laker steroids on a couple of occasions, a fact that was verified by Laker, who was one of the rare former players who agreed to be interviewed for the Mitchell Report. Of course, he didn’t have much choice; as a member of the Cleveland Indians’ staff, he was required by the Commission’s Office to participate. Laker confided to Mitchell that he first considering juicing up prior to the 1995 season, and began researching the idea. His first purchase was in 1995 and his last one was in 1999, and he says he stopped using during the 2000 season. Laker was always a back-up catcher, battling for jobs year after year. In a brief run with the Pirates in 1998, he hit very well, but probably his finest season ever was in 1995. After a four-game callup with the Indians in 2006, he was DFAed, and never made it back to The Show.

Josias Manzanillo

According to Radomski, in 1994, Manzanillo, a journeyman pitcher for 14 seasons, asked to be injected with ‘roids. Radomski complied, in what he says was the only instance he ever actually saw a major leaguer juice up. Through his lawyer, Manzanillo stated that a Mets’ clubhouse attendant repeatedly approached him and encouraged he buy steroids during the early ‘90s. He admitted buying them, but said he chickened out and never took them. Further, Manzanillo’s lawyer says his client never took PEDs. In 2001, Manzanillo was fingered by Jose Cervantes as someone he sold prescription drugs (not steroids or HGH, however), but Manzanillo’s lawyer shot down that incident as well. Manzanillo’s finest season came in 2000 and he last pitched in the bigs in 2004. In 2005, he failed to make the Red Sox and was released.

Todd Hundley

Hundley, a two-time All-Star, has known Radomski since 1988, and, Radomski says, Hundley started buying ‘roids from him in 1996. Hundley, who denied Mitchell an interview, exploded in 1996 for 41 homers – a record at the time for catchers — and followed that up with an even better season in 1997. Injuries really hurt him from then on, but in 2000, he was fantastic, mashing 24 homers and driving in 70 runs for the Dodgers in just 90 games. He struggled badly with the Cubs the following season, and then rebounded somewhat in 2002, despite more injury issues. In 2003, he played slightly better again, but was limited to 21 games and was done after that year.

Next up, in our seemingly endless series on the Mitchell Report, we’ll look at Chris Donnels, Mark Carreon, Hal Morris and others.

And we’re back, with more of our retrospective look at the Mitchell Report. You can find the first three parts of this series here, here and here.

Marvin Benard

Benard’s name came up when BALCO president Jim Valente was interviewed by federal agents on the day of the raid. He said that trainer Greg Anderson had gotten “the cream” and “the clear” for his client, Benard. Benard was subsequently one of the players who got subpoenaed to appear before the Grand Jury during the BALCO hearings. When the allegations regarding Benard’s drug use were exposed, Giants’ manager Dusty Baker asked him if they were true and, according to Baker, Benard admitted using ‘roids, but said he no longer was taking anything. Baker never passed Benard’s admission along to anyone in the organization or in the Commissioner’s Office. Benard enjoyed an excellent season as an extra outfielder in 1998, but the following year was likely his best season as a full-time player. By 2001, he was more or less back to being a part-time player, and two years later he was done as a Giant. In 2004, he wound up in the Jays’ organization, but never again appeared in a big league game.

Randy Velarde

Velarde was also among the players Valente fingered as someone Anderson supplied PEDs to. And, just like Benard, Velarde was subpoenaed to appear before the Grand Jury during the BALCO hearings. Through his attorney, Velarde agreed to be interviewed by George Mitchell and during that process, admitted to using drugs. Apparently, the transaction with Anderson occurred in 2003, as Velarde was hanging on and trying to continue his career. As it turns out, Velarde never played in the bigs that season or ever again. His career year came in 1999, a season he split between the Angels and A’s. Overall, he cranked 100 homers and hit .276 in a 16-year career.

Jeremy Giambi

Jason’s kid brother was also on Valente’s list of Anderson-supplied players. Valente further said that both Giambi boys had tested positive in tests done by BALCO. Like all the athletes exposed in the BALCO scandal, Jeremy was required to testify at the Grand Jury hearings. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, which somehow got a hold of all the testimony, Giambi admitted to the Grand Jury that he had injected himself with HGH and testosterone prior to the 2003 season. He declined to be interviewed for the Mitchell Report, but he had already admitted, to the Kansas City Star in 2005, that he had taken ‘roids. According to Ethan Stein, a former minor league teammate of Giambi’s, Giambi told him way back in 1996 that both he and his brother had taken PEDs. Giambi’s finest season came in 2002, when he smacked 12 homers in just 156 at bats for the Phillies. The following season, he struggled in a smaller role with the BoSox, and never appeared in the majors again. In 2005, he played briefly at two levels in the ChiSox organization, but hasn’t played professionally since.

Wally Joyner

Joyner, a teammate of Ken Caminiti’s in 1998, admitted to Mitchell that tried steroids three times, but then discarded the rest and never took them again. Although he had a big season with the Padres in 1997, Joyner was never able to really approach the form he showed in his sophomore season with the Angels in 1987, when he smacked 34 homers and scored 100 runs. Overall, he cranked 204 homers and hit .289 in a 16-year career.

Bobby Estalella

Estalella was a client of Anderson, so by association, he was ordered to appear before the Grand Jury after the BALCO fallout. However, according to the Chronicle, Estalella did in fact admit to using ‘roids during his testimony. When Mitchell asked to interview him for the report, Estalella declined. According to the book Game of Shadows, Estalella called Anderson in 2002 to help him recover from a shoulder injury. Part of the recovery plan was HGH. The club suspected he was using, but of course, no one reported anything. The catcher’s finest season came in 2000, with the Giants. He was a part-time player over the next four years, bouncing from team to team. Estalella was in camp with the Mets in 2006, but early on he left and retired.

Paxton Crawford

Crawford fessed up to taking ‘roids while he was a member of the Boston Red Sox in 2000 and 2001. However, he declined to be interviewed by Mitchell, saying he didn’t do that kind of thing anymore. Crawford didn’t have much of a big league career, never appearing in the Show again after 2001. He spent one more season in the Red Sox organization, before heading to Indy ball. Crawford got back into organized ball in 2004 with the Reds, but in 2005, he was back in the Independent Atlantic League, and it appears that was the end of the line for him.

Gary Matthews, Jr.

Matthews was originally connected to ‘roids by the media as a suspected client of Signature Pharmacy, which was raided by police. In February 2007, the Albany Times Union reported that Matthews was on the customer list of Applied Pharmacy Services, another compounding pharmacy that came under investigation. Later, Sports Illustrated reported that Matthews was shipped HGH by Applied in 2004. Shortly thereafter, Matthews issued a statement saying he had never taken HGH at any time. After an investigation, the Commissioner’s Office decided there was insufficient evidence to suspend Matthews, even though Chad Allen, Matthews’s teammate in 2004, said he found syringes in the apartment that he was sharing with Matthews and another player. Matthews enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2006, but injuries and ineffectiveness have put him in a downward spiral since. In fact, this year has been the biggest struggle for Matthews since his rookie season in 2000.

Next up, in Part V, we’ll explore the stories of Paul Lo Duca, Rick Ankiel, Jay Gibbons and others.

Matt Williams

One-time slugger Williams was one of those players whose names appeared in the media as a suspected client of Signature Pharmacy after that outfit was raided. The San Francisco Chronicle reported, in its November 6, 2007 edition, that Williams purchased HGH, steroids, syringes and other drugs from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Centre in 2002. By then, of course, Williams’s career was just about done. While he enjoyed a decent season in 2002 (when healthy, which was rare), he was completely ineffective in 2003, and was done after that season, managing to play a mere 44 games that year. Williams’s career year came in the strike-shortened 1994 campaign, but there’s no indication of whether he was juicing back then or not.

Benito Santiago

It was trainer Greg Anderson – a key figure in the BALCO scandal – who apparently scored “the cream” and “the clear” for Santiago, as per BALCO president Jim Valente. Anderson, of course, had worked as a trainer for Santiago, and later Santiago was subpoenaed to appear before the Grand Jury during the BALCO investigation. According to the Chronicle, during his testimony – which is ostensibly confidential, but was leaked to the paper — Santiago admitted using PEDs, but then his lawyer clarified that statement, saying that if Santiago did ingest anything it was without any knowledge of what it was. Rigggggggggggght. Me: “Here, Benny, take this!” Santiago: “Okay!” Like many others, Santiago declined a request to be interviewed for the Mitchell Report. Of course, the most classic Santiago anecdote appears in the book Game of Shadows. In 2003, Santiago was reportedly approached by drug testers for a urine sample, and he panicked and ran out of the clubhouse. Wow, talk about stage fright. Later in the season, syringes were found in his locker, but the Giants’ team trainers decided not to make an issue of it. Santiago’s best season came in 1996 with the Phillies, but after he looked about done in 2001, he enjoyed back-to-back big years with the Giants before spending his last two season as a part-timer in KC and Pittsburgh, respectively.

Larry Bigbie

Bigbie was introduced to PED supplier Kirk Radomski by Oriole teammate David Segui in 2003, and soon afterwards, he sold Bigbie PEDs on a variety of occasions, Radomski said. Bigbie has been cooperating with the federal authorities during the investigation into the illegal distribution of PEDs. According to his own accounts, he first dabbled in steroids back in 2001, near the end of the season. By Spring Training 2002, he had gone from 190 pounds to 220 – and we’re not talking about gaining 30 pounds thanks to being hand-fed Twinkies by scantily-clad 18-year-old girls all winter. His body fat was a mere 7 per cent. Of course, an injury wound up costing him almost the entire 2002 season. Three years later, a call Bigbie made to Radmonski – who by then was cooperating with federal authorities – was monitored, and when the feds approached Bigbie, he agreed to cooperate in the investigation. He says he hasn’t juiced up since. Bigbie’s finest season was in 2004, and over the next two years his PT was severely limited thanks to injuries and he was done as a major leaguer after the 2006 season. In 2007, he spent half the year in Triple-A, but when his contract allowed him to become a free agent in June, no major league team came calling. This year, he played in Japan.

David Segui

There were a couple of incidents with Segui, dating back as early as 1999 or 2000, that were never reported. First, an attendant in the visiting clubhouse in KC found syringes and vials hidden in a sunglasses case in Segui’s luggage. He informed his supervisor of what he had found, but they opted to replace the materials and never told anyone of their discovery. A few years later, when Segui was with the O’s, he told then Baltimore co-GM Jim Beattie that he wanted to see a doctor who had given him HGH. Beattie had never heard of Segui’s drug use before this conversation, but no one in the organization informed the Commissioner’s Office. Later, Segui admitted his drug use publicly. The first time Segui admitted his use to anyone was in 1994, when he told Radomski, according to Radomski. Over the next several years, Radomski sold Segui PEDs on many occasions. Segui’s finest season came in 2000, and he more or less limped through the next four years as a part-time player who was hurt a lot, before retiring after 2004.

Jason Grimsley

Grimsley emerged as one of the most infamous cases of the ‘roid era, earning a 50-game suspension for his admission to using HGH in the summer of 2006. He originally told federal agents that he tested positive in 2003, when MLB began its testing program. According to Radomski, Grimsley bought HGH from him seven or eight times between 2000 and 2003. Grimsley’s finest season came in 2001 as a top set-up man for the Royals. He never played in the majors again after his suspension. In fact, he never actually served it, as the D-Backs released him beforehand. If he does ever try to make a comeback, he’ll have to sit out the first 50 games.

Armando Rios

When Victor Conte was questioned in the wake of the BALCO investigation, he named Rios as one of many players he had sold “the cream” and “the clear” to. Rios was also apparently one of trainer Anderson’s clients. When the Chronicle reported on the leaked Grand Jury testimony of those asked to appear, Rios reportedly admitted his use to the court. He declined to be interviewed for the Mitchell Report. Rios had a solid year as an extra outfielder in 1999, but 2000 was probably his finest season in terms of performance and playing time. He last appeared in the majors in 2003 for the ChiSox and became a free agent at the end of Spring Training 2005 when he rejected an assignment to the minors by the Twins.

In Part IV of this series, we’ll look at Marvin Bedard, Randy Velarde and Jeremy Giambi, among other key figures of the ‘Roid Reports.

Juan Gonzalez

JuanGone got caught in an interesting scandal in October 2001, when a duffel bag containing steroids and syringes was discovered by Canadian Customs workers as the Indians’ team luggage arrived in Toronto after a flight from Kansas City. Indian equipment manager Ted Walsh recognized the bag as one sent down by Gonzalez, but apparently it was not uncommon for Gonzalez to send bags of his entourage down with him. Later, the bag was claimed by Joshue Perez, a member of Gonzalez’s entourage. However, when taken in for questioning, Perez said the bag belonged to Angel Presinal, Gonzalez’s personal trainer. Presinal, who was to arrive in Toronto on a later flight, was detained when he landed, but he denied the bag was his, claiming it belonged to and had been packed by Gonzalez himself. When Gonzo was questioned again, he said he didn’t know what was in the bag, but said that it belonged to Presinal. Later, Presinal finally admitted he packed the bag and carried the drugs for Gonzalez and also helped administer them to him. In 2007, however, Presinal denied saying that when interviewed for the Mitchell Report. It appears no one was left holding the bag in this situation. Meanwhile, 2001 marked the last good season Gonzalez ever had. Over the next four years, he never was able to top 82 games or 327 at bats, as his career sputtered to a close thanks to injuries. This spring, he tried to make a comeback, but injuries again nipped that in the bud.

Ken Caminiti

The late Ken Caminiti, a former NL MVP, became one of the sport’s true whistleblowers when, in 2002, he publicly suggested that at least half of all big league players were juiced. The same year, of course, he admitted to Sports Illustrated that he was on steroids, and he credited them with his increase in pop (before joining the Padres, he had never had more than 18 homers in a season; in his first two years in San Diego, he smacked 66, including 40 in his MVP 1996 campaign). By 1999, injuries hastened his exit from the game. Over the next three years, he was never able to surpass 356 at bats in any season, and although he smacked 15 homers in just 59 games in 2000, by 2001, his power had disappeared. In 2004, he died of a drug overdose.

Troy Glaus

Glaus was one of the players who was outed after the raid on Signature Pharmacy last February. SI listed him as being a customer of Signature, reporting that Glaus had purchased nandrolene and testosterone between September 2003 and May 2004. Glaus never commented on the allegations, and the Commissioner’s Office decided there was insufficient evidence to discipline him. Glaus smacked 118 homers between 2000 and 2002 before suffering through back-to-back injury plagued seasons. He came back in 2005, and crushed another 75 long balls over the next two seasons. The last two years, however, his power has been below career norms.

Lenny Dykstra

Now this is some serious old school PED-action. Back in the mid- to late-’80s, Dykstra was a skinny outfielder with a penchant for getting hurt. Suddenly, in 1990, he showed up to camp having added 30 pounds of muscle – something he credited to “really good vitamins.” Ah, yes. In our pre-‘roid era naivety, something like that would go virtually unnoticed. Sure, there were articles at the time that speculated he was juicing, but no one actually did anything about it. Sure enough, Dykstra stayed healthy enough to enjoy a career year in 2000, but when the next two seasons were again injury-riddled, no one batted an eyelash. In 2003, stories again surfaced about his possible drug use in the wake of an even better season than he had in 2000. Dykstra never again came close to those totals, and three years later, he was done. Lee Thomas, GM of the Phillies in 2000, was interviewed for the Mitchell Report, and he said he was suspicious about Dykstra’s weight gain in 2000, but when he confronted Nails about it, Dykstra denied he was ‘roiding up. However, known PED supplier Kirk Radomski said that back in 1989, Dykstra admitted to him that he had taken steroids.

David Justice

Radomski also fingered Justice, saying he sold him HGH after the 2000 World Series. Assuming that was his first time taking it, it didn’t help. Justice had enjoyed a monster year in 2000, cranking a career high 41 homers, but following that year, he struggled through two injury-plagued and ineffective seasons and then was out of the game. Justice was interviewed for the Mitchell Report, and he denied taking ‘roids. He did, however, supply the names of lots of players he suspected were taking them. Thanks, Dave.

Mo Vaughn

Yet another Radomski client, Vaughn first called Radomski in 2001 to get advice for an ankle injury. Radomski said HGH would help it heal faster, and shortly thereafter, he said he sold the big man the goods. Vaughn refused to be interviewed for the report. At any rate, the ankle sidelined Vaughn for all of 2001, and he came back and played two more seasons, but was never close to his pre-injury form. I hope he asked for his money back.

Kevin Brown

Brown was hooked up with Radomski in either 2000 or 2001 through Paul Lo Duca when the two were Dodger teammates. When Brown got hurt a couple of times during the 2001 season, he called up Radomski and asked him to score him some HGH. Radomski says he sold PEDs to Brown five or six times over the next two or three years. Brown was yet another player who declined to meet with Mitchell over the allegations. Brown continued to struggle with injuries in 2002, and he had one of his worst seasons ever. In 2003, however, he stayed healthy, and enjoyed his finest season as a Dodger. He was dealt to the Yankees, and spent his final two years in New York, again dealing with injuries and ineffectiveness before retiring after the 2005 campaign.

Next up, in Part III, we’ll look at Matt Williams, Benito Santiago, Larry Bigbie and others.

We rarely cover performance enhancing drug issues here on RotoRob, but I thought it might be interesting to look back on the Mitchell Report, almost a year after the fact, and see how the players mentioned within the tome have fared. Of course, many of the players fingered in the report are no longer active (many as a direct result of the controversy), but let’s do our best to see what, if any, effect Mitchell’s findings have had.

Roger Clemens

Doubtlessly the finest pitcher of his generation, Clemens won 354 games in a career that has been clouded by the Mitchell Report’s suggestions that Jose Canseco introduced the Rocket to PEDs. Even though Clemens has not pitched this season, and his career apparently is over, he remains in the news, most recently with a report that Kirk Radomski offered evidence that he shipped drugs to Clemens’s home in Texas. What a fall from grace for the Rocket.

Andy Pettitte

Brian McNamee, the former trainer who has been made notorious by the report, told Mitchell he injected Pettitte with HGH in 2002, something the pitcher admitted to a couple of days after the report was released. Pettitte got hooked up with McNamee when he and Clemens were trained by him during the offseason in 2001. This season, Pettitte is suffering through his worst season since 1999, however, barring a late start to the season, he’s remained healthy.

Jason Giambi

Giambi was fingered by Victor Conte, another of the key players in the steroid scandal, after the infamous BALCO raid in September 2003. In 2004, Giambi suffered through the worst season of his career. Although he still hasn’t been able to stay fully healthy since then, his performance bounced back in a big way in 2005 and 2006 before dropping off again last year. To his credit, Giambi has enjoyed another solid rebound season this year and has avoided the serious types of injuries that plagued him last year.

Barry Bonds

Bonds was also outed by Conte after the original BALCO scandal in 2003. Bonds responded by enjoying his best season ever in 2004, although he slipped after that, and is now out of baseball, apparently blackballed by MLB, according to his agent. Of course, Bonds has bigger issues than trying to find a new team to play for; he’s facing 15 felony charges for perjury and obstruction of justice. Fun!

Rafael Palmeiro

Palmeiro first was ushered into the ‘roid investigations when he was questioned by the congressional hearing in March 2005 about whether he had taken PEDs, testimony that was later suspected to be lies, something Miguel Tejeda was grilled about with the whole B12 injection story. Mitchell sent Palmeiro’s lawyer a letter with specific questions about Raffy’s PED use, but the letter was ignored. The steroid allegations proved so distracting (coming to a head at a game in Toronto when myself, with three friends, helped boo him out of baseball), that the Orioles essentially told Palmerio, whose career had been in free fall since 2003, to stay away from the team. Prior to the 2007 season, Palmeiro expressed interest in making a comeback, but the Rangers said no thanks, and no one else took the bait.

Brian Roberts

Roberts was introduced to supplier Radomski by teammate David Segui in 2003 and later admitted to Larry Bigbie that he injected himself once or twice in 2003. A few days after the release of the report, Roberts publicly admitted his mistake. In 2005, he enjoyed a career year, experiencing a tremendous spike in power. He backtracked in 2006, but bounced back somewhat last year, and has continued his resurgence this year, setting a new career high in triples.

Miguel Tejada

The AL’s 2002 MVP and an ironman who played in the fifth most consecutive games in MLB history, Tejada’s first documented steroid episode came in 2003, when he asked teammate Adam Piatt if he had any ‘roids. Piatt further admitted that he gave Tejada some, but did not know if he took any or not. Later, of course, Palmeiro fingered Tejada for the infamous B12 injection. Tejada had a career year in 2004, but started sliding last year, a decline that has really continued this season. In fact, since 2004, when he slammed 34 homers and drove in 150 runs, Tejada’s power numbers have slipped every season.

Eric Gagne

The 2003 Cy Young winner, Gagne was tied into the scandal by Radomski, who said that Gagne’s teammate Paul Lo Duca called him up and told him that both he and Gagne wanted to get hooked up with some HGH. Radomski further alleged that Gagne came on the phone and asked him a question, and this was the only time they ever spoke. Radomski wasn’t sure of the exact dates, but it’s believed to be around 2003 or 2004, however, it could have been as early as 1999. Gagne enjoyed another dominant season in 2004, but injuries began to strike the following year, limiting him to 16 appearances total in 2005 and 2006. He returned to moderate health last year, but wasn’t nearly as effective, and this season, injuries struck again, and he’s endured his worst year ever.

Gary Sheffield

Sheffield was another player who’s lawyer received a letter from Mitchell, but who failed to respond. He was also another player mentioned by name by Conte in the BALCO aftermath. Sheffield enjoyed a monster year in 2003, setting a new career high in RBI. His numbers slipped the next three seasons, bottoming out in 2006, when he missed most of the season. He rebounded somewhat last year, with 25 home runs, but has struggled this year, thanks in a large part to his shoulder. Sheffield bears no resemblance to that super productive player that drove in at least 120 runs every season between 2003 and 2005.

Next up, we’ll continue our review of the Mitchell Report with Part II, focusing on some of the other bigt-time players who were named, including Juan Gonzalez, Ken Caminiti and Troy Glaus.