Thursday, December 13, 2007

Cheaters


Fifty names aren't close to enough to the amount of players actually using steroids in the past decade. Unfortunately for the players in the report, they will be the ones to have to answer on behalf of at least 20-30% of major leaguers. If you ever saw Kevin Brown and the way he oiled up his arms before starts, you would have known it was inevitable his name would pop up on this list. Though guys like Eric Gagne and Paul LoDuca would have been easy to suspect (see Gagne's injuries and LoDuca's lone 20 homer seasons) it is disappointing to find their names.
A number of guys who played for the Dodgers are on this list and blame should be spread to those who stood silent while watching the slander of baseball. Owners, managers, and front office executives should also be held accountable.
Here are some of my thoughts after reading some of the report.


  • The two major sources, Kurt Radomski and Brian McNamee are screwed and should be fearful for their lives. Scott Boras is likely hiring mercenaries as we speak.
  • With all the evidence (signed checks, personal notes) how will the players on the list defend themselves and will anyone believe them?
  • Will Major League Baseball actually strengthen the drug testing program?
  • Will ESPN's Fernando Vina, an ESPN analyst defend himself on ESPN?
  • Will Roger Clemens, the man who appeared in the most ESPN commercials, be vilified on ESPN like Barry Bonds has been?
  • Will Clemens be a Hall of Famer while Bonds is excluded?
  • Where is Brady Anderson (50 homers in 1996, no more than 24 in any other year) and Luis Gonzalez (57 homers in 2001, no more than 31 in any other year)?
  • Will other names come out in future journalistic reports?
  • Will teams pursue players who appear on the list and how will fans of those teams react?
  • Senator Mitchell wants everyone to focus on the recommendations but it doesn't take a genius to realize the answers are tougher testing by an independent source. The Olympics figured that out a long time ago. Or as Bob Ley said, "duh."
Here are the details on Brown, LoDuca, and Gagne
Kevin Brown
Radomski said that Paul Lo Duca referred Brown to him in 2000 or 2001 when
Brown and Lo Duca were teammates with the Dodgers. Brown called Radomski and they spoke about human growth hormone for one or two hours. Radomski said that Brown was “very knowledgeable” about human growth hormone. Brown was placed on the disabled list in June 2001 with a neck injury and in July 2001 with an elbow injury. After Brown got hurt, he called Radomski again and asked for human growth hormone.
Radomski said that he sent human growth hormone to Brown by overnight mail
and called Brown several times to make sure he had received it. Brown finally returned Radomski’s call and confirmed he had received it. Soon thereafter, Radomski returned home one day to find an express delivery package from Brown on his doorstep, wet from the rain.
When he opened it, he found that it contained $8,000 in cash. Radomski called Brown and told him not to check the signature waiver box on the overnight delivery package when he was sending cash, because the envelope was left on Radomski’s doorstep for several hours and could have been taken.
According to Radomski, over the next two or three years he sold performance
enhancing substances to Brown five or six times. Radomski recalled that Brown usually purchased multiple kits of human growth hormone. Brown sent cash, sometimes as much as $10,000, to Radomski by overnight mail, and he used his agent’s business address as the return address. At one point, Brown asked Radomski for Deca-Durabolin to help with an ailing elbow, and Radomski sold it to him. (In 2002, Brown was placed on the disabled list with an elbow injury.)
Brown’s name, with an address and several telephone numbers, is listed in the
address book seized from Radomski’s residence by federal agents. Agents also seized an Express Mail receipt dated June 7, 2004 addressed to “Kevin Brown, [address].” A copy of that receipt is included in the Appendix and is shown below.
In the notes of the October 2003 meetings among Dodgers officials, it was
reportedly said of Brown:
Kevin Brown – getting to the age of nagging injuries . . . Question what kind of medication he takes . . . Effectiveness goes down covering 1st base or running bases. Common in soccer players and are more susceptible if you take meds to increase your muscles –doesn’t increase the attachments. Is he open to adjusting how he takes care of himself? He knows he now needs to do stuff before coming to spring training to be ready. Steroids speculated by GM.
Less than two months later, the Dodgers traded Brown to the Yankees.
In order to provide Brown with information about these allegations and to give
him an opportunity to respond, I asked him to meet with me; he declined.

Eric Gagne
Although he is not sure when, Radomski recalled that Lo Duca called Radomski and told Radomski that Gagné was with him and wanted to buy human growth hormone. Gagné then came onto the phone and asked Radomski a question about how to get air out of a syringe. This is the only time Radomski spoke to Gagné. Radomski said that Lo Duca thereafter placed orders on Gagné’s behalf.
Radomski said that he mailed two shipments to Gagné, each consisting of two kits
of human growth hormone. One was sent to Gagné’s home in Florida; the other was sent to Dodger Stadium. Federal agents seized from Radomski’s home a copy of an Express Mail receipt showing a shipment to “Dodger Stadium, c/o Eric Gagne – L.A. Dodgers Home Club, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., Los Angeles, California 90012” dated August 9, 2004. A copy of this receipt is included in the Appendix and is shown below. Radomski said that this was for one of the shipments of human growth hormone to Gagné.
Lo Duca paid Radomski for one of the shipments to Gagné by cashier’s check in
the amount of $3,200. The Lo Duca checks supplied by Radomski reflect two payments of $3,200 (each the cost of two kits) within a six-week time frame during the summer of 2004.
Radomski said that, on one other occasion, Gagné sent Radomski $3,200 in cash by FedEx. According to notes of the October 2003 meetings of Dodgers officials, it was reportedly said of Gagné that: “he probably takes medication and tendons and ligaments don’t build up just the muscle.”
When the Boston Red Sox were considering acquiring Gagné, a Red Sox official
made specific inquiries about Gagné’s possible use of steroids. In a November 1, 2006 email to a Red Sox scout, general manager Theo Epstein asked, “Have you done any digging on Gagne?
I know the Dodgers think he was a steroid guy. Maybe so. What do you hear on his
medical?” The scout, Mark Delpiano, responded, Some digging on Gagne and steroids IS the issue. Has had a checkered medical past throughout career including minor leagues. Lacks the poise and commitment to stay healthy, maintain body and re invent self. What made him a tenacious closer was the max
effort plus stuff . . . Mentality without the plus weapons and without steroid help probably creates a large risk in bounce back durability and ability to throw average while allowing the changeup to play as it once did . . . Personally, durability (or lack of) will follow Gagne .

Paul LoDuca
Todd Hundley referred Lo Duca to Radomski when Lo Duca played for the
Dodgers. Radomski estimated that he engaged in six or more transactions with Lo Duca. In some transactions, Radomski sent the performance enhancing substances by overnight mail to Lo Duca’s home or to the Dodgers clubhouse and Lo Duca sent Radomski a check a week or so later.
Radomski produced copies of three checks from Lo Duca, each in the amount of
$3,200. All are included in the Appendix. Radomski said that each check was in payment for two kits of human growth hormone.
Lo Duca’s name, with an address and telephone number, is listed in the address
book seized from Radomski’s residence by federal agents. During that search, federal agents also seized a note from Lo Duca to Radomski.
It read: Kirk, Sorry! But for some reason they sent the check back to me.
I haven’t been able to call you back because my phone is TOAST! I have
a new # it is [Lo Duca’s phone number is listed here]. Please leave your #
again because I lost all of my phonebook with the other phone.
Thanks
Paul
In 2002, Lo Duca was quoted by Sports Illustrated in an article responding to Ken
Caminiti’s admission of steroid use. Lo Duca was reported to have said: “If you’re battling for a job, and the guy you’re battling with is using steroids, then maybe you say, ‘Hey, to compete, I need to use steroids because he’s using them . . . Don’t get me wrong. I don’t condone it. But it’s a very tough situation. It’s really all about survival for some guys.”
According to the notes of an internal discussion among Los Angeles Dodgers
officials in October 2003 that were referred to above, it was reportedly said of Lo Duca during the meetings:
Steroids aren’t being used anymore on him. Big part of this.
Might have some value to trade . . . Florida might have interest.
. . . Got off the steroids . . . Took away a lot of hard line drives.
. . . Can get comparable value back would consider trading. . . . If
you do trade him, will get back on the stuff and try to show you he can have a good year. That’s his makeup. Comes to play. Last year of contract, playing for 05.419
On June 26, 2004, Lo Duca wrote a check to Radomski for $3,200. On July 30,
2004, the Dodgers traded Lo Duca, Guillermo Mota, and Juan Encarnacion to the Marlins.
On August 7, 2004, Lo Duca issued another check to Radomski for $3,200. In January 2005, Lo Duca signed a three-year contract with the Marlins.
The handwritten note shown below on Dodger Stadium stationary from Lo Duca
to Radomski was seized from Radomski’s house during a search by federal agents. Radomski said that this note was included with a check Lo Duca sent Radomski as payment for human growth hormone.

1 comment:

CaliBall said...

Why does Radomski keep 4 year old receipts from the post office or from fed ex? Also, did he make copies of the checks before he cashed them? why does he have copies of all the checks? why does he keep notes that are 4 years old? why does he keep such a large paper trail?
did he keep all that stuff because he though he might get busted one day?