Baseball's Steroid Era: April 2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Alex Rodriguez Steroids Allegations in New Book, New York Yankees, High School

The New York Daily News’ Tracy Conner is reporting details from Selena Roberts soon to be released book, A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez. According to Conner, Roberts claims that Rodriguez may have been using steroids as early as high school as well as during his time with the New York Yankees beginning in 2004.

Roberts and David Epstein first reported that Rodriguez had tested positive for Primobolan (an anabolic steroid) and testosterone in 2003. Two days later Rodriguez admitted using a "banned substance" nicknamed "Boli" from 2001 to 2003 while with the Texas Rangers.

Claims that Rodriguez used steroids and/or HGH with the Yankees would directly contradict what he has said thus far.

An unnamed major-leaguer is quoted as saying Rodriguez and steroid-tainted pitcher Kevin Brown were seen together with human growth hormone - HGH - in 2004.

Brown, who was named in the Mitchell Report on steroids, denied through a lawyer that he ever shared the hormone with the highest-paid player in baseball.

Two other anonymous Yankees said they believed A-Rod was using based on side effects they saw - and a clubhouse staffer said management wondered if he was using banned substances.

Rodriguez was also reportedly nicknamed "Bitch Tits" by his teammates in New York in 2005. "Bitch Tits" refers to Gynecomastia, a condition causing breast enlargement in males, and is a known side effect of some anabolic steroids.

Allegations that Rodriguez used PEDs with the Yankees wouldn’t just get him in trouble with the fans in New York, they could draw the attention of Major League Baseball. If there is conclusive evidence that Rodriguez used steroids in 2004 or later, when MLB’s first substantial drug policy was in place, Rodriguez might be subject to a suspension.

That said, the allegations from Rodriguez’s high school years will likely prove to be the most controversial.

Rodriguez put on 25 pounds of muscle between his sophomore and junior years, and word was that his connection was a dog kennel owner.

A former high school teammate told Roberts the future No.1 MLB draft pick was on steroids and his coach knew it.

Another student said the son of coach Rich Hofman admitted he saw Rodriguez use steroids.

Jose Canseco, who has accused Rodriguez of using steroids as far back as 2007, believes Rodriguez was using in high school.

"Was he on steroids in high school?" (Canseco) said. "I think probably so. I worked out with him when he was 18. He could lift almost as much as I could."

The allegations in the Daily News report do not contain any conclusive evidence, but Roberts’ reporting has thus far proved thorough and accurate.

The book also details the non-baseball aspects of Rodriguez’s life.

The 255-page book also chronicles A-Rod's off-the-field escapades: his poker habit; his divorce from his wife, Cynthia; the relationship with Madonna, and dalliances with out-of-town floozies.

Sources

A-Rod took steroids while with Yankees, and as teen, claims new bookNew York Daily News

Ramon Scruggs Investigation, Troy Glaus, Ismael Valdez, Scott Schoeneweis, Todd Greene

More information from the investigation of Dr. Ramon Scruggs has come to light in a provocative article by The New York Times’ Michael Schmidt. Privy to evidence that is part of the government’s investigation of Scruggs, Schmidt tells the story of Troy Glaus, Ismael Valdez, Scott Schoeneweis, and Todd Greene.

Scruggs has been under investigation since at least 2007, when an Albany DA based investigation into illegal prescriptions showed that Troy Glaus and Scott Schoeneweis had received prescriptions for anabolic steroids from Scruggs (filled by Signature Pharmacy). Valdez was also implicated in the 2007 investigation, but according to a San Francisco Chronicle article, was connected to human growth hormone prescribed by an unnamed dentist known to have given out prescriptions to other players (including Paul Byrd). Todd Greene had not been previously implicated.

The evidence reportedly included "accounts" written by federal agents who had interviewed the players.

The accounts of Glaus, Schoeneweis, catcher Todd Greene and pitcher Ismael Valdez were written by federal agents who interviewed the players as they gathered evidence in the case of Ramon Scruggs, an anti-aging doctor who was indicted last year on charges that he illegally wrote prescriptions for steroids and human growth hormone to the players, business executives, police officers and others.

Schmidt’s article contains some insights yet unseen during Baseball’s Steroid Era. It contains detailed and quote-supported descriptions of the motivations/circumstances of the players (see below), as well as an accusation from Valdez that an Angels’ team doctor injected him with testosterone.

It also described the role played by the agents for Glaus and Greene. It’s long been rumored that player agents were sometimes involved in doping but this article appears to be the first to directly make that link.

Glaus and Greene testified before a federal grand jury that they were referred to Scruggs by their agents, Mike Nicotera and Gene Casaleggio, according to people with knowledge of the testimony who insisted on anonymity because the information was sealed by a court order.

Listed below are excerpts from the Times article about each player.

Troy Glaus

Frustrated with his rehabilitation, Glaus contacted Scruggs, whose only request was for a blood sample to see whether Glaus’s testosterone levels were low enough to warrant a prescription for steroids. Medical files seized from Scruggs’s office show the steroids were sent before Scruggs reviewed Glaus’s blood test.

Asked by the investigators whether he was concerned that Scruggs did not ask to see him, Glaus was quoted in the report as saying: "I just wanted to get better, it didn’t alarm me. I just wanted to get better and play."

In a phone interview, Scruggs acknowledged he often dealt with patients via telephone: "That may seem terrible, but that’s how it is. I have caught things in hours with people on the phone that other doctors wouldn’t catch."

It was also through phone calls that Scruggs taught Glaus how to inject himself, according to the investigators’ report.

Starting in November 2003 and for the next three months, Glaus injected himself once every four days with the steroids nandrolone and testosterone, the investigators say he told them.

"It worked, and I was getting better," Glaus is quoted saying.

Todd Green

Greene said that he contacted Scruggs in 2001 because "he felt he was at a critical point in his career and, being married and having two kids, he was concerned that he would not be able to make a living playing baseball," according to a report from an interview authorities conducted with him in 2005.

Ismael Valdez

Valdez told the investigators he had pain in his shoulder and knee, and contacted Scruggs, who mailed him syringes filled with steroids.

Valdez told the investigators he already had experience with steroids; he said a doctor with the Angels injected him with testosterone in 2001.

"Valdez said the Anaheim Angels doctor told him that his testosterone levels were low," the federal agents wrote in their report. The report did not specify the doctor who injected Valdez.

Scott Schoeneweis

"Schoeneweis stated that he only used steroids one time during the season, and because he was a player representative, he knew when players got tested," their report says.

The notion that union officials tipped off players to tests in the first two years of the program has been raised several times before, including in the Mitchell report.

Schoeneweis, a 10-year veteran now with the Arizona Diamondbacks, said in an interview during spring training that he was simply stating that all players knew they were going to be tested in 2003. He said he never received advance notice about a test.

Scruggs, during a phone interview with the Times, defended the players.

"These players benefited from restoration, not performance enhancement," Scruggs said in a telephone interview. "Steroids don’t make someone a good athlete or a bad athlete; they may make you stronger, but they don’t make you a better athlete."

There is a very interesting interview with Scruggs at Anabolic Extreme from 1999-2000, many years before he was implicated by the Albany DA. It is definitely recommended reading.

Interview with Dr. Ramon Scruggs Part 1 (misspelled as Dr. Raymond Skruggs)
Interview with Dr. Ramon Scruggs Part 2

Sources