Mitchell Report lists 11 former Pirates
No current Pirates players were named in the Mitchell Report when the results of Major League Baseball's investigation into performance-enhancing drugs was released Thursday.
However, 11 former Pirates were listed among those suspected of using and/or purchasing steroids or human growth hormone (HGH):
• Barry Bonds, an outfielder for the Pirates from 1986-92. Bonds is implicated for using substances called "the cream" and "the clear" that allegedly contained steroids during his playing career with the San Francisco Giants.
Bonds' agent did not return a phone call from the Tribune-Review.
• Kevin Young, a first baseman for the Pirates from 1992-95 and 1997-2003. Former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski told investigators he sold Young one or two HGH "kits" in 2001 and five or six more in 2003. Radomski said Young paid $9,600 in cash for the second shipment.
Hampered by lingering knee injuries, Young was released by the Pirates in June 2003.
According to the Mitchell Report, "Young's name, with multiple telephone numbers, is listed in the address book seized from Radomski's residence by federal agents."
Young did not respond yesterday to a phone message and an e-mail query from the Tribune-Review.
• Denny Neagle, who pitched for the Pirates from 1992-96. Radomski said he had five or six transactions with Neagle involving HGH and anabolic steroids from 2000-04.
The appendix of the Mitchell Report includes photocopies of eight checks from Neagle to Radomski. The checks, which total $6,500, were dated September 2001, April 2002, May 2002 and May 2004.
Neagle could not be reached for comment.
• Jason Christiansen, a relief pitcher for the Pirates from 1995-2000. Radomski said Christiansen paid $1,600 by check in July 2002 for one HGH kit. Christiansen had reconstructive elbow surgery in May 2002.
He could not be reached for comment.
• Tim Laker, a backup catcher for the Pirates from 1998-99. Laker told Mitchell he purchased steroids four times from Radomski. The final transaction came in 1999, while Laker was in New York with the Pirates for a series against the Mets.
Laker could not be reached for comment.
• Armando Rios, an outfielder for the Pirates from 2001-02. Victor Conte, owner of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, told federal agents he sold "the cream" and "the clear" to several players, including Rios and Bonds.
The Pirates released Rios after the 2002 season, and he has not played in the majors since 2003.
Rios could not be reached for comment.
• Josias Manzanillo, a reliever for the Pirates from 2000-02. Radomski admitted injecting Manzanillo with steroids in 1994. Manzanillo could not be reached for comment.
• Benito Santiago, a catcher for the Pirates in 2005. Former personal trainer Greg Anderson told federal agents he supplied Santiago with HGH.
Santiago could not be reached for comment.
• Ron Villone, a reliever for the Pirates in 2002, allegedly bought six HGH kits from Radomski in 2004-05. Radomski said he was referred to Villone by Neagle.
Villone's agent said the pitcher was unavailable for comment.
• Jose Guillen, an outfielder for the Pirates from 1997-99. Guillen's agent did not return a phone call from the Tribune-Review.
• Gary Matthews Jr., an outfielder for the Pirates in 2001. Matthews' agent did not return a call from the Tribune-Review.
Guillen and Matthews were implicated for buying performance-enhancing drugs over the Internet. Neither player's alleged action happened during his time with the Pirates.
Matt Herges also was implicated by Radomski, who said he made two or three sales to the reliever in 2004-05.
Herges was traded to the Pirates on Dec. 20, 2002. He was released the following spring training without ever pitching for the Pirates in a major-league game, and therefore is not officially credited as being a Pirate.
With the exception of Laker, none of the former Pirates players listed in the report agreed to be interviewed by Mitchell during the investigation.
About the drugs
The following are some of the drugs baseball players are accused of using in the Mitchell report:
Anabolic steroids -- Come in dozens of forms with names such as nandrolone, trenbolone and stanozolol. All are easier to detect than so-called designer drugs. All work in subtly different ways, but the main function is to increase muscle mass and decrease symptoms of fatigue, making it easier to recover and work out more.
Androstenedione -- Better known as Andro, this became well-known when Associated Press reporter Steve Wilstein noted a bottle of the pills in Mark McGwire's locker in 1998. It's a steroid precursor, naturally produced in the adrenal glands and gonads, that serves as an intermediate step toward producing testosterone. Banned by federal law in 2004.
The clear -- Full name is Tetrahydrogestrinone. Known as one of the most effective anabolic steroids, it's a so-called designer drug made specifically for athletes looking to escape detection. Developed by Patrick Arnold and distributed by BALCO and others, a syringe of THG was provided to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency by track coach Trevor Graham. USADA then developed a test to detect it. Barry Bonds is accused of using THG but said he thought it was a flaxseed oil supplement. The drug shares traits with steroids such as nandrolone and trenbolone but is much more potent.
The cream -- Ointment with testosterone and epitestosterone. A doping screening test measures the testosterone-epitestosterone ratio. Often used in conjunction with THG, "the clear." Some believe "the cream" was used to try to deceive laboratories. Using "the clear" could suppress natural steroid production, but adding "the cream" could give the appearance of a "normal" urine steroid profile.
HGH -- Human growth hormone. It has become popular because it's hard to detect and is believed to work well in combination with other steroids. Naturally produced in the pituitary gland. Stimulates liver and other tissues to secrete chemicals that stimulate growth. No test yet available to detect this substance on a reliable basis. Prescribed for children with growth issues and adults with pituitary gland problems, its brand names include Genotropin, Humatrope and Nutropin.
-- The Associated Press
