Grimsley reportedly admitted to illicit drug use

[miami_fan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2473485

Updated: June 7, 2006, 2:21 AM ET
Grimsley reportedly admitted to illicit drug useESPN.com news services


Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley told federal investigators he used illegal performance-enhancing drugs, according to court documents unsealed late Tuesday.

Thirteen agents searched Grimsley's house in Scottsdale, Ariz., for six hours Tuesday, according to Internal Revenue Service agent Mark Lessler, who would not say what they found.

In seeking a judge's permission for the search, investigators who cracked the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid scandal said Grimsley initially cooperated in the probe. He withdrew his assistance in April, but not before he allegedly made "extensive statements" about illegal drug use, "for the purpose of performance enhancement," according to the court documents.

IRS agent Jeff Novitsky told the federal judge that investigators wanted to search the right-hander's house for "any and all records showing contact or relationship with any and all amateur or professional athletes, athletic coaches or athletic trainers" regarding illicit drug use and purchases.

According to Novitsky, Grimsley told him the names of other players he believed were using, but the names of those players were blacked out of the court records.

"I have no comment about that and no idea about that," Grimsley told The Arizona Republic on Tuesday, hours before the Diamondbacks played the Philadelphia Phillies.

After Arizona's 10-1 loss, manager Bob Melvin said news of the investigation might have affected the team. Grimsley spent the game in the bullpen and warmed up at one point.

"Certainly, it locks you up for a little bit, but down the road we'll be fine," Melvin said.

"We haven't convicted this guy. This is an ongoing investigation. I just think that the effect on us today, as we heard about one of our teammates, it certainly had an effect on us. Nothing's been proven. He hasn't been proven guilty of anything. It's just, there's allegations."

Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick issued a statement saying, "We were first informed of this situation late this afternoon. This is a federal investigation, and as long as it is active and ongoing, we are prohibited from making any further comments."

Grimsley began his big league career with Philadelphia in 1989 and has pitched for Cleveland, California, the New York Yankees, Kansas City, Baltimore and Arizona. He has a career record of 42-58 with a 4.77 ERA.

According to court documents, Grimsley failed a league drug test in 2003. Authorities said when he was cooperating, he admitted to using human growth hormone, amphetamines and steroids.

He added that amphetamine use was prevalent in pro baseball, and that it was placed in coffee in clubhouses -- marked "leaded" or "unleaded" to indicate which pots contained the drugs -- Novitsky wrote.

The Republic reported that Latino players were cited by Grimsley in the court documents as a major source of amphetamines, as were major leaguers on California teams who could easily travel to Mexico to buy the drugs.

The newspaper reported that the affidavit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, said that Grimsley took delivery of two kits containing human growth hormone at his home on April 19.

Word of the Grimsley investigation comes nearly two months after an Illinois-based scientist prominent in the field of sports nutritional supplements pleaded guilty to supplying the BALCO lab with the performance-enhancing drug known as "the clear."

Patrick Arnold pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute steroids to BALCO, a steroid ring that San Francisco investigators broke up two years ago. Those same authorities are targeting Grimsley.

Arnold is scheduled to be sentenced in August and most likely will face three months in jail and three months of home detention.

A federal grand jury in San Francisco is also investigating whether San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds lied under oath about using "the clear." A separate federal grand jury is probing who leaked Bonds' testimony from the BALCO investigation to the San Francisco Chronicle.

So far, the BALCO probe has netted guilty pleas from Arnold, BALCO president Victor Conte, Bonds' trainer Greg Anderson, BALCO vice president James Valente and track coach Remi Korchemny.

[QuikSand]

This is the sort of steroid story that all the hubbub about a handful of top-shelf musclebound sluggers tends to obfuscate. The potential legions of mediocre pitchers, slap hitters, and speedsters who used junk like this not to become superstars, but to just barely keep playing. Look at the list of players who actualy got caught last year -- aside from bewing a self-selected group too stupid to manage to avoid detection, they are generally notweorthy for their utter lack of noteworthiness.

People who believe that most of the serious steroid users in baseball (or other sports, for that matter) were at that table before Congress a couple years ago are the real rubes in all this. It's not a dozen guys... it's more likely a dozen guys on every team.

[miami_fan]

Here is the link to the affidavit for those that are interested

http://www.azcentral.com/pdfs/060706grimsley.pdf

[kcchief19]

People who believe that most of the serious steroid users in baseball (or other sports, for that matter) were at that table before Congress a couple years ago are the real rubes in all this. It's not a dozen guys... it's more likely a dozen guys on every team.
I think you're absolutely right -- I think for every Rafael Palmeiro there are 20 Jason Grimsleys or some 4-A outfielder for the Mariners.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Jason Grimsley? They still make that?

[SunDevil]

http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/015300.php

Another article on the story.

[kcchief19]

Interesting ... Grimsley tested positive in 2003 ... while he was with the Royals.

The Royals were on steroids. Let me repeat that. THE ROYALS were on steroids.

Of course, that was the year we went 83-79. So I guess the steroids helped.

Like I'm sure a lot of teams, there are always sneaky little rumors about who may or may not be on performance-enhancing drugs. Looking at the 2003 Royals team, I can think of a least 10 guys who immediately raise suspicisions with me.

[Flasch186]

on the Dan Patirck show today, right now actually, Keith Olberman is saying that if the Union doesn't agree to blood testing immediately, the Commissioner should shut down the season :eek:

[Pumpy Tudors]

on the Dan Patirck show today, right now actually, Keith Olberman is saying that if the Union doesn't agree to blood testing immediately, the Commissioner should shut down the season :eek:
Well, it IS Keith Olbermann.

[SnDvls]

http://www.azcentral.com/blogs/index.php?blog=186&blogtype=Sports

and now he's off the team...the union will fight this one for all they can saying he never tested positive.

[stevew]

Great...Another summer of Steroids.

[stevew]

http://www.azcentral.com/blogs/index.php?blog=186&blogtype=Sports

and now he's off the team...the union will fight this one for all they can saying he never tested positive.

Can't they just waive him and pay him, though? I can see an issue if they've tried to terminate his contract and not pay, but I can't see what the union would fight for in his case.

[drewmtn]

http://www.azcentral.com/blogs/index.php?blog=186&blogtype=Sports

and now he's off the team.

The lesson from this is never accuse someone you know of having the worst back acne you've ever seen.

[SnDvls]

it's official now too.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0607grimsleyjob-ON.html

[SnDvls]

dola -

looks like he requested it so the MLB union won't be able to do anything now.

[miami_fan]

Interesting ... Grimsley tested positive in 2003 ... while he was with the Royals.

The Royals were on steroids. Let me repeat that. THE ROYALS were on steroids.

Of course, that was the year we went 83-79. So I guess the steroids helped.

Like I'm sure a lot of teams, there are always sneaky little rumors about who may or may not be on performance-enhancing drugs. Looking at the 2003 Royals team, I can think of a least 10 guys who immediately raise suspicisions with me.

CALL OUT NAMES! CALL OUT NAMES!;)

I wonder how long it will take those "protected" names in the affidavit to miraculously be leaked to the press. I for one will be very curious to see what the public reaction will be to some of the names on that list.

[GrantDawg]

Wait. Jason Grimsley? Then Terry Mulholland quoted in the article? Is this 1992?

[GrantDawg]

I hear Arizona is going to replace Grimsley with Bob Tewksbury.

[Pumpy Tudors]

If the Diamondbacks want a lefthander instead, I'm sure Zane Smith is available.

[BishopMVP]

I remember hearing that the whole testing for greenies/speed thing was going to be have a lot more serious effect on players than banning steroids. It's been going on since at least the 1950's.

I can't wait for names. I want lists of speculation dammit! Who has the worst backne in MLB? And which Latin players are having down years (Ramirez and Ortiz on the Red Sox.) Now a player doesn't even have to be big, or hit/pitch hard to say he's cheating. This is gonna be awesome.

[miami_fan]

I remember hearing that the whole testing for greenies/speed thing was going to be have a lot more serious effect on players than banning steroids. It's been going on since at least the 1950's.

I can't wait for names. I want lists of speculation dammit! Who has the worst backne in MLB? And which Latin players are having down years (Ramirez and Ortiz on the Red Sox.) Now a player doesn't even have to be big, or hit/pitch hard to say he's cheating. This is gonna be awesome.

George Mitchell is hard at work coming up with the list:rolleyes:

[Tom E]

Grimsely spilled his guts...This will be bigger then the steriod controversy...

[kcchief19]

CALL OUT NAMES! CALL OUT NAMES!;)

I wonder how long it will take those "protected" names in the affidavit to miraculously be leaked to the press. I for one will be very curious to see what the public reaction will be to some of the names on that list.
Well, let me say this -- Mike Sweeney was interviewed on one of the local stations tonight and said he had spoken to Grimsley today and let him know he was praying for him. My high-def TV really brought out the achne on Sweeney's face and neck.

They also aired a quote from an interview they did with Grimsley when he played here about the steroid controversey. He had a kind of glazed look on his face and rambled on about how it was a sad story and there were always going to be people trying to tear down other people.

Huh?

[sterlingice]

Wait. Jason Grimsley? Then Terry Mulholland quoted in the article? Is this 1992?

Oh, c'mon, Mulholland is a lefty (and has more grey than black in his beard at last check)- he can pitch until he's 50

SI

[sterlingice]

Interesting ... Grimsley tested positive in 2003 ... while he was with the Royals.

The Royals were on steroids. Let me repeat that. THE ROYALS were on steroids.

Of course, that was the year we went 83-79. So I guess the steroids helped.

Like I'm sure a lot of teams, there are always sneaky little rumors about who may or may not be on performance-enhancing drugs. Looking at the 2003 Royals team, I can think of a least 10 guys who immediately raise suspicisions with me.

Well, let's see...
Brent Mayne- no he sucked as always with the bat
Ken Harvey- not unless he was injecting them into his ass ("oh, wait, they're oral and not a shot? that's what i've been doing wrong")
Carlos Febles- uh, no
Chris George- he with the something like 8-3 record before getting sent to Omaha for his ERA above 7
Lima Time- probably not

Seriously, tho, there are some that look like red flags and who knows about them.

SI

[watravaler]

Take some blood from Thomas Jones and we should see what substances NFL players use nowadays...if it is even detectable by today's tests...

[dawgfan]

Well, let's see...
Brent Mayne- no he sucked as always with the bat
Ken Harvey- not unless he was injecting them into his ass ("oh, wait, they're oral and not a shot? that's what i've been doing wrong")
Carlos Febles- uh, no
Chris George- he with the something like 8-3 record before getting sent to Omaha for his ERA above 7
Lima Time- probably not

Seriously, tho, there are some that look like red flags and who knows about them.

SI
As QS pointed out, most of the players that have been busted for steroid use so far have been ordinary Joes just trying to hang on to a major league job, or guys in the minors that haven't even made it to the majors. I know your post is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but really, nobody in the game should be exempt from consideration as a possible juicer. Shit, if Ryan Franklin, a skinny pitcher of little distinction gets popped for a positive steroid test, anyone in baseball is a possible user.

[moriarty]

Take some blood from Thomas Jones and we should see what substances NFL players use nowadays...if it is even detectable by today's tests...

Where'd that come from? Is Thomas Jones a reputed druggie or something?

[kcchief19]

As QS pointed out, most of the players that have been busted for steroid use so far have been ordinary Joes just trying to hang on to a major league job, or guys in the minors that haven't even made it to the majors. I know your post is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but really, nobody in the game should be exempt from consideration as a possible juicer. Shit, if Ryan Franklin, a skinny pitcher of little distinction gets popped for a positive steroid test, anyone in baseball is a possible user.
That's exactly why I do suspect a lot of Royals -- they had quite a collection of borderline major-league prospects who were trying to make it or over-the-hill veterans trying to hang on.

SI brought up Brent Mayne, but to be honest that's the kind of guy I suspect. Yeah, we was scrawny and skinny and looked like a stiff breeze might knock him over ... yet at age 35 he was a somewhat reliable every-day catcher, easily the most grueling position on the field. Did he have help prolonging his longevity? Plus, he played with Barry Bonds and Jason Grimsley.

I'm not going to immediately suspect anybody who ever played with somebody who was caught using steroids. But sad to say we're getting to reach a point where I'm going to suspect someone is using steroids more readily than I suspect they are not.

[Maple Leafs]

Where'd that come from? Is Thomas Jones a reputed druggie or something?
a.) He's huge.
b.) He used to (maybe still does) train with David Boston and Michael Pittman.

[Maple Leafs]

Interesting sidebar to the Grimsley story: apparently federal agents were watching him because they'd been able to get his name from his 2003 positive steroid test. The problem: those tests were supposed to be kept private. Apparently they weren't, or at least not in a way that agents couldn't get their hands on them. This sort of thing won't exactly make MLB players anxious to trust the owners to implement even stronger testing.

[Franklinnoble]

I heard on the radio this morning that the FBI was asking Grimsley to wear a wire and implicate other players, in exchange for the feds keeping his name private. Apparently, Grimsley declined, and that's why all this came out.

If this is true, it makes you wonder how many other MLB players might have taken that kind of deal...

[DeToxRox]

I heard on the radio this morning that the FBI was asking Grimsley to wear a wire and implicate other players, in exchange for the feds keeping his name private. Apparently, Grimsley declined, and that's why all this came out.

If this is true, it makes you wonder how many other MLB players might have taken that kind of deal...

That right there is the most important question, imho.

[kcchief19]

Interesting sidebar to the Grimsley story: apparently federal agents were watching him because they'd been able to get his name from his 2003 positive steroid test. The problem: those tests were supposed to be kept private. Apparently they weren't, or at least not in a way that agents couldn't get their hands on them. This sort of thing won't exactly make MLB players anxious to trust the owners to implement even stronger testing.
Yeah, it wasn't too private apparently because the affidavit shows that someone tipped Grimsley off in 2003 that he tested positive. The name of who tipped him off is redacted. If a copy of that affidavit becomes public, it could certainly be interesting.

The story I'm hearing is that the agents raided his home after the "stopped cooperating." That could mean a lot of things.

[moriarty]

I heard on the radio this morning that the FBI was asking Grimsley to wear a wire and implicate other players, in exchange for the feds keeping his name private. Apparently, Grimsley declined, and that's why all this came out.

If this is true, it makes you wonder how many other MLB players might have taken that kind of deal...

I'm not sure how many would be willing to wear a wire to rat out their fellow players. Giving up names and suppliers is one thing, but wearing a wire would be tough to swallow.

If they can hit his supplier though (assuming they haven't already) there's going to be a lot more names coming out even w/out the wire.

[BishopMVP]

The story I'm hearing is that the agents raided his home after the "stopped cooperating." That could mean a lot of things.According to an ESPN article, they wanted information on Bonds. When Grimsley told them he didn't know Bonds they asked him to talk to Bonds' teammates.

Where's TO and his if it talks like a rat speech when you need it?

[stevew]

a.) He's huge.
b.) He used to (maybe still does) train with David Boston and Michael Pittman.
c.) He has the same last name as Marion Jones.

[SirFozzie]

Yup. They wanted Bonds badly, and when Grimsley wouldn't give Bonds to the agents on a silver platter, in retribution, they released this info

[SnDvls]

Yeah, it wasn't too private apparently because the affidavit shows that someone tipped Grimsley off in 2003 that he tested positive. The name of who tipped him off is redacted. If a copy of that affidavit becomes public, it could certainly be interesting.

The story I'm hearing is that the agents raided his home after the "stopped cooperating." That could mean a lot of things.

in today's AZ Republic and on AZ radio they basically said that they threatened to release the info to the media and when he said talk to my lawyer they did just that. They wanted Bonds and Grimsley has no info on him.

[kcchief19]

I'm not sure how many would be willing to wear a wire to rat out their fellow players. Giving up names and suppliers is one thing, but wearing a wire would be tough to swallow.

If they can hit his supplier though (assuming they haven't already) there's going to be a lot more names coming out even w/out the wire.
My understanding that trafficking illegal obtained analbolic steroids (which apparently is where they are heading with Grimsley) carries a maximum penalty of five years in a pound me in the ass prison. Giving up some fellow cheaters to save my own ass if I'm a cheater too seems pretty easy to swallow. Seeing Grimsley on TV in interviews, I don't think he would do well in prison.

But considering some of ridiculous things he said as the Royals union rep during the last CBA negotiation, he deserves five years of pounding in the ass.

[sterlingice]

But considering some of ridiculous things he said as the Royals union rep during the last CBA negotiation, he deserves five years of pounding in the ass.

The Aaron Guiel stunt on Keitzman's show comes to mind, but, yeah, a lot of stuff...

SI

[oykib]

You honestly think that he's getting five years?

He's a millionaire. He's gonna have good representaion. If it's true he's taking the bullet, Fehr and Orza will make sure he's got the best representation possible.

Honestly, do you think he poses some threat to society? Has he hurt anyone? He'll get a suspended sentence and probation along with a fine and community service. Just watch.

[MrBug708]

The probably care less about Grimsley and exchange for some of those names, talked himself down a whole lot...

Needless to say JG is probably goinbg to be working at Bally's for a few years after this

[kcchief19]

You honestly think that he's getting five years?

He's a millionaire. He's gonna have good representaion. If it's true he's taking the bullet, Fehr and Orza will make sure he's got the best representation possible.

Honestly, do you think he poses some threat to society? Has he hurt anyone? He'll get a suspended sentence and probation along with a fine and community service. Just watch. I don't doubt you're probably right ... I'm just assuming what I'm sure was the FBI and US Attorney's take on it and what they told Grimsley -- "Hey, we know you were possessing ilicit drugs and for each conviction we can put you in prison for five years. Squeal like a pig and this all goes away, you get a slap in the wrist. If you don't tell us what we want to know, we'll prosecutive to the maximum of the law."

Even if you're a millionaire, fighting a charge like this with what looks to be pretty damning evidence is going to be expensive. And personally I don't think Fehr and Orza will lift a finger to help him -- they'll do everything they can to discredit him and say, "Grimsley was a bad guy -- he cheated and he got caught so don't believe a word he says about anybody else. Everybody else is clean." They'll throw him under the bus so fast he won't know what hit him. Nobody will want to defend him because nobody will want to stand with him. Do you see anybody rushing to Palmeiro's defense? And Palmeiro is a potential Hall of Famer -- Jason Grimsley is just a washed-up piece of crap to Orza and Fehr.

[Desmond]

From Deadspin.com, I have no background or previous knowledge of the site so take that for what it's worth, but it certainly is interesting and if true, very sad.

Everyone’s guessing about who the blacked-out names in the Jason Grimsley report are, and it has been a fun parlor game so far. But we all knew eventually the names would get out. And we’ve been digging around … and some sources have given us some names.

How reliable are these names? We feel pretty confident in them, but we can’t go 100 percent, since the information is secondhand. We’ll say this: If Bud Selig issuing a press release naming the names is a 10, and picking a player at random out of the Baseball Encyclopedia is a 1, we’re at an 8.

So. Let’s do it then. Remember: Betting lines are for entertainment purposes only.

First: The person who told Grimsley about the positive test in 2003. That’s former Royals general manager Allard Baird.

As many people have guessed, one of the “former players” who were sold out by Grimsley: Sammy Sosa. Our source(s) couldn’t confirm if the other was Rafael Palmeiro.

Nothing new or exciting about that name. Then it starts to get interesting. We’ve heard amphetamine rumors of Miguel Tejada, but we can’t confirm that. What we can confirm? The doozy.

Grimsley says that a former employee of [redacted] and personal fitness trainer to several Major League Baseball players once referred him to an amphetamine source.. Later, this source provided him with “amphetamines, anabolic steroids and human growth hormone.” This trainer? His name is Chris Mihlfeld, a Kansas City-based “strength and conditioning guru.” (And former Strength And Conditioning Coordinator for the Royals.)

Does Mihlfeld’s name sound familiar? If it doesn’t, he — and we assure you, this gives us no pleasure to write this — has been Albert Pujols’ personal trainer since before Pujols was drafted by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 draft. We have no confirmation that Pujols’ name is in the affidavit … but Mihlfeld’s is.

Yeah. Sigh. We just report what we’re told, folks. Ever hope your source is wrong? This is one of those times.

[panerd]

I am glad my tax dollars are being spent doing Bud Selig's dirty work for them. As much as I dislike Barry Bonds, how fucking pathetic that they try to get somebody that doesn't even know him to wear a wire to try and nail him? Hooray War on Drugs! Bust Bonds for all of us Americans!!! (too bad Balco didn't contribute as much to the Republicans and Democrats as Anheuser-Busch & Phillip Morris & Nabisco)

[GrantDawg]

Pujols. Say it ain't so, Albert.

[bulletsponge]

Pujols huh, didnt i say in another thread " i wonder if we will be saying the same thing about Pujols as we are Bonds now", i think it was in the Bonds breaks Babes HR record thread.

this is all speculation right now

[panerd]

Jesus Christ guys Deadspin.com is our source for Pujols being juiced? (Strike that, our source for speculating that Pujols trainer might be in the report and speculating that means Pujols is dirty) That has reached a new level of lunacy.

[molson]

I wonder how many players Mihlfeld acts as the personal trainer for. Since the article doesn't say, I'm assuming it's quite a few.

[Ksyrup]

Looking at the teams Grimsley has played for over the years, there are some interesting potential connections - he played with the Phillies while Dykstra was there, the mid-90s Indians with Manny and Albert Belle, the '99-00 Yankees with Canseco, and the '05 Orioles with Sosa and Palmeiro. I'm not sure what to think of the Royals, but given how much they sucked, a handful of them could easily fly under the radar and no one would have noticed or cared.

[Logan]

Looking at the teams Grimsley has played for over the years, there are some interesting potential connections - he played with the Phillies while Dykstra was there, the mid-90s Indians with Manny and Albert Belle, the '99-00 Yankees with Canseco, and the '05 Orioles with Sosa and Palmeiro. I'm not sure what to think of the Royals, but given how much they sucked, a handful of them could easily fly under the radar and no one would have noticed or cared.

It would be amazing if, out of all people, Jason Grimsley is the one responsible for spreading steroids around to all these names.

[sterlingice]

Well, of course, Grimsley was the one who went and stole Albert Belle's corked bat by going through the roof. One of my favorite stories along with the retort about why he replaced it with someone else's bat because every one of Albert's was corked.

SI

[Maple Leafs]

Pujols is probably the absolute worst case scenario for baseball. He was supposed to be the savior for this mess.

He's already being held up as the anit-Bonds. And yet he also fits into that category where, if the evidence were to mount a la Sosa or Bonds or Palemeiro, we'd all say "how stupid could we have been not to see that coming?"

[Maple Leafs]

The mainstream media is now picking up on the Pujols connection:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/diamondbacks/2006-06-08-grimsley-redactions_x.htm?POE=SPOISVA

[kcchief19]

Pujols is probably the absolute worst case scenario for baseball. He was supposed to be the savior for this mess.

He's already being held up as the anit-Bonds. And yet he also fits into that category where, if the evidence were to mount a la Sosa or Bonds or Palemeiro, we'd all say "how stupid could we have been not to see that coming?"
It also raises speculation on how people will react. If the names in the affidavit are confirmed to be accurate, we'll have just about the same amount of "evidence" against Pujols as we have against Bonds -- his trainer and the guy taking care of him was giving HGH and steroids to other players, so he must have been giving them to Bonds/Pujols.

Will the Bonds detractors turn on Pujols? Or will there be a different standard? I'm in the camp that while I think Bonds probably used performancing enhancing drugs, until it's proven I can't punish the guy. The same with Pujols -- I suspect that something has aided his development, but until that's proven I can't punish him either.

I imagine the anti-Bonds camp will either be divided or set up a double standard. Some will lump Pujols and Bonds together and dimiss them both, while I think others will be more forgiving or establish a higher burden of "proof" for judging Pujols than judging Bonds.

I know Cardinals fans will. :)

[Maple Leafs]

Well, it's not quite the same. There's no Game of Shadows exhaustive level of evidence against Pujols at this point.

That said, I can see future generations looking at this and saying "Wait a second, you were all ready to lynch the guys with the home run records like Bonds, Sosa and McGwire, but you didn't think anything was up with the guy who was on pace to shatter those records (until he, um, pulled a muscle reaching for a pop fly)?"

[kcchief19]

Well, it's not quite the same. There's no Game of Shadows exhaustive level of evidence against Pujols at this point.
I agree with that. I guess my observation is that the quality of evidence -- largely circumstantial -- is similar.

If we assume for a moment the rumors regarding the affidavit are true, I readily agree that the volume of evidence against Bonds will be greater, but to a certain degree the quality of the evidence will be the same.

[kcchief19]

Well, of course, Grimsley was the one who went and stole Albert Belle's corked bat by going through the roof. One of my favorite stories along with the retort about why he replaced it with someone else's bat because every one of Albert's was corked.

SI
I wonder if he was on roid rage at the time?

You do have to wonder -- how could we be surprised that a guy who crawled through the ceiling to break into the umpires' room to steal Albert Belle's cork bat and replace it with someone else's was on steroids? It seems par for the course.

I will say this -- if you could hear Grimsley's arguments during the last CBA, you'd immediately concur about his douchbaginess. I think it's great, because Grimsley was the ultimate "drink the Kool-Aid" guy for Don Fehr during the CBA, and I guarantee the union will throw him under the bus now that he's ratted out some people.

[stevew]

If Pujols was doing these drugs, I cannot wait to see him get destroyed by the media. But I hope(and doubt) that they will give him any due process before draggin him through the mud(perhaps mistakenly).

[Maple Leafs]

Fun with Google... searching for Chris Mihlfeld and Albert Pujols brings up this page:

hxxp://stephmcatee.typepad.com/her/2005/12/life_dream.html

It's his sister's blog, bragging about her successful brother the strength and conditioning coach. Pretty non-descript stuff, but predictably the comments section has taken a turn over the past few days.

[kcchief19]

Tell Chris to stop calling me, federal agents are parked on my street and follow me wherever I go. Chris, don't you dare bring anymore packages to my house. I'll meet you at the stadium.

Posted by: Albert Pujols ([email protected]) | June 08, 2006 at 05:16 PM (http://stephmcatee.typepad.com/her/2005/12/life_dream.html#comment-18312537)


Good stuff. It looks like Attack of the Jim Rome Clones.

[kcchief19]

This just in ... surprise ... Mihlfeld has issued his denial of everything:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14781295.htm

A local trainer linked by internet reports to the federal investigation of pitcher Jason Grimsley denied on Friday his involvement in any illegal activity. Chris Mihlfeld, who is also the personal trainer for baseball stars Albert Pujols and Mike Sweeney and once worked for the Royals, told The Star that he is not named in Grimsley's now infamous affidavit.

"I just don't want my name to be part of this," he said. "It's not fair to me. It's not fair to my family. It's not fair to the other players I work with. It's not fair to the kids I work with."

A report late Thursday, on the blog deadspin.com, attempted to answer the most popular question in baseball: who are the blacked out, redacted names listed in Grimsley's affidavit? In the 20-page document, there are numerous names hidden from public view. The baseball rumor mills have spent the last week filling them in.

When Grimsley mentioned a former trainer, Mihlfeld's name quickly surfaced. Mihlfeld helped Grimsley, a former Royal, recover from Tommy John surgery faster than expected, a feat that has now attracted suspicion.

"They've got the wrong name on that deal," Mihlfeld said.

The trainer said both Grimsley and Grimsley's attorney told him he was not in the document. Edward Novak, a Phoenix criminal defense lawyer representing the pitcher, didn't immediately return a voice mail and an e-mail seeking comment.

"He was in baseball 18 years before I got to meet him," Mihlfeld said. "If you think in the last three or four years, that I'm the one getting him to do this, it's just ignorance."

Any connection between Mihlfeld and Grimsley would also, for the first time, provide a connection between performance enhancers and Pujols, who has been followed by allegations. Mihlfeld insisted that the St. Louis slugger is clean.

"I can guarantee you that one, too," he says. "I've known Albert since he was 18 years old. Albert won't even drink his protein shakes anymore during the season because he's scared they're contaminated. That's been part of his training for the last five or six years, and all of a sudden he won't even do that. He's tired of it. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of people putting this kid down. He's a great kid. Let him be great. He's clean."

Mihlfeld said he has spoken to both Grimsley and Pujols since this scandal broke. He described Pujols, who went to high school in the Kansas City area, as frustrated.

"You know why he's frustrated?" he said. "Because he cares. He cares what every little kid thinks about him. He cares if some kid picks up a magazine, and they start talking about steroids. He cares that little kids will always link that to him. He's sick about it. He hates it."
Note to athletes and their coaches under suspicion of using performance-enhancing drugs -- the more outrageous your denials, the more people will suspect you of being up to something. When you say Albert Pujols won't drink protein shakes anymore, if will make people wonder what was in the protein shakes he used to drink. And if a reporter wanders by his locker and sees a protein shake everybody will jump to conclusions.

Example two: Mike Sweeney told The Star earlier this week he was clean -- "I don't even drink coffee." OK ...

[Ryche]

I'm still having trouble trying to comprehend that baseball started testing for steroids, but didn't bother including HGH in their testing. How could they not know that anyone using steroids before would simply jump to HGH?

[Maple Leafs]

I'm still having trouble trying to comprehend that baseball started testing for steroids, but didn't bother including HGH in their testing. How could they not know that anyone using steroids before would simply jump to HGH?
They can't test for HGH. There isn't a reliable test, and the tests they do have require bloodwork which the union won't allow.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Interesting sidebar to the Grimsley story: apparently federal agents were watching him because they'd been able to get his name from his 2003 positive steroid test. The problem: those tests were supposed to be kept private. Apparently they weren't, or at least not in a way that agents couldn't get their hands on them.
As long as the records exist, I would assume that those records could be subpoenaed, regardless of how private they're supposed to be. I don't know what sort of limits there would be on that.

[clintl]

Example two: Mike Sweeney told The Star earlier this week he was clean -- "I don't even drink coffee." OK ...

Well, maybe like me, he doesn't like the stuff. I drink tea. Or occasionally caffeinated soft drinks.

[Maple Leafs]

This just in ... surprise ... Mihlfeld has issued his denial of everything:
That's actually a pretty strong denial. It's not the usual "I've done nothing wrong". He's actually saying that deadpsin.com has it wrong and he's not the guy in the police report at all. If he turns out to be wrong about that, he's hanging himself.

[Ryche]

They can't test for HGH. There isn't a reliable test, and the tests they do have require bloodwork which the union won't allow.

Ahh, makes sense then. What a mess.

[kcchief19]

Well, maybe like me, he doesn't like the stuff. I drink tea. Or occasionally caffeinated soft drinks.
Sure, I understand this. But consider this conversation:

Reporter: Mike, have you ever used steroids?
Sweeney: Nope, I don't even drink coffee.

That's what's deserving of the, "Huh?" Now, to his credit and in full disclosure, in response to the question of do you use steroids he listed a whole list of things he doesn't use, and finished up with coffee.

[Passacaglia]

So if we find out that Pujols (or any other superstar) is completely clean, and always has been (although I doubt that's possible), yet we know Grimsley is on the juice, and several others are, mightn't we conclude that this stuff doesn't make that big of a difference?

[Crapshoot]

So if we find out that Pujols (or any other superstar) is completely clean, and always has been (although I doubt that's possible), yet we know Grimsley is on the juice, and several others are, mightn't we conclude that this stuff doesn't make that big of a difference?

Nonsense - STEROIDS ARE EVIL ITS THE ONLY RESON PLAYERS HIT! - didn't you get the memo ? I don't think its quite a corked bat scenario (where the bat actually "hurts" ) - but I wonder how much (or little) it actually helps.

[astralhaze]

[insert random Barry Bonds is the anti-Christ rant here]

[Ksyrup]

They can't test for HGH. There isn't a reliable test, and the tests they do have require bloodwork which the union won't allow.

I don't even think there are reliable blood tests able to detect HGH right now. The discussion on ESPN and on the radio has been about the union's willingness to allow MLB to draw blood now for retroactive testing in 5 or so years when a test is developed.

I just hope this starts to get press as something more than a baseball problem. If this is widespread in baseball, how much more prevalent might it be in football? I'd find it hard to believe more baseball players are using HGH than football players.

[Ksyrup]

Sure, I understand this. But consider this conversation:

Reporter: Mike, have you ever used steroids?
Sweeney: Nope, I don't even drink coffee.

That's what's deserving of the, "Huh?" Now, to his credit and in full disclosure, in response to the question of do you use steroids he listed a whole list of things he doesn't use, and finished up with coffee.

At least he didn't say, "Nope, and I only drink unleaded coffee."

[larrymcg421]

So if we find out that Pujols (or any other superstar) is completely clean, and always has been (although I doubt that's possible), yet we know Grimsley is on the juice, and several others are, mightn't we conclude that this stuff doesn't make that big of a difference?
No, that just means Pujols is really good and the others are just really, really bad and had to juice just to be average.

[Maple Leafs]

So if we find out that Pujols (or any other superstar) is completely clean, and always has been (although I doubt that's possible), yet we know Grimsley is on the juice, and several others are, mightn't we conclude that this stuff doesn't make that big of a difference?
How do you figure?

Grimsley probably would have been a minor league scrub without some of the stuff he was on. He came back from Tommy John surgery in record time. All of this means he was taking a big league job away from someobody who was clean. That makes a difference, doesn't it?

Does it turn a scrub like Grimsley into Nolan Ryan? No, but we never thought it did.

[JS19]

The DBacks are saying they wont pay Grimsley the rest of what he is owed now that they released him. I dont see what the big deal is here to tell you the truth, some relief pitcher that was never any good to begin with says he used HGH and such, who gives a shit, its not like its anything new. Anyway, I dont see how the DBacks can get away with a move like this.

[dawgfan]

The DBacks are saying they wont pay Grimsley the rest of what he is owed now that they released him. I dont see what the big deal is here to tell you the truth, some relief pitcher that was never any good to begin with says he used HGH and such, who gives a shit, its not like its anything new. Anyway, I dont see how the DBacks can get away with a move like this.
If it were simply a mediocre pitcher getting busted for using HGH, it wouldn't be nearly the story it is. This is a big story because of the other names he has allegedly provided the government, and given his extensive tour of the majors and the number of teammates he's had (including many that are actively suspected of being juicers) this looks like the tip of the iceberg of the HGH scandal in baseball.

[Buccaneer]

As I was reading about Leyritz, I thought about amphetamines and other performance enhancers/pick-me-ups/heal-me-faster drugs that have been prevalent in all of sports for a long time. There are some that makes the arguments that today's steroids = yesterday's greenies, which wrongly implies that they stopped popping and started shooting. But popping has been a constant all of these years, hasn't it?

[miami_fan]

I know some people have mentioned that the other sports leagues don't test for HGH either. Looks like the NFLPA has decided to put their objections on the record.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2478299

The NFL Players Association doubts the validity of current testing methods for human growth hormone and says the league does not intend to implement blood testing of its players for HGH, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw told the newspaper that he and other league leaders doubt the reliability of blood testing first used at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

"What we're doing at this point is reviewing to see about the performance of the test," Upshaw told The Post. "We're not so sure the test works. There's no urine test, and even the blood test is not reliable."

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley admitted to federal investigators that he took human growth hormone, steroids and amphetamines, according to court documents.

According to The Post, growth hormone is on the league's list of banned substances, but there is no reliable urine test for it. Upshaw said he would oppose blood testing of players.

"When you start talking about coming in to take a person's blood, that's different than taking someone's urine," Upshaw told the NFLPA. "I know personally I would have a problem with someone coming in and trying to take the players' blood. I'm not ready to make that leap."

[stevew]

Sure, I understand this. But consider this conversation:

Reporter: Mike, have you ever used steroids?
Sweeney: Nope, I don't even drink coffee.

That's what's deserving of the, "Huh?" Now, to his credit and in full disclosure, in response to the question of do you use steroids he listed a whole list of things he doesn't use, and finished up with coffee.
Reminds me of the "She won't even let me drink Red Bull" line from last week's Sopranos.

[sterlingice]

I will say this -- if you could hear Grimsley's arguments during the last CBA, you'd immediately concur about his douchbaginess. I think it's great, because Grimsley was the ultimate "drink the Kool-Aid" guy for Don Fehr during the CBA, and I guarantee the union will throw him under the bus now that he's ratted out some people.

Unfortunately, I really take this great delight in this fact considering how much of a brainwashed zealot Grimsley has always come across and then to see them come back and do what they're going to do to him... well, it's poetic justice.

SI

[kcchief19]

Heh-heh ... Major League Baseball has suspended Grimsley for 50 games. Now that's a tough anti-doping message. The guy asks to be released, then they suspend him. Job well done.

[terpkristin]

Interesting story on ESPN.com: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2489724

David Segui, a 15-year major league baseball player who last was on an MLB roster in 2004, says he's one of the players whose names were redacted in the IRS affidavit that said Jason Grimsley received two kits of human growth hormone on April 19.
In the affidavit, Grimsley told IRS investigators that a player "told him of a doctor in Florida that he was using at a wellness center to obtain human growth hormone ... the player told him, "If you are going to do this, you should do it right."
Segui told ESPN's Jeremy Schaap in an interview Saturday that he is that player, but said he was under a doctor's prescription at the time.
"It was almost word for word the conversation we had, except there's a couple of key words left out," Segui told Schaap. "You know, 'legal' was one of the major -- probably the most major omission in the affidavit ... I was, you know, deemed human growth hormone deficient through blood work ... the doctor put me on human growth hormone, monitored my levels, monitored blood level, blood work periodically, regularly.
"... It was perfectly legal," Segui said. "You know, I was under doctor's prescription."
Segui played for seven teams during his career. Baseball has banned HGH and toughened its testing for other steroids, but there is no reliable test for HGH.
Segui says his taking of HGH was "perfectly legal."

Segui showed ESPN a prescription for HGH from 2003, and said he continues to take HGH today. He said Grimsley came to him this past offseason, seeking advice about HGH, and how it might help him recover from Tommy John surgery.
"I told him, I was speaking as a friend ... Do it under the doctor's supervision," Segui said. "And my exact words to him were, if you're going to do it, do it the right way." Segui said that eventually Grimsley got HGH from another source, not the doctor Segui suggested.
Segui told ESPN he was using HGH while playing as late as 2004, when it was a prohibited substance -- though not tested for by baseball. He did not apply for a waiver because of his medical need. As for any player's chance of receiving an exemption for HGH, a baseball spokesman said "that would be difficult to imagine."
In May, agents searched Grimsley's Arizona home following his admission he had used HGH, steroids and amphetamines.
According to court documents, authorities tracked a package containing two "kits" of HGH -- about a season's worth -- that was delivered to Grimsley's house on April 19. He failed a baseball drug test in 2003, documents showed.
Grimsley's attorney said federal agents asked Grimsley to wear a listening device to gather evidence against San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds.
"It was a specific effort to target Bonds," Edward Novak told The Arizona Republic. "We were told that Jason's cooperation was necessary to their case."
Following the revelation that Grimsley's home had been raided, he asked for and was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was later suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball.
/tk

[TazFTW]

bump

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2609002

According to the affidavit, the Times said, Grimsley told investigators Clemens and Pettitte "used athletic performance-enhancing drugs."

The affidavit also alleged Grimsley told federal agents that Roberts, Gibbons and Tejada "took anabolic steroids."

[ISiddiqui]

This is going to be interesting... though I've suspected Clemens for a while now. Especially since some of his best years seem to be after he has hit 40 years of age.

[k0ruptr]

wow. that would tarnish clemens quite a bit imo.

[Warhammer]

Agreed about Clemens, I have suspected him for quite a bit, plus he seems quite a bit bulkier than he was when he was younger. But, he was always a bit burly though. My suspicion was aroused when he started pitching so well for he Blue Jays after he was mediocre in Boston for a few years.

[dawgfan]

At this point, it's hard to be shocked by anybody getting tagged for performance-enhancers. I mean, Ryan Franklin? Skinny, mediocre at-best pitcher? Yeah, pretty much everybody out there could be a user.

Still, I'm going to reserve judgement until more is known - I'm a little tired of leaks like this.

[CraigSca]

Frankly, where there's smoke, there's fire. If anyone thinks there team is immune to this stuff, then they're drinking the Kool-Aid.

Especially since they don't and can't test for HgH, it's like a Get Out of Jail Free card. I wouldn't be surprised if at least 25% (more likely 50%) of the players were doing something that's against the rules.

Oh, and I would say the same for football as well.

[Logan]

At this point, it's hard to be shocked by anybody getting tagged for performance-enhancers. I mean, Ryan Franklin? Skinny, mediocre at-best pitcher? Yeah, pretty much everybody out there could be a user.

Still, I'm going to reserve judgement until more is known - I'm a little tired of leaks like this.

I agree with what you've said. Still, seeing Andy Pettitte's name surprised me.

[sterlingice]

Frankly, where there's smoke, there's fire.

That's not always true, tho. Remember back when this thing initially broke, there was some report that Albert Pujols and Mike Sweeney had the same trainer as Grimsley and were also on the 'roids that turned out to be completely fabricated.

EDIT: That said, Clemens wouldn't surprise me in the least. Still, we need to get a little more proof here.

SI

[st.cronin]

I haven't watched a baseball game all year, and stories like this are at least part of the reason.

[Cards4ever]

I haven't watched a baseball game all year, and stories like this are at least part of the reason.

What sport is clean?

[SirFozzie]

The rumors have it that Grimsley did NOT say Clemens and Petitte, and the investigators are putting words in his mouth.

[Crapshoot]

Still don't care. I like baseball, and I'll continue to watch it, sanctimonius pricks be damned.

[sterlingice]

Still don't care. I like baseball, and I'll continue to watch it, sanctimonius pricks be damned.

Agreed

SI

[Joe]

What sport is clean?

Boxing

[sterlingice]

What sport is clean?

Well, for some stupid reason, ESPN is showing Scrabble this afternoon- does that count? Or is there tile doping or something?

SI

[miami_fan]

I would be shocked if anything of significance comes of this. Not that I don't believe that any of the players have not used PEDs (Clemens especially IMO), but because I don't think anyone will doggedly pursue this story.

[Maple Leafs]

I would be shocked if anything of significance comes of this. Not that I don't believe that any of the players have not used PEDs (Clemens especially IMO), but because I don't think anyone will doggedly pursue this story.
Maybe ESPN could pursue the story with 1/10th the effort they put into the "Will Clemens choose the Yankees or Red Sox" story that they blitzed us with for a month (until he signed with the Astros and ruined it).

[sterlingice]

I would be shocked if anything of significance comes of this. Not that I don't believe that any of the players have not used PEDs (Clemens especially IMO), but because I don't think anyone will doggedly pursue this story.

I think they'll go after it because there are big names. That said, Clemens is smart enough, rich enough, and enough of a backside-covering asshole that they'll never catch him at anything.

SI

[Buccaneer]

Maybe MLB finally got around to hiring some of the NFL PR folks?

[terpkristin]

Here's a twist I didn't see coming...
linky (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-drugs-grimsley&prov=ap&type=lgns)

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="yspsctnhdln">Prosecutor cites "inaccuracies" in steroids story</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><spacer type="block" height="1" width="1"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> By DAVID KRAVETS, AP Legal Affairs Writer
October 2, 2006 <table style="padding-left: 8px; padding-bottom: 5px;" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="ysptblbdr2"> <table class="yspwhitebg" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="center">http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20061001/thumb.d2f031439d4a49b3a0323c9f24e9ad2f.drugs_grimsley_other_names_doping_baseball__ny155.jpg (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/photo?slug=d2f031439d4a49b3a0323c9f24e9ad2f.drugs_grimsley_other_names_doping_baseball__ny155&prov=ap)
<small>AP - Oct 1, 3:24 pm EDT</small>
More Photos (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/gallery)</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The federal prosecutor overseeing an investigation of steroids in baseball said Monday a newspaper report that five players, including Roger Clemens (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/3340/), had used illegal performance-enhancing drugs contained "significant inaccuracies."
Citing sealed court filings, the Los Angeles Times reported that former pitcher Jason Grimsley (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/4425/) had named Clemens, his Houston Astros (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/hou/) teammate Andy Pettitte (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5331/), and Baltimore Orioles (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/bal/) Miguel Tejada (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5888/), Brian Roberts (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6741/) and Jay Gibbons (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6635/). The story first appeared on the Times' Web site on Saturday and quickly was seized on by print and broadcast media outlets.
San Francisco U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan issued a statement Monday, saying: "In view of the recent news reports purporting to identify certain athletes whose names had been redacted from the government's search warrant filings in the Grimsley matter, and in the interests of justice, please be advised that these reports contain significant inaccuracies."
A spokesman for Ryan declined to elaborate.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Times had no immediate comment. The newspaper reported that an unidentified source with access to the document allowed the newspaper to view it, and a second source provided additional details about the document.
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="1" hspace="10" vspace="5"> <tbody><tr> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td align="center">ADVERTISEMENT
<script language="JavaScript"> var lrec_target="_top";var lrec_URL=new Array(); lrec_URL[1]="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12i0plof2/M=390001.9330862.10074847.1414694/D=sports/S=95861673:LREC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1159842964/A=3426096/R=0/id=flashurl/SIG=11n3v9cks/*http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting/?p=PASSPORT"; var lrec_flashfile="http://us.a2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/ya/yahoo_webhosting/032006_67834_v1_300x250_lrec_train.swf?clickTAG=javascript:LRECopenWindow(1)"; var lrec_altURL="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12i0plof2/M=390001.9330862.10074847.1414694/D=sports/S=95861673:LREC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1159842964/A=3426096/R=1/id=altimgurl/SIG=11n3v9cks/*http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting/?p=PASSPORT"; var lrec_altimg="http://us.a2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/ya/yahoo_webhosting/032006_67834_v1_300x250_lrec_train.gif"; var lrec_width=300;var lrec_height=250;</script> <script language="JavaScript" src="http://us.a2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/1-/jscodes/031016/ct_lrec_031016.js"></script> <noscript>http://us.a2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/ya/yahoo_webhosting/032006_67834_v1_300x250_lrec_train.gif (http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12i0plof2/M=390001.9330862.10074847.1414694/D=sports/S=95861673:LREC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1159842964/A=3426096/R=2/id=noscript/SIG=11n3v9cks/*http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting/?p=PASSPORT)</noscript> </td></tr></tbody></table><script type="text/javascript"> if (window.yzq_a == null) document.write("<scr" + "ipt type=text/javascript src=""http://us.js2.yimg.com/us.js.yimg.com/lib/bc/bc_1.7.3.js></scr" + "ipt>"); </script><script type="text/javascript"> if (window.yzq_a) { yzq_a('p', 'P=tgbUWc6.I.bD.4amRQ8sJw24QB6.jkUhsHQAASKj&T=13r0gv4dr%2fX%3d1159835764%2fE%3d95861673%2fR%3dsports%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d1.1%2fW%3d8%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d2659096543%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d7BE78E44'); yzq_a('a', '&U=13a8cpuvk%2fN%3dWZY5AM6.IsE-%2fC%3d390001.9330862.10074847.1414694%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d3426096'); } </script><noscript>http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=tgbUWc6.I.bD.4amRQ8sJw24QB6.jkUhsHQAASKj&T=140765l4p%2fX%3d1159835764%2fE%3d95861673%2fR%3dsports%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%3d8%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d2273896050%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d7BE78E44&U=13a8cpuvk%2fN%3dWZY5AM6.IsE-%2fC%3d390001.9330862.10074847.1414694%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d3426096</noscript> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> All five players immediately denounced the story, with Clemens calling it "dangerous and malicious and reckless."
Federal agents raided Grimsley's Arizona home in June after the pitcher admitted using human growth hormone, steroids and amphetamines. The pitcher, who played with Clemens and Pettitte on the New York Yankees (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/nyy/), later was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/ari/) and suspended for 50 games.
In a search warrant affidavit, IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky, the lead investigator in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroids probe, said Grimsley had identified other players as drug users, the Times reported. Those names were blacked out when the document was released.
"As I have said all along, and as Andy and Roger said quite clearly yesterday, they have never used performance-enhancing drugs," Randy Hendricks, the agent for Pettitte and Clemens, said Monday.
He added that Clemens "signed up to play for his country in the World Baseball Classic this year and submitted to Olympic standard testing, including blood work, and then went out and had another good year for the Astros."
Editors: David Kravets has been covering state and federal courts for more than a decade.

[Logan]

I think they'll go after it because there are big names. That said, Clemens is smart enough, rich enough, and enough of a backside-covering asshole that they'll never catch him at anything.


There's nothing to "catch him" with. It's a player stating another player took a banned substance that can't be tested for.