Outside the Lines today

[miami_fan]

Last week, federal agents raided Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley's home in Arizona seeking evidence in their ongoing criminal investigation into illegal performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. Grimsley's attorney has admitted that his client used human growth hormone. According to a leaked affidavit, Grimsley identified other major leaguers as users, but those players' names were blacked out. Now, in an ESPN exclusive interview with Outside the Lines' Jeremy Schaap, a player named in that affidavit steps forward and talks about his use of HGH. Also on the show, Astros closer Brad Lidge saved 42 of 46 games in 2005, but many fans remember him as the pitcher who gave up the walk-off home run to the Cardinals' Albert Pujols with the Astros one out away from reaching the World Series. The Astros eventually made it to the World Series, but Lidge faltered again and was the losing pitcher in two games. This season Lidge's woes have continued, as his ERA hovered above 5.00 at the end of May. Through it all the Astros and Lidge claimed the pitcher's problems had nothing to do with the aftereffects of the Pujols home run. Outside the Lines' Tim Kurkjian examines the effects of monumental postseason home runs on the psyche of closers. Bob Ley hosts.

Evidently, the player is David Segui who says he got a prescription to use it and it was perfectly legal.

[kcchief19]

Interesting ... Segui claims he has growth hormone deficient. Well, technically most people his age do because once you hit 35-40 your levels natural levels decline. My understanding is that adult growth hormone deficiency is almost exclusively caused by other pititary gland surgery or childhood HGH deficiency -- neither of which Segui apparently had. The only rationale I've heard for use of HGH in adults in other cases is if you consider aging a disease.

Rereading the affidavit and seeing Segui's comments, I think it's pretty clear that Segui knew he was cheating, but figured that he was covered legally because he found a crock doctor who would give him a prescription. He doesn't really seem to dispute what Grimsley said other than that it was all "legal."

Interestingly, this is another Kansas City connection. Segui grew up in Kansas City and still lives here.

[Terps]

HGH certainly didn't help "Mr. Glass." Only played in 193 games in 4 years in his last go around with the O's.

[henry296]

HGH certainly didn't help "Mr. Glass." Only played in 193 games in 4 years in his last go around with the O's.

For both Grimsley and Segui it appears they potentially turned to HGH to help recover from injuries. Segui's statements implicate that Grimsley used it to recover from Tommy John surgery and Segui was always injured in Baltimore so perhaps he tried to to prevent/recover from injuries.