This is not good for Rick Ankiel

[SoxAce]

Rick Ankiel received 12-month supply of HGH

 

Exclusive

 

Rick Ankiel received 12-month supply of HGH, News learns

 

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BY T.J. QUINN, CHRISTIAN RED, MICHAEL O'KEEFFE, and BILL MADDEN

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

 

Friday, September 7th 2007, 12:03 AM

 

 

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel, baseball's feel-good story of the season, received a 12-month supply of human growth hormone in 2004 from a Florida pharmacy that was part of a national illegal prescription drug-distribution operation, the Daily News has learned.

 

Ankiel, who flamed out mentally and physically as a pitcher earlier this decade, only to return to the majors as a slugging outfielder last month, has evoked comparisons this season to Roy Hobbs and Babe Ruth. He hit two home runs, a double and had seven RBI yesterday against the Pirates at Busch Stadium, giving him nine home runs in 81 at-bats since his remarkable major league comeback began on Aug. 10.

 

According to records obtained by The News and sources close to the controversy surrounding anti-aging clinics that dispense illegal prescription drugs, Ankiel received eight shipments of HGH from Signature Pharmacy in Orlando from January to December 2004, including the brand-name injectable drugs Saizen and Genotropin. Signature is the pharmacy at the forefront of Albany District Attorney David Soares' two-year investigation into illegal Internet prescription drug sales, which has brought 22 indictments and nine convictions.

 

Ankiel's prescriptions were signed by Florida physician William Gogan, who provided them through a Palm Beach Gardens clinic called "The Health and Rejuvenation Center," or "THARC." The drugs were shipped to Ankiel at the clinic's address.

 

THARC also provided a shipment of steroids and growth hormone to former major league pitcher Steve Woodard, who pitched for Milwaukee, Cleveland, Texas and Boston during a seven-year career that ended in 2003, according to records. Woodard and Ankiel were teammates with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in 2004.

 

Ankiel lives in nearby Jupiter, Fla.

 

His agent, Scott Boras, would not comment yesterday, and Woodard did not return messages left on his cell phone.

 

"This is the first I've heard of this," Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty told The News yesterday. "If it's true, obviously it would be very tragic, along with everything else we've had happen to us this year."

 

The surging Cardinals have gone 16-6 in their last 22 games to become a contender for the National League Central title. The year began with manager Tony La Russa's DWI arrest in March, followed by the drunk-driving death of reliever Josh Hancock in April and the loss of ace Chris Carpenter for the season in June. Ankiel, dubbed "The Natural" in St. Louis, had been the one bit of unrestrained good news.

 

Ankiel, 28, has not been accused by authorities of wrongdoing, and according to the Signature records obtained by The News, he stopped receiving HGH just before Major League Baseball officially banned it in 2005. MLB does not test for HGH, but a player who is known to have used it or even possessed it from the time it was banned can face a 50-game suspension.

Officials in the Albany DA's office did not respond to requests for comment last night.

 

MLB officials also declined comment, saying they would "look into" the allegations, but weren't sure whether any action could be taken. It is likely, however, that officials will ask to speak to Ankiel and will ask whether he used HGH beyond the time he received the shipments.

 

According to physician Gary Wadler, a committee member with the World Anti-Doping Agency and an associate professor of medicine at NYU, there is a limited number of reasons a healthy man in his 20s would have a medical need for HGH.

 

Unlike most drugs, federal law bans the use of HGH for off-label purposes: Physicians can distribute growth hormone only in connection with either treatment of a disease or another medical condition authorized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. "You need a bona fide doctor-patient relationship and a bona fide disease to distribute growth hormone," Wadler said.

 

The list of possible uses of HGH by a healthy man in his mid-20s is "extremely narrow," Wadler added.

 

At THARC's offices in Palm Beach Gardens, owners Kevin Johnson and Donald Montano said they had not been visited by Albany investigators, but confirmed that an FDA agent had questioned them after Albany authorities raided Signature in February.

 

Montano smiled when asked about Ankiel.

 

"Yeah, I know who he is. He's having a hell of a year," Montano said. When asked directly whether Ankiel was a client, the owners referred a reporter to their attorney, Bruce Udolf.

 

"HIPAA rules strictly prohibit me from giving out any patient names without violating the physician/patient relationship," Udolf said of federal laws that protect against disclosure of medical records. "Secondly, under the current policies in effect, no employee at this center is permitted or authorized to give medication, like HGH, to bodybuilders or professional athletes. That's an absolute no-no."

 

THARC was not one of the anti-aging clinics busted by Albany, but Signature's owners are under indictment. Prosecutors have said clinics similar to THARC paid physicians to sign prescriptions for clients they never saw - a violation of New York and Florida law - which were then filled at Signature and other pharmacies and shipped to clients. The names of at least 14 professional wrestlers, New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison (who was suspended by the NFL for four games) and Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Wilson (suspended five games and fined $100,000) have already emerged from the investigation, but Ankiel and Woodard are the first baseball players connected to Signature.

 

Sources said more athletes' names are expected to emerge from THARC.

 

Ankiel has fought numerous injuries in his career, and some athletes, such as Harrison, have said they used HGH to augment the body's healing process. It is banned in every major professional sport as a performance-enhancing drug because it builds lean muscle mass, but there is no universally accepted test for it.

 

Ankiel, who grew up in the shadow of the Mets' spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., has had a career fraught with promise and despair. He was USA Today's 1997 High School Player of the Year. By 2000, as a 20-year-old starter in his first full season, Ankiel looked like the next Steve Carlton, a lefty with electric stuff that earned him 11 victories.

 

At the end of the season, as the NL Central champion Cardinals opened their division series against the Atlanta Braves, Ankiel started the first game. In the third inning, he came apart, and the end of his pitching career wasn't far behind. With no warning or explanation, he lost control of his pitches, walked four batters and threw five wild pitches before he was removed.

 

Against the Mets in the NL Championship Series a week later, his trouble returned. He threw only 20 pitches before being removed, five of them sailing to the backstop. He started the 2001 season in the majors, quickly found himself in Triple-A, and by the end of the year was playing in the Rookie League.

 

Ankiel missed the 2002 season with an elbow sprain, and after pitching poorly for most of the season, he underwent "Tommy John" ligament-replacement surgery in July 2003. Ankiel returned to the Cardinals as a reliever in 2004, but the experiment was short-lived. He pitched in only five games, showing that he could throw strikes (nine strikeouts against one walk). But a year after his surgery, hitters found him to be easy pickings, and he finished with a 5.40 ERA.

 

Ankiel retired as a pitcher and was reborn as a hitter in 2005, but an injury to his left knee before the 2006 season led to surgery and another missed season. He hit 32 home runs in Triple-A this season before the Cardinals recalled him Aug. 10, stunning all of baseball as he hit three home runs in his first three games.

 

Like I mentioned in the ASB thread, this will probably become even bigger national news. I seriously hope this is false but it looks to be true. It's a damn shame cause everyone as far as fans, players in baseball etc.. are rooting for Rick.

Edited September 7, 2007 by SoxAce

[whitesoxfan101]

I can at least UNDERSTAND why he did it, as he was desperate to get back to the big leagues. However, he's a douche and a bum just like all the other cheaters, what a shame, so much for that movie. BUT hey, if he helps keep the Cubs out of the playoffs, at least some good comes of this sad part of the story.

[fathom]

I think people will be amazed at just how many players were/are doing HGH.

[SoxAce]

I think people will be amazed at just how many players were/are doing HGH.

 

Ditto. And Rick isn't exactly a "big" guy muscle wise or weight wise. Nobody would have thought Alex Sanchez would do it.. or Roger Clemens..

[CWSGuy406]

I think people will be amazed at just how many players were/are doing HGH.

 

Yep. It still amazes me that people use the "he's a cheater!" response for not wanting Bonds. Those using that reasoning really are turning a blind eye to players that they probably rooted for very hard who were doing the same exact stuff.

 

And I don't necessarily think less of any of these guys, either. When you see one guy getting bigger and stronger and recovering quicker -- along with the other perceived and/or real benefits -- it's gotta cross your mind that maybe you should try some 'things', especially when baseball was basically turning their cheek to this.

[witesoxfan]

Yep. It still amazes me that people use the "he's a cheater!" response for not wanting Bonds. Those using that reasoning really are turning a blind eye to players that they probably rooted for very hard who were doing the same exact stuff.

 

And I don't necessarily think less of any of these guys, either. When you see one guy getting bigger and stronger and recovering quicker -- along with the other perceived and/or real benefits -- it's gotta cross your mind that maybe you should try some 'things', especially when baseball was basically turning their cheek to this.

 

I'll go as far as to say that steroids saved the game of baseball.

[Kalapse]

Ditto. And Rick isn't exactly a "big" guy muscle wise or weight wise. Nobody would have thought Alex Sanchez would do it.. or Roger Clemens..

I read this all the time and I just don't get it. What are the 2 sporting events with the biggest performance enhancing drug issues? 1.) Cycling - incredibly thin and ripped men riding bikes 2.) Track - incredibly thin and ripped men/women running really fast. Now why would it surprise anyone that a speed player with injury problems (another fine use for steroids) would turn to a banned substance to keep his career afloat?

[witesoxfan]

I read this all the time and I just don't get it. What are the 2 sporting events with the biggest performance enhancing drug issues? 1.) Cycling - incredibly thin and ripped men riding bikes 2.) Track - incredibly thin and ripped men/women running really fast. Now why would it surprise anyone that a speed player with injury problems (another fine use for steroids) would turn to a banned substance to keep his career afloat?

 

Or how about a reliever who has to go out there 3, 4, sometimes 5 days in a row?

[Gregory Pratt]

On BBTN they were talking about scouts who apparently are noticiing that players are suddenly getting big again after having return to normal following steroid testing.

[NorthSideSox72]

Just because a lot of players do it, doesn't make it any more right.

 

As for Ankiel, it looks like he stopped as soon as it became banned. If that's the case, then that does mitigate the damage a bit.

 

[southsider2k5]

Just because a lot of players do it, doesn't make it any more right.

 

As for Ankiel, it looks like he stopped as soon as it became banned. If that's the case, then that does mitigate the damage a bit.

 

Well, as soon as baseball banned it... It has always been illegal.

 

And it doesn't matter how many people did it, it is wrong.

[Gregory Pratt]

Just because a lot of players do it, doesn't make it any more right.

 

As for Ankiel, it looks like he stopped as soon as it became banned. If that's the case, then that does mitigate the damage a bit.

 

Call me a cynic but I'll bet he just switched dealers.

[NorthSideSox72]

Call me a cynic but I'll bet he just switched dealers.

That was why I said "if". You may be right.

 

[Gregory Pratt]

All I need now is to hear that Josh Hamilton or Mark Buehrle are on something and I'm done. Halladay or Oswalt, too. And I swear to God, if Schuerholz is on steroids...

 

Really, this game is starting to resemble the Women's Swim Team of the Germans in the 1970s

[Rowand44]

And I swear to God, if Schuerholz is on steroids...

That got a laugh out of me. Nicely done.

[witesoxfan]

The players have stayed ahead of the curve. Until baseball adopts the Olympic drug testing policy, performance enhancing drugs will always be a problem.

 

Unfortunately, I don't ever see Fehr and the MLBPA allowing such a policy, and I doubt you'll ever see the game completely clean.

[whitesoxfan101]

The players have stayed ahead of the curve. Until baseball adopts the Olympic drug testing policy, performance enhancing drugs will always be a problem.

 

Unfortunately, I don't ever see Fehr and the MLBPA allowing such a policy, and I doubt you'll ever see the game completely clean.

 

Even if they wanted to, they couldn't catch up. The cheaters are always one step ahead of the people trying to stop them, including in this case.

[NorthSideSox72]

Even if they wanted to, they couldn't catch up. The cheaters are always one step ahead of the people trying to stop them, including in this case.

Therefore they shouldn't try? That's a load of cowardly crap. If you make a real effort and getting right on top of the bleeding edge, you can get 99% of the offenders. That would be a heck of a lot better than pointing to 1%, saying "see we can't get them all", and just not even making a decent effort.

 

MLB is simply too afraid of a possible strike and/or too many big name players being found guilty to swing the big hammer here. In the long run they'd be better off to go for it right now, but just like many other businesses in the U.S., MLB refuses to think long term.

 

[whitesoxfan101]

Therefore they shouldn't try? That's a load of cowardly crap. If you make a real effort and getting right on top of the bleeding edge, you can get 99% of the offenders. That would be a heck of a lot better than pointing to 1%, saying "see we can't get them all", and just not even making a decent effort.

 

MLB is simply too afraid of a possible strike and/or too many big name players being found guilty to swing the big hammer here. In the long run they'd be better off to go for it right now, but just like many other businesses in the U.S., MLB refuses to think long term.

 

Oh don't get me wrong, they SHOULD try to catch these guys, and the fact they aren't is a joke. My point is, don't hold your breath waiting for a cleaned up game, becuase even if baseball has up to the second testing policies, cheating will continue, and usually not get caught.

[NorthSideSox72]

Oh don't get me wrong, they SHOULD try to catch these guys, and the fact they aren't is a joke. My point is, don't hold your breath waiting for a cleaned up game, becuase even if baseball has up to the second testing policies, cheating will continue, and usually not get caught.

The words in bold are where I believe you are incorrect. If they were actually willing to do this (which they are not), they could invest in putting together an investigative unit that would be right on the heels of the most recent advancements. That means you'd get everyone at or below that line, which would be almost all of the offenders. Again, if they wanted to.

 

[3 BeWareTheNewSox 5]

Could care less, your favorite player probably does it too, even though this still doesn't show he did it after it was banned. I really must laugh at you if you still support the sport and haven't accepted the reality yet, you shouldn't be shocked, even if it came out about ARod or even Frank Thomas (my fav player by the way). Albert Pujols, from Brooklyn streets straight to MLB superstar? Wasn't Ortiz basically cut by the Twins? Then he becomes surefire MVP candidate overnight. Etc

 

OMGZ it was illegal, so is what a lot of ball players do in their free time, some of which may also "enhance" performance during a game.

[NorthSideSox72]

Could care less, your favorite player probably does it too, even though this still doesn't show he did it after it was banned. I really must laugh at you if you still support the sport and haven't accepted the reality yet, you shouldn't be shocked, even if it came out about ARod or even Frank Thomas (my fav player by the way). Albert Pujols, from Brooklyn streets straight to MLB superstar? Wasn't Ortiz basically cut by the Twins? Then he becomes surefire MVP candidate overnight. Etc

 

OMGZ it was illegal, so is what a lot of ball players do in their free time, some of which may also "enhance" performance during a game.

Boy, again, those are some great arguments. Its like the kid who tells their parents "but other kids do it!" The fact that lots do it does not make it any more right.

 

And who said they were shocked? I see no one in the thread who is shocked by any of this.

 

[knightni]

All I need now is to hear that Josh Hamilton (is) on something, I'm done.

 

A little late huh?

[Buehrle>Wood]

I was just questioning him in my head yesterday. Not too surprised.

[Gregory Pratt]

A little late huh?

 

You know what I mean. Har har.