Mitchell Report Thread

[iamshack]

For the third time... as I have posted, there are exceptions. Those are superstar players.

 

Since its obvious you are just going to go to the extremes on this, missing the general point, there isn't much purpose discussing it with you further.

 

Well, first of all, I stated that the owners knew "in the vast majority" of cases. I'm not trying to argue that all owners knew that players lesser in stature were doing steroids. But the superstars and mvp's are what this is all about. They are the ones who bring in the money. And to the original point, I would assume most owners would not seek to revoke contracts for minor players who don't make much money. If you're talking about what makes this entire scandal newsworthy, it's that Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Andy Petitte, etc., were using performance-enhancing drugs. Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, etc., these are the guys that have made individual owners, and the owners collectively, a LOT of money throughout the past 10 years or so. And to claim their ownership was not entirely aware of what was going on seems absolutely naive to me.

 

Secondly, obviously I did not have factual information within my possession which stated these players had clinically tested positively for steroids. But there was enough information available both through investigative reporting, criminal investigations, on-field performance, and the plain physical appearance of some of these players which made it blatantly obvious that something was not right. Did I know whether Barry Bonds was using conventional steroids or designer HGH such as "the clear and the cream"? No. I did not (well, not until "Game of Shadows" was published). But it was obvious to even the most casual of fan that certain players were taking some kind of unnatural performance enhancer.

 

Thirdly, the owners, GM's, Managers, high-level executives certainly had the wherewithall to find the answers to these questions, or acquire "proof" so they could "know" exactly what was going on. Do you mean to argue that these people, being that their livelihood is their baseball team, did not ask others "what the hell is going on here?" Why are these players suddenly obliterating their career norms, sometimes at advanced ages? Why are we seeing so many home runs hit? You don't think they would inquire as to what was happening? Why this was happening? I just don't believe that.

 

 

[daa84]

Brian Roberts

Brian Roberts is an infielder who has played for the Baltimore Orioles since 2001.

He has been selected to two All-Star teams.

Roberts and Larry Bigbie were both rookies in 2001. According to Bigbie, both

he and Roberts lived in Segui’s house in the Baltimore area during the latter part of that season.

When Bigbie and Segui used steroids in the house, Roberts did not participate.

According to Bigbie, however, in 2004 Roberts admitted to him that he had

injected himself once or twice with steroids in 2003. Until this admission, Bigbie had never

suspected Roberts of using steroids.

In order to provide Roberts with information about these allegations and to give

him an opportunity to respond, I asked him to meet with me; he declined.

interesting to see how guys like bigbie who "ratted out" guys like roberts will be treated from here on out

[Balta1701]

interesting to see how guys like bigbie who "ratted out" guys like roberts will be treated from here on out

Once we get guys like Roberts out of the game, these guys will be recognized as the good guys of this era.

[Steve9347]

This report is insanely awesome.

[Kalapse]

Mo Vaughn wrote a few checks.

[daa84]

reading the clemens thing....this is pretty concrete evidence of steroid use if you ask me .....no hall for him i suspect

[MurcieOne]

Lo Duca is like a steroids mastermind.

[Controlled Chaos]

Clemens stuff starts on page 167...I'll post it here for those too lazy to go read it...but it's easier to read in the report

Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens is a pitcher who, from 1984 to 2007, played for four teams in

Major League Baseball, the Boston Red Sox (13 seasons), Toronto Blue Jays (2 seasons),

New York Yankees (6 seasons), and Houston Astros (3 seasons). He has won more than

350 games, seven Cy Young Awards, and was the American League Most Valuable Player in

1986. He was named to All-Star teams eleven times.

During the Radomski investigation, federal law enforcement officials identified

Brian McNamee as one of Radomski’s customers and a possible sub-distributor. McNamee,

through his attorney, entered into a written agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the

Northern District of California. The agreement provides that McNamee will cooperate with the

U.S. Attorney’s Office. No truthful statements can be used against McNamee in any federal

prosecution by that Office; if, however, he should be untruthful in any statements made pursuant

to that agreement, he may be charged with criminal violations, including making false

statements, which is a felony.

As part of his cooperation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and at its request,

McNamee agreed to three interviews by me and my staff, one in person and two by telephone.

McNamee’s personal lawyer participated in the interviews. Also participating were federal

prosecutors and agents from the F.B.I. and the Internal Revenue Service. On each occasion,

168

McNamee was advised that he could face criminal charges if he made any false statements

during these interviews, which were deemed by the prosecutors to be subject to his written

agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

McNamee attended St. John’s University in New York from 1985 to 1989,

majoring in athletic administration. At St. John’s, he played baseball. From 1990 to May 1993,

he was a New York City police officer.

In 1993, McNamee met Tim McCleary, the assistant general manager of the

New York Yankees, who also had attended St. John’s. McCleary hired McNamee as a bullpen

catcher and batting practice pitcher for the New York Yankees. In 1995, McNamee was released

from his duties after Joe Torre was named the new Yankees manager. From 1995 to 1998,

McNamee trained “Olympic caliber athletes” outside of baseball.

In 1995, McCleary was hired as the assistant general manager for the Toronto

Blue Jays. In 1998, that club hired McNamee as its strength and conditioning coach, and he

served in that position from 1998 to 2000.

Roger Clemens signed with Toronto in 1997, after spending the first thirteen

years of his career with the Red Sox. After McNamee began working for the Blue Jays in 1998,

he and Clemens both lived at the Toronto SkyDome (there is a hotel attached to the stadium).

McNamee and Clemens became close professionally while in Toronto, but they were not close

socially or personally.

Jose Canseco was playing for the Blue Jays in 1998. On or about June 8-10,

1998, the Toronto Blue Jays played an away series with the Florida Marlins. McNamee attended

a lunch party that Canseco hosted at his home in Miami. McNamee stated that, during this

luncheon, he observed Clemens, Canseco, and another person he did not know meeting inside

169

Canseco’s house, although McNamee did not personally attend that meeting. Canseco told

members of my investigative staff that he had numerous conversations with Clemens about the

benefits of Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol and how to “cycle” and “stack” steroids. Canseco has

made similar statements publicly.385

Toward the end of the road trip which included the Marlins series, or shortly after

the Blue Jays returned home to Toronto, Clemens approached McNamee and, for the first time,

brought up the subject of using steroids. Clemens said that he was not able to inject himself, and

he asked for McNamee’s help.

Later that summer, Clemens asked McNamee to inject him with Winstrol, which

Clemens supplied. McNamee knew the substance was Winstrol because the vials Clemens gave

him were so labeled. McNamee injected Clemens approximately four times in the buttocks over

a several-week period with needles that Clemens provided. Each incident took place in

Clemens’s apartment at the SkyDome. McNamee never asked Clemens where he obtained the

steroids.

During the 1998 season (around the time of the injections), Clemens showed

McNamee a white bottle of Anadrol-50.386 Clemens told McNamee he was not using it but

wanted to know more about it. McNamee told Clemens not to use it. McNamee said he took the

385 Jose Canseco, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball

Got Big 211-13 (Regan Books 2005).

386 Anadrol 50 is the brand name for oxymetholone and, according to a reference book

targeted at steroid abusers, “is considered by many to be the most powerful steroid commercially

available.” See William Llewellyn, Anabolics 2006 99 (5th ed. 2006). It can harm the liver and

produce pronounced androgenic side effects. Id. at 100.

170

bottle and gave it to Canseco.387 McNamee does not know where Clemens obtained the

Anadrol-50.

According to McNamee, from the time that McNamee injected Clemens with

Winstrol through the end of the 1998 season, Clemens’s performance showed remarkable

improvement. During this period of improved performance, Clemens told McNamee that the

steroids “had a pretty good effect” on him. McNamee said that Clemens also was training harder

and dieting better during this time.

In 1999, Clemens was traded to the New York Yankees. McNamee remained

under contract with the Blue Jays for the 1999 season. In 2000, the Yankees hired McNamee as

the assistant strength and conditioning coach under Jeff Mangold. According to McNamee, the

Yankees hired him because Clemens persuaded them to do so. In this capacity, McNamee

worked with all of the Yankees players. McNamee was paid both by the Yankees and by

Clemens personally. Clemens hired McNamee to train him during portions of several weeks in

the off-season. McNamee also trained Clemens personally for one to two weeks during spring

training and a few times during the season. McNamee served as the Yankees’ assistant strength

and conditioning coach through the 2001 season.388

McNamee first learned about Kirk Radomski through David Segui during the

2000 season. Also that season, McNamee obtained Radomski’s telephone number from Jason

Grimsley. McNamee wanted to buy a Lexus, and Radomski had a connection with a Lexus

dealer. Radomski recalled that Grimsley was a frequent customer for performance enhancing

387 McNamee stated that he showed the bottle to Canseco because he thought that

Canseco was knowledgeable and he felt comfortable approaching him. According to McNamee,

Canseco volunteered to take the bottle.

388 In his own interview, Mangold was reluctant to discuss McNamee in any respect.

Mangold said that he was not aware of, and never suspected, any player of using performance

enhancing substances.

171

substances, and he produced nine checks written by Grimsley to Radomski during 2001 and

2002 and fourteen checks in total.

According to McNamee, during the middle of the 2000 season Clemens made it

clear that he was ready to use steroids again. During the latter part of the regular season,

McNamee injected Clemens in the buttocks four to six times with testosterone from a bottle

labeled either Sustanon 250 or Deca-Durabolin that McNamee had obtained from Radomski.

McNamee stated that during this same time period he also injected Clemens four

to six times with human growth hormone he received from Radomski, after explaining to

Clemens the potential benefits and risks of use. McNamee believed that it was probably his idea

that Clemens try human growth hormone. Radomski instructed McNamee how to inject human

growth hormone. On each occasion, McNamee administered the injections at Clemens’s

apartment in New York City.

McNamee said that he and Clemens did not have any conversations regarding

performance enhancing substances from late 2000 until August 2001. McNamee did, however,

train Clemens and Andy Pettitte during the off-season at their homes in Houston. Clemens often

invited other major league players who lived in the Houston area to train with him.

McNamee’s training relationship with Clemens and others has been described

publicly. Peter Gammons reported during spring training 2001:

Brandon Smith, an apprentice trainer with the Yankees, describes Roger

Clemens’ day as follows: “He’s one of the first players in every morning,

runs, does his program with Andy Pettitte, does the team program

workout, goes to the weight room, leaves, plays 18 holes of golf and

finally meets (trainer) Brian McNamee at 6 .. . . and a few other players –

for another workout. It’s incredible how much energy Roger has.”389

389 Peter Gammons, Indians Expecting Better Year, espn.com, Mar. 11, 2001; see also

Gary Graves, Clemens on Fire with Desire; Rigorous Workouts Keep 38-year-old All-Star

Sharp, In Shape, USA Today, July 10, 2001, at C3.

172

According to McNamee, Clemens advised him in August 2001 that he was again

ready to use steroids. Shortly thereafter, McNamee injected Clemens with Sustanon or Deca-

Durabolin on four to five occasions at Clemens’s apartment. According to McNamee, he again

obtained these drugs from Kirk Radomski. McNamee concluded from Clemens’s statements and

conduct that Clemens did not like using human growth hormone (Clemens told him that he did

not like the “bellybutton shot”). To McNamee’s knowledge, Clemens did not use human growth

hormone in 2001.

McNamee was not retained by the Yankees after the 2001 season. After that

season, Clemens never again asked McNamee to inject him with performance enhancing

substances, and McNamee had no further discussions with Clemens about such substances.

McNamee stated that Clemens did not tell him why he stopped asking him to administer

performance enhancing substances, and McNamee has no knowledge about whether Clemens

used performance enhancing substances after 2001.

During the years that McNamee stated he facilitated Clemens’s use of steroids

and human growth hormone, McNamee’s discussions with Clemens about use of these drugs

were limited. McNamee assumed that Clemens used performance enhancing substances during

the second half of the season so that he would not tire, but they did not discuss this directly. It

was Clemens who made the decision when he would use anabolic steroids or human growth

hormone. McNamee stated that he tried to educate Clemens about these substances; he “gave

him as much information as possible.”

Clemens continued to train with McNamee after he was dismissed by the

Yankees, according to both McNamee and press reports. In October 2006, after the Los Angeles

Times reported that the names of Clemens and McNamee were among those that had been

173

redacted from an affidavit in support of a search warrant for the residence of Jason Grimsley as

allegedly involved with the illegal use of performance enhancing substances, Clemens was

reported to have said: “I’ll continue to use Mac [McNamee] to train me. He’s one of a kind.”390

McNamee was quoted in a December 10, 2006 news article on steroids as

reportedly having said: “I never, ever gave Clemens or Pettitte steroids. They never asked me

for steroids. The only thing they asked me for were vitamins.”391 McNamee told us that he was

accurately quoted but that he did not tell the truth to the reporter who interviewed him. He

explained that he was trying to protect his reputation.

On May 15, 2007, the New York Daily News reported that Clemens had cut ties

to McNamee.392 McNamee denied that and told us that he trained Clemens after the article was

published. He added that Clemens now has a home in the New York area, and McNamee

personally installed a gym there.

McNamee stated that he has no ill will toward Clemens and “was always ahead

[financially] with Roger.” McNamee received money for expenses from Clemens’s business

representatives. They paid McNamee for training Clemens, and for his expenses. From time to

time Clemens also gave McNamee “extra money.” Clemens never gave money to McNamee

specifically to buy performance enhancing substances.

Kirk Radomski recalled meeting McNamee through David Segui. Radomski

confirmed that he supplied McNamee with human growth hormone and anabolic steroids from

390 Jack Curry, Cloud Over Clemens’s Finale: He and Pettitte Deny Report, N.Y. Times,

Oct. 2, 2006, at D1; Lance Pugmire, The Nation; Clemens Is Named in Drug Affidavit,

L.A. Times, Oct. 1, 2006, at A1.

391 See William Sherman and T.J. Quinn, Andy Totes Baggage to Bronx, N.Y. Daily

News, Dec. 10, 2006, at 56. McNamee’s interactions with Pettitte are discussed below.

392 Christian Red with T.J. Quinn, Roger Seeking Workout Help, N.Y. Daily News,

May 15, 2007.

174

2000 to 2004. Although McNamee never told Radomski the performance enhancing substances

obtained were for anything other than McNamee’s personal use, Radomski concluded that

McNamee was distributing the substances to others based on the amounts he purchased and the

timing of the purchases.

Radomski knew McNamee was acting as personal trainer for Roger Clemens,

Andy Pettitte, and Chuck Knoblauch (among others), and he suspected McNamee was giving the

performance enhancing substances to some of his clients. Occasionally, McNamee

acknowledged good performances by Knoblauch or Clemens by “dropping hints,” such as

“[h]e’s on the program now.” McNamee never explicitly told Radomski that either Clemens or

Pettitte was using steroids or human growth hormone. According to Radomski, however,

McNamee asked Radomski what types of substances Radomski was providing to pitchers.

Radomski delivered the substances to McNamee personally. Radomski recalled

numerous performance enhancing substance transactions with McNamee. Radomski also

sometimes trained some of McNamee’s non-professional athlete clients.

Radomski produced four checks from McNamee that were deposited into

Radomski’s checking account and drawn on McNamee’s checking account.393 All the checks

were dated in 2003 and 2004, after McNamee said that he supplied Clemens, Pettitte, and

Knoblauch. McNamee said these purchases were for non-baseball clients.

McNamee’s name, with an address and telephone number, is listed in the address

book seized from Radomski’s residence by federal agents. Radomski’s telephone records show

twelve calls to McNamee’s telephone number from May through August 2004. Radomski was

393 One of the checks, in the amount of $2,400, includes a memo stating “Loan Repay

Sub.” Radomski confirmed that he never loaned McNamee any money and that the check had

been for one-and-a-half kits of human growth hormone.

175

unable to obtain telephone records dating back to the time when, according to McNamee,

McNamee was injecting Clemens.

Clemens appears to be one of the two people associated with baseball – Andy

Pettitte is the other – who have remained loyal to McNamee after he left the Yankees.394

Clemens has remained a source of income for McNamee up to and including 2007.

Prior to my interviews of McNamee he was interviewed by federal officials on

several occasions, during each of which they informed McNamee that he risked criminal

prosecution if he was not truthful. I was advised by those officials that on each occasion he told

them about the performance enhancing substance use of Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Chuck

Knoblauch (Pettitte and Knoblauch are discussed below).

In order to provide Clemens with information about these allegations and to give

him an opportunity to respond, I asked him to meet with me; he declined.

[MurcieOne]

Astros must be thrilled that they just traded for Miguel Tejada.

[G&T]

Forgoing discipline. I knew it.

[NorthSideSox72]

Forgoing discipline. I knew it.

Huh?

 

[daa84]

Once we get guys like Roberts out of the game, these guys will be recognized as the good guys of this era.

perhaps, but lets not forget that bigbie and guys like canseco were users themselves...and canseco is the self described godfather of this era...he was instrumental in all of this......

 

this is such a huge day in baseball history...in my mind this tarnishes the entire era in the mind of hte public...it was something that we all saw coming for a long time, but i think that today with this report coming out, the eye of the public will finally and with out doubt view this era as the steroid era

[Balta1701]

Mitchell urging the Commish not to take action based on past actions except in the worst cases.

[Controlled Chaos]

Astros must be thrilled that they just traded for Miguel Tejada.

Miguel Tejada

Miguel Tejada is a shortstop who has played for two teams in Major League

Baseball since 1997, the Oakland Athletics (7 seasons) and Baltimore Orioles (4 seasons). He

was the American League Most Valuable Player in 2002. He played in every game from June 2,

2000 until June 21, 2007, the fifth longest streak of consecutive games played in Major League

202

Baseball history. Tejada has played in four All-Star games and was the Most Valuable Player of

the 2005 All-Star game.

In 2003, Adam Piatt’s locker was located next to Tejada’s in the Oakland

Athletics clubhouse. According to Piatt, Tejada asked specifically if he had any steroids. Piatt

believed that Tejada asked him because Piatt was in good shape and generally friendly with him.

Piatt had several conversations with Tejada before a transaction occurred. Piatt

admitted he had access to steroids and human growth hormone and agreed to obtain them for

Tejada. Piatt recalled that he provided Tejada with testosterone or Deca-Durabolin, as well as

human growth hormone. Piatt emphasized that he did not know whether Tejada actually used

the substances.

Piatt’s bank provided two checks deposited into Piatt’s account that had been

written to him from Miguel Tejada. The checks are dated March 21, 2003 and are in the

amounts of $3,100 and $3,200 respectively. Both are included in the Appendix; one is shown

below.

Separately, before our interviews of him, Piatt also spoke with federal agents by

telephone. Piatt had his personal lawyer present for this call, as he did in his meetings with me

203

and my investigative staff. The federal agents later advised my staff that Piatt also informed

them of Piatt’s sales to Tejada during their telephone interview.

Radomski recalled receiving a call from Piatt during which he said he needed

extra testosterone because “one of the guys wanted some.” In a later conversation, Piatt told

Radomski that the testosterone was for his teammate, Miguel Tejada. Radomski never spoke, or

sold performance enhancing substances, directly to Tejada. Radomski provided this information

to me without knowledge that I had spoken to Piatt or that I was otherwise aware of Piatt’s

alleged sales to Tejada. Similarly, Piatt was unaware of any statements by Radomski on this

subject when he was interviewed by my investigative staff.

As discussed earlier in this report, Tejada was interviewed as part of a

congressional investigation into whether Rafael Palmeiro had lied under oath about his use of

performance enhancing substances during a March 17, 2005 congressional committee hearing.408

In that investigation, Palmeiro said he had received injectable, and legal, vitamin B12 from

Tejada; Palmeiro said it was possible the vitamin B12 had been tainted and had been the reason

for his positive test for steroids. Tejada admitted to investigators that he provided injectable

vitamin B12 to Palmeiro and two other unidentified Orioles players during the 2005 season. The

congressional report said that the Players Association had tested another vial of vitamin B12

provided by Tejada and it showed no signs of steroids.409

Tejada is also mentioned in two books on the subject. In Juicing the Game, the

author Howard Bryant wrote that during the 2002 season, an airport security screener found a

syringe in Tejada’s briefcase. Tejada reportedly explained that he received a supply of vitamin

408 See supra at 103-06; see also H. Comm. on Gov’t Reform, Report on Investigation

Into Rafael Palmeiro’s March 17, 2005 Testimony Before the Comm. on Gov’t Reform, at 6

(109th Cong. 2005) (“Palmeiro Report”).

409 Palmeiro Report at 9-10, 25, 27.

204

B12 from the Dominican Republic that he administered to himself.410 Mickey Morabito, the

director of team travel for the Oakland Athletics, confirmed the incident in an interview with my

investigative staff. He acknowledged that he did not report the incident to anyone with the club

or the Commissioner’s Office.

In his book Juiced, Jose Canseco wrote that, in 1997, when he and Tejada were

teammates on the Athletics, they discussed the use of performance enhancing substances:

I started giving him [Tejada] advice about steroids, and he seemed

interested in what I was saying. Tejada and I had a secret weapon: We

could speak in Spanish, which made it easier to talk about whatever he

wanted, even if there were reporters around.411

Tejada denied that he had ever had any discussions with Canseco about steroids. He was further

reported to say: “I work very hard to keep in shape and any suggestion that I use steroids, or any

banned substance is insulting and not worth discussing further.”412

In December 2005, Texas Rangers owner Thomas O. Hicks and general manager

Jon Daniels engaged in an email exchange about possible trade discussions. In one email,

Daniels stated that he had “some steroids concerns with Tejada,” and cited Tejada’s decreased

productivity over the second half of the 2005 season.413

In order to provide Tejada with information about these allegations and to give

him an opportunity to respond, I asked him to meet with me; he declined.

410 Howard Bryant, Juicing The Game 335 (Plume 2005).

411 Jose Canseco, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball

Got Big 177 (Regan Books 2005).

412 See Associated Press, Report: FBI Agent Says He Warned MLB about Steroid Use,

Chi. Sun-Times, Feb. 16, 2005, at 134.

413 Email from Jon Daniels to Thomas O. Hicks, dated Dec. 15, 2005.

[southsideirish71]

JIM F'ing PARQUE is on there!!!

PARQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

He needed steroids to throw 83-85. LOL

 

 

 

[Linnwood]

We interviewed or consulted with many others whose views and information were

very helpful, including: former Commissioners of Baseball Peter V. Ueberroth and Francis T.

(“Fay”) Vincent; numerous law enforcement and other officials; experts from the United States Anti-Doping Agency, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping

Authority; John Dowd, who conducted the Pete Rose investigation; Don Hooton, chairman of

The Taylor Hooton Foundation; Dr. Gary Green; Dr. Jay Hoffman; Frank Thomas of the Toronto

Blue Jays; and many others.

 

Page B-6

[G&T]

Huh?

 

Are you watching the news conference? Mitchell just said they should forgo discipline unless the commissioner deemed the use to be so egregious to merit discipline.

[jackie hayes]

Astros must be thrilled that they just traded for Miguel Tejada.

They knew.

 

Some of the stuff...I dunno. Like Jack Cust -- basically, 'Bigbie said he said he had tried them.' Um, okay...?

[WCSox]

Mitchell urging the Commish not to take action based on past actions except in the worst cases.

 

Like Barry?

 

[Balta1701]

Like Barry?

If anyone falls under that exception, it's Bonds.

[klaus kinski]

Knocking Clemens out in the World Series so much sweeter now. What a phoney piece of crap he has been.

[RibbieRubarb]

Page B-6

 

BINGO!!!....new game?

[daa84]

mitchell really emphasized the fact that this list is certainly not entirely inclusive adn that far more players who arent mentioned are certain users...basically this whole thing is saying steroids was so widespread that the games integrity of this era needs to be questioned

[G&T]

Nothing is going to happen to anyone. Bonds will be in jail anyway. This is CYA for Selig.

[GoSox05]

It look's like Clemens is gonna get the worst of this.