George Mitchell released his report today and the suspicion of several big name players from The Yankees using steroids is now confirmed.
The report consisting of over 400 pages details players, teams, suppliers, etc. all equally involved in the promotion of steroid use.
One of the most prominent teams The New York Yankees was no exception. More than a dozen Yankees, past and present, were among the 75-plus players identified.
So who were some of the big players whose reputations will be forever tarnished? Well, perhaps the most shocking is Roger Clemens. The seven-time Cy Young winner's name is seen several times in the report. Information was supplied to Mitchell by the New York Yankees Strength and Conditioning Coach Brian McNamee.
Clemens 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.
"According to McNamee, from the time that McNamee injected Clemens with Winstrol through the end of the 1998 season, Clemens' performance showed remarkable improvement," the report said. "During this period of improved performance, Clemens told McNamee that the steroids 'had a pretty good effect' on him."
McNamee also told investigators that "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."
McNamee also told investigators that he injected Clemens with Human Growth Hormone after explaining the benefits of that. Each time McNamee did the injections because Clemens had trouble doing them himself. The steroid use started when Clemens was on the Blue Jays then continued when he went to the Yankees. McNamee said he was hired for the Yankees because of Clemens. He was paid by the Yankees as well as personally by Clemens.
McNamee did say he had no knowledge of Clemens using drugs after 2001 despite him still training him.
Also named in the report is Clemens good friend, Andy Pettitte. Pettitte has been named to the All-Star team twice and was Most Valuable Player in the 2001 American League Championship Series.
According to the report, McNamee began serving as Pettitte's personal trainer and started assisting Pettitte in off-season workouts after the 1999 season. According to McNamee, during the 2001-02 offseason, Pettitte asked him about human growth hormone. McNamee said that he discouraged Pettitte from using human growth hormone at that time.
In 2002, McNamee has records on injecting Pettitte with Human Growth Hormone.
Another big name Yankee is Chuck Knoblauch. He played for the Yankees during 2000 and 2001, the two years when McNamee served as the Yankees' assistant strength coach.
He was the 1991 American League Rookie of the Year and played on four All-Star teams.
"McNamee said that he acquired human growth hormone from Radomski for Knoblauch in 2001," the report stated. "Beginning during spring training and continuing through the early portion of the season, McNamee injected Knoblauch at least seven to nine times with human growth hormone."
Then of course there is Jason Grimsley, who also was a supplier for many of the Yankees. Check after check was submitted as evidence totally over $35,000 for drugs. Grimsley pitched for the Yankees for two seasons.
Other former Yankees include David Justice, Jason Giambi, Glenallen Hill, and the list goes on and on.
So why is this not a surprise to me? Well, for one the Yankees has always been on top no matter what it took. Owner George Steinbrenner has always made it well known that he will spend whatever money it takes to win. His players obviously had the same mentality.
Clemens always went for the win. He has always been ultra-competitive and would do whatever it took to win as well. As an Astros fan, he always seemed to not have a lot of morals. Something always seemed not right. I am curious to see how he spins all this. He is good at coming out on top and making himself look good.
To me, Pettitte has always been Clemens' puppet so his name being released was no surprise either. The two are peas in a pod.
How does all this information affect baseball? I think the era or the Yankees on top will always have a footnote in people's minds. We will always know how many of those players were on steroids during their World Series wins and I think that will taint our view of their greatness.
I think it is a sad day in the history of baseball when such talented icons would reduce who they are to take a drug to make them better. It was a waste of God given talent if you ask me.
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