Christianity and PED’s in the Clubhouse

Here’s an interesting excerpt from an article (Rocky Mountain News) I read today about Dan Naulty, a pitcher who employed the use of steroids in order to achieve tremendous physical gains and, in turn, establish himself (to an extent) in the world of professional baseball. He actually pitched for the Yankees (of course) in 1999, which is when he says that he stopped using steroids and HGH (but was still using amphetamines).

“My velocity dropped,” Naulty said. “I was down to 88 (mph). . . . I had dropped 5 to 8 miles an hour. But I was pitching really well. I was getting people out.”Naulty went 1-0 with a 4.38 ERA in 33 games for the Yankees. That season, he said he “was asking the meaning-of-life type questions” and Christian members of the Yankees let him know if he wanted help, they were ready.

Naulty said the group included Joe Girardi, now the Yankees manager, Mariano Rivera, Scott Brosius, Chad Curtis, Jason Grimsley and Andy Pettitte.The latter two were cited in the Mitchell Report. Pettitte subsequently admitted he twice used HGH but not steroids. Grimsley, who admitted using steroids and HGH, had his Arizona home raided in June 2006 by federal agents.

“It was a crew that clearly was not claiming perfection but was claiming that, ‘We need God and we’re inviting you to be a part of that if you like.’ So during the season it was almost a Jekyll and Hyde type of thing. During the day, I’d get to hang out with these guys and get to ask the tough questions about religion and life and baseball. And then during the night, I’d be the single major league baseball player playing for the New York Yankees.

I’m not poking fun at religion (and specifically, Christianity) but it seems as though the Yankees were a strange bunch back then. From what I’ve seen, the typical male doesn’t necessarily stop to discuss baseball and religion all in one sitting, although baseball has often been interchangeable with religion for the typical male.

They must have had some great talks though, because Dan Naulty actually left baseball after that season in order to further pursue his faith and speak to those in the religious community. He actually talks about the negative consequences that occur due to prolonged steroid (and, more generally, substance) abuse.

Thinking back on it, I can just picture these guys sitting around and debating who has a better cut fastball, Mariano Rivera or Jesus Christ.

Brian McNamee’s History–Credibility?

I don’t want to be perceived as making a case for Roger Clemens as he attacks Brian McNamee’s credibility. However, I’m able to check the blog’s stats and see what people are searching for (on search engines) that leads them to this website. What I’ve seen is that quite a few people are looking for more information on Brian McNamee’s history and therefore, here’s a really detailed review of McNamee’s background, courtesy of ESPN.

One event, in particular, that stands out above the rest (that can help Clemens’ case) is McNamee’s “rape incident,” which occurred in late 2001 while working for the Yankees. Situated below is text directly from that ESPN article which outlines the event in question.

Despite his efforts to branch out, McNamee kept a low profile until October of 2001, when he was suddenly in the New York tabloids. According to police reports, an employee of a St. Petersburg, Fla., hotel where the Yankees were staying had noticed a man and a woman apparently having sex in the hotel pool, while another man looked on from a few feet away. All three were naked in the pool. One of the men, Charles Wonsowicz, the former St. John’s pitcher who was now the Yankees’ video technician, left immediately when confronted by the employee. The other, McNamee, continued to hold on to the woman until the hotel employee asked him to leave again, according to police documents.

“You mean now?” he said. McNamee got out of the pool, leaving behind the woman, who witnesses said appeared “out of it.” She said to the hotel employee, “Help me,” and then McNamee pulled her out of the pool and tried to put clothes back on her.

Employees called police, and an ambulance also arrived. It turned out the woman had ingested a near fatal dose of GHB, a powerful drug used by bodybuilders, teenage “ravers” and date rapists — who have used it to incapacitate victims. A bottle of the GHB was found on the pool deck.

Police investigated the incident as a rape and questioned McNamee the next morning.

The report of Detective Don Crotty, who questioned McNamee, cites McNamee as lying several times during the questioning: about where he first met the woman, saying it was the hotel lobby rather than another bar, as other witnesses said; and about his whereabouts over the course of the night. McNamee didn’t mention that he was with the woman with several other Yankees players in Chuck Knoblauch’s room. He denied to police that he even knew Wonsowicz, his college teammate and fellow Yankees employee. He said Wonsowicz looked familiar, and he might be a “green fly,” ballplayer slang for a hanger-on who looks for autographs.

For more than a month in 2001, McNamee was a suspect. However, no charges were filed. Early in the investigation, the woman lied to investigators about her reason for being at the Renaissance Vinoy hotel — she was having an affair with another Yankees employee who was married, and didn’t want to reveal that. When investigators realized this, they declined to pursue the investigation of McNamee. A few months later, the Yankees quietly let McNamee go. But Clemens and Pettitte kept using him as their personal trainer.

If you get a chance, please read the rest of the article as well (in its entirety), since it provides a much more complete and comprehensive history of the man’s life that doesn’t focus solely on this one incident. It is strange that Clemens and Pettitte, being such self-described “family men,” would even associate with someone linked to the event described above (even if the charges weren’t filed), especially after he was let go by the club.

Nonetheless, as you can clearly see, there are a string of events in McNamee’s history which could definitely be criticized by a laywer who is looking to establish levels of credibility based upon the nature of one’s character. If this is the case, Clemens won’t even have to lie during his 60 Minutes interview about trusting McNamee’s allegations. All he’ll have to do is recall incidents from the past that pertain to him and stain his credibility that way.

It works for politicians, so why not here?

Package for Santana Could Include Igawa

According to Minnesota’s Star Tribune, Kei Igawa could be the fourth player in a package for Johan Santana. Igawa’s name had been tossed around with Minnesota earlier in December as well. His addition would round out a package that already consists of Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, and Jeff Marquez.

Lefthander Kei Igawa, who floundered to a 2-3 record and 6.25 ERA in his first year after arriving from Japan, also has been mentioned in talks with the Yankees, perhaps as a fourth player in the package. His salary — $4 million annually over the next four seasons — shouldn’t be a problem for a club whose payroll would drop under $50 million if Santana is traded.

Where’s the Dirt on A-Rod?

From the Daily News (thanks to RAB/My Baseball Bias for bringing this up):

Jose Canseco’s sequel to his 2005 best-seller “Juiced” has hit its first snag.

As the Daily News first reported last weekend, former Bash Brother Canseco has finalized a deal to publish “Vindicated” with Penguin Books, with a planned release date to coincide with Opening Day. But former Sports Illustrated associate editor Don Yaeger, who was scheduled to collaborate with Canseco on the book, has passed on the project. Yaeger said Friday that Canseco does not have the goods on Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez that Canseco alluded to in media interviews last month.

“I’m passing,” Yaeger told the Daily News. “I had a chance to review the Jose Canseco (material) that he provided me. I don’t think there’s a book there. I don’t know what they’re going to do. I don’t think he’s got what he claims to have, certainly doesn’t have what he claims to have on A-Rod.”

Jose Canseco has always been a leech of a man. You have to wonder why he didn’t just put everything he knew about steroids in baseball, into his first book. Also, in terms of his new book’s content, it would have been very hard for him to learn anything new about other steroid users after the first book was published.

Remember, Canseco typically spoke of things he knew about first hand (e.g. injecting former teammates) in the first publication. After Juiced was released, I’m sure no current ballplayers would even talk to him about steroid use for fear of implication and humiliation. So, anything he may have learned after the first book is most likely a very unfounded form of hyperbole and gossip (unless he speaks from direct experience again). This notion can be further supported by Don Yaeger’s assessment of Canseco’s initial material.

This is good news for A-Rod (obviously). He’s the one player in baseball that, if found to be a former steroid user, could be crucified in a manner that rivals the reception that Barry Bonds has received.

The Ineffective War on Drugs Steroids

 

According to the New York Times, Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee have both accepted invitations to testify in front of a Congressional Committee on January 16th of this year.

Clemens’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said in a statement: “Roger is willing to answer questions, including those posed to him while under oath. We hope to determine shortly if schedules and other commitments can accommodate the committee on that date.”

Richard D. Emery, one of McNamee’s lawyers, said McNamee would appear before the committee. “I think this was virtually inevitable and probably will clear the air,” he said. “Certainly we look forward to testifying.”

Asked whether any of the five men the committee has asked to testify would have to be subpoenaed, as players were for a hearing three years ago, Schiliro said: “We’re inviting them now. So we’ll take it one step at a time.” He added, “I think they’ll all come voluntarily.”

The article states that Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch have yet to be reached about the meeting. At least we know that, at this point, (as long as Clemens schedule allows it) both Clemens and McNamee will be testifying to Congress about the Mitchell Report, and their experiences with steroids.

I know that steroids are an important issue for America’s youth and I know that it can be a tremendously harmful practice. However, I’m sticking with the ”why is our government wasting time on this matter when there are more important things going on in the world” camp.

Honestly, it’s not like this meeting will scare potential users (particularly kids) away from steroids, simply because they have so many reasons to use them that have nothing to do with their favorite baseball player or professional athlete. Why even bother, or, if you’re going to bother, at least focus on all sports organizations and not just the MLB (and the Yankees).

Friday’s Final Bits

Before I step out with my girlfriend and see the film Juno (I’ve heard good things), I’ve got a final update for all of you guys, courtesy of PA’s Lohud Blog.

• Hank Steinbrenner talked to reporters (briefly) again today (no surprise there) and discussed some of the differing in-house viewpoints related to the Santana situation. He also talked about his interactions with Brian Cashman and the dynamic they share when working on club matters.
• PA also reported that Andy Phillips has signed a minor-league deal with the Cincinnati Reds and will likely attend their spring training camp. I don’t know exactly how he’ll fit into their plans, though. Abraham is right when he states that the Reds do have Scott Hatteberg and Joey Votto and Votto is a great young prospect.

That’s it for today everyone. I’ll catch you guys tomorrow with more Yankee news. Oh, and If you’re a fantasy baseball fan like I am, definitely check in tomorrow, as I’ll probably run through my fantasy team from the 2007 season (which won it all) and I’ll let you know who I’m thinking about picking up in 08.