Thread: Suspected steroid ring to stars busted

DONALD TRUMPNow that he is a wrestler he needs to keep up with those guys.He will look like Hogan in no time...just with better hair.

I heard that one was a former Mr.O and one played for the Angels.

Just heard on the radio that the Angel is Gary Mathews Jr.

Steroid Inquiry Raises Doubts About Matthews

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By JACK CURRY
Published: March 1, 2007

Before Tuesday, Gary Matthews Jr. was mostly known for parlaying a career-best season with the Texas Rangers into a five-year, $50 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, and for being his father’s son.
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Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Gary Matthews Jr. has been linked to an investigation by the Albany County district attorney into an illegal steroid-distribution network.

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But now that Matthews has been linked to a two-year investigation by the Albany County district attorney into an illegal steroid-distribution network, he is known for something else. In addition, fairly or unfairly, Matthews’s recent achievements as a player who had his finest season last year while turning 32 will attract increased scrutiny.

Matthews, who is with his seventh team in nine major league seasons, has always been a slick outfielder. Last season, he made a you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it catch over the center-field fence for Texas. But unlike his father, a 16-year veteran, Matthews did not consistently produce on offense, and he shuffled from club to club.

That changed in 2004. Matthews signed a minor league contract with the Rangers and became a starter. A year later, he had 17 homers and 55 runs batted in, then had a breakout season in 2006, achieving career highs with a .313 average, 19 homers, 79 R.B.I. and 102 runs scored.

“We really had no reason to believe anything he did for us was anything but hard work and his natural ability,” Texas General Manager Jon Daniels said yesterday in a telephone interview.

Matthews was eligible for free agency, so the timing of his best season was fortunate. A journeyman outfielder who was released by the Atlanta Braves as recently as three years ago, Matthews was suddenly an attractive commodity. Before signing with the Angels, Matthews had never earned more than $2.5 million in a season.

According to The Times Union of Albany, Matthews was on a customer list of a pharmacy in Orlando, Fla., that illegally sold steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs online. Federal and state investigators arrested four people with ties to the pharmacy on Tuesday. But P. David Soares, the district attorney for Albany County, would not confirm whether Matthews was involved.

Dr. Gary I. Wadler, an associate professor of medicine at New York University who is a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said one of the worst things someone could say about a professional athlete who had performed exceptionally well is that he “must have cheated.”

But Wadler added that professional sports has created an environment in which athletes have been found guilty of cheating to help their performances and that others are still probably cheating. Because of that, Wadler said the doubts about a player like Matthews would persist.

“When someone deviates enough from their prior performances, it’s fair to ask questions,” Wadler said. “When their name comes up in an investigation, you have to ask more questions.”

Buck Showalter, who managed the Rangers last season and is now a senior adviser for the Cleveland Indians, said Matthews was an intelligent player who benefited greatly from working with Rudy Jaramillo, Texas’s highly regarded hitting coach, and from playing regularly.

“The potential has always been there with Gary,” Showalter said yesterday. “Gary has always been a guy that everyone knew there was more there with him. He’s strong and he plays hard. It just seemed like everything clicked for him last year.”

Matthews met for 15 minutes with Arte Moreno, the Angels’ owner, Manager Mike Scioscia and General Manager Bill Stoneman at the team’s spring training site in Tempe, Ariz. While reading a statement to reporters, Matthews declined to answer specific questions about the article.

“I do expect it to resolve itself here in the near future,” Matthews said. “Until we get more information, I just can’t comment on it.”

When Matthews was asked if he knew why his name was reportedly on the pharmacy’s client list, he said: “I don’t. That’s exactly what were working on right now.”

Moreno told reporters that the Angels told Matthews that they would not ask him questions until he was ready to answer them, but that he also needed to be honest with them. Moreno said the Angels did not ask Matthews if he used performance enhancers.

“I don’t think it’s our position to do that right now,” Moreno said. “We did not address it that way.”

As the son of a former major leaguer, Matthews has been around major league parks and clubhouses since he was a boy. His father played for five teams and finished his career with 234 homers, 2,011 hits and a .281 average. In 2006, the elder Matthews was the first-base coach for the Chicago Cubs, one of his former teams; this season he will be a broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies, another of his former teams.

During a game against the Houston Astros last July 1, Matthews did his best impersonation of a superhero when he robbed Mike Lamb of a homer. Matthews raced toward the eight-foot-high fence in center field, leaped so high that his stomach was even with the top of the fence, and made a twisting, lunging grab.

Joe Morgan, the Hall of Fame infielder and ESPN analyst, called it the best catch he had ever seen. Showalter said Matthews deserved a Gold Glove award for his superb defense.

But, for now, Matthews’s play, his contract and his lineage are not why he is in the news.

Gary Mathews Jr. is a really nice guy, I wish he stayed with the Rangers.

I heard Ben Stiller was one of the ones busted...

Evander Holyfield.

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Evander Holyfield.

Naaahhh ... couldn't be. They test fighters, right?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...field/?cnn=yes

Not really a suprise but Jose Canseco.

This just in, Michael Richards is on the suspect list. It may explain his night club outburst of NIGGER recently!

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...field/?cnn=yes

Llosa/Wertheim: Ironically, Holyfield's name does not appear in the law enforcement documents we reviewed. However, a patient by the name of "Evan Fields" caught investigators' attention. "Fields" shares the same birth date as Holyfield -- Oct. 19, 1962. The listed address for "Fields" was 794 Evander, Fairfield, Ga. 30213. Holyfield has a very similar address. When we called the phone number that, according to the documents, was associated with the "Fields" prescription, Holyfield answered.

WTF?!?!?!? What kind of dumbass does that?

Found this on another board........

Ronnie Coleman and Victor Martinez it says are involved some what and tons of other professional and amateur athletes....

I haven't found anything to prove it yet though.

Imagine how useful this bust would have been if the drug were meth...

Originally Posted by dg806

Found this on another board........

Ronnie Coleman and Victor Martinez it says are involved some what and tons of other professional and amateur athletes....

I haven't found anything to prove it yet though.

Ronnie Coleman does steroids?!!! Unbelievable!!!! And he's a cop too... Do cops really do steroids? I thought only firemen did that kind of stuff

Originally Posted by DOMS

Imagine how useful this bust would have been if the drug were meth...

Everytime I see a drug bust involving steroids or weed it irks me to no end, I mean they could put half the resources they wasted on those petty drugs and went after meth labs, the other half could have went to treatment for addiction and support of children who are victims of methhead parents...

Originally Posted by maniclion

Ronnie Coleman does steroids?!!! Unbelievable!!!! And he's a cop too... Do cops really do steroids? I thought only firemen did that kind of stuff

Yea I am just floored. I mean what kind of child like accusation is that? I am sure in the end it will show Coleman used Andro and Creatine.

Originally Posted by Phred

Yea I am just floored. I mean what kind of child like accusation is that? I am sure in the end it will show Coleman used Andro and Creatine.

I think he has only used this, I mean there is no way he got where he is without it...

Originally Posted by DOMS

Imagine how useful this bust would have been if the drug were meth...

...Or Scott Baio.

Originally Posted by maniclion

Ronnie Coleman does steroids?!!! Unbelievable!!!! And he's a cop too... Do cops really do steroids? I thought only firemen did that kind of stuff