Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley admitted taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs and said amphetamines are used “like aspirin” in major league clubhouses, says a document filed by the lead federal investigator in baseball’s steroids scandal and reported by the Arizona Republic. Grimsley, a 15-year veteran of seven teams, also identified “several other Major League Baseball players by name whom he suspected of using anabolic steroids or human growth hormone,” which baseball has banned. Names of other players were redacted in the search-warrant affidavit.
The document offers evidence that the government investigation into steroid use in baseball continues, months after plea bargains by those who provided illegal performance-enhancing drugs through the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, known as BALCO. No professional athlete has been charged in the investigation, which implicated San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds and New York Yankees first basemen Jason Giambi, among others. Grimsley received a package containing two “kits” of human growth hormone on April 19 at his Scottsdale home, say court documents. Yesterday, 13 federal agents searched Grimsley’s home for nearly six hours. Grimsley, 38, told federal investigators in April that until last year, major league clubhouses had coffee pots labeled “leaded” and “unleaded” for the players, indicating coffee with amphetamines and without. He also said that Latin players are a major source for the amphetamines within baseball and that amphetamines also come from players on California teams that could easily go into Mexico and get them.
Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0607dbdrugs0607.html