DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Indians P Paul Byrd Received HGH

Paul Byrd's dream postseason run with the Indians has hit a speed bump.

The Cleveland Indians pitcher bought thousands of dollars of human growth hormone and syringes, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Byrd, who is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in the postseason this year, spent $24,850 on products from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center in Florida between August 2002 and January 2005. The center has been targeted for illegally distributing performance-enhancing drugs, the report said.

Byrd pitched for the Royals, Braves and Angels in those years, going a combined 37-29. He struck out a career-high 129 batters with the Royals in 2002.

The Indians' 15-game winner reportedly bought more than 1,000 vials of growth hormone between 2002 and 2005.

In his 11 seasons, Byrd is 97-81 with a 4.35 ERA. He has pitched for seven teams.

Fox Sports Report

MLB banned HGH prior to the 2005 season, so not sure Byrd has a problem here, especially if he was taking it under the care of a doctor in his rehab from shoulder surgery. 2-1/2 years is a long rehab, though, and I'm not really sure when his surgery was.

UUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!! If (big if) he's suspended, will it be next year?

Anyone else question the media's timing in releasing this info? Huge game, in which he may pitch, tonight and they conveniently leak the news today?

As mentioned before, HGH wasn't illegal until '05, so a suspension is exceptionally unlikely. There will be a lot more names coming out this offseason, so if they suspend everybody who gets named, it'd be a huge number of players missing the start of next season.

The timing doesn't feel good to me, but perhaps its an honest coincidence.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Players who possessed banned substances may be suspended
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball might suspend players implicated by the Albany County district attorney's office for receiving banned substances and that could trigger a grievance from the players' union.

Although baseball's drug agreement specifies penalties for criminal conviction for use of a prohibited substance and for participation in the sale or distribution of a prohibited substance, it is silent about discipline for possession of a banned drug.

Heather Orth, spokeswoman for Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares, said she was not sure exactly what information had been turned over to Major League Baseball but said the DA's office has not given the league a list of players.

"There's an information sharing going on," she said.

No decisions have been made and no discipline would occur until after the postseason, a baseball official said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcements have been made.

The official said that because discipline for possession was not specified, management could use the "just cause" standard to suspend a player for a first offense that occurred before 2005.

The New York Times reported Thursday that baseball received evidence from the Albany district attorney that a player received a substance from Signature Pharmacy in Florida.

Baseball did not have penalties for positive drug tests for players with major league contracts before 2004. A player initially testing positive was sent for counseling in 2004 and was given a 10-day suspension in 2005. The penalty was lengthened to 50 games starting in 2006.

Baseball also added human growth hormone to its list of banned substances in 2005.

The players' association is prepared to argue that any penalty for possession should be less than a penalty for a positive test, a person familiar with the union's thinking said, also on condition of anonymity.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus and New York Mets reliever Scott Schoeneweis have been implicated in receiving steroids. The three have not publicly discussed the allegations.

Gibbons received six shipments of Genotropin (a brand name for synthetic human growth hormone), two shipments of testosterone and two shipments of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) between October 2003 and July 2005 from Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, Fla., SI.com reported.

Troy Glaus received multiple shipments of nandrolone and testosterone from Signature between September 2003 and May 2004, SI.com reported. And Schoeneweis received six shipments of steroids in 2003 and 2004 from Signature, ESPN.com said.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gary Matthews, St. Louis outfielder Rick Ankiel and Texas Rangers infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. also have been accused of obtaining HGH.

The Times Union in Albany reported in February that Matthews was a customer of the steroids network, and SI.com reported that Matthews was sent Genotropin in August 2004 by Applied Pharmacy Services in Mobile, Ala. Matthews denied he used HGH.

Ankiel received eight shipments of HGH from January to December 2004, Saizen and Genotropin, from Signature, the New York Daily News reported. Ankiel said any drugs he received in 2004 were prescribed to help him recover from reconstructive elbow surgery.

Hairston Jr. got a prescription for HGH in May 2004 from a doctor jailed in the case and received the drug from Applied, SI.com reported. Hairston denied taking "steroids or anything like that."

I question the media about everything...


How about last night, some reporter quoted Garko saying things that were less than smart about Boston.. In truth, he didn't say the things attributed to him,, the reporter lied,,, So what's new about that right?

I've read that, but I have trouble believing that the MLBPA will allow players to be suspended for actions taken that were "legal"-ish at the time, at least not specifically banned. The MLBPA might not be as strong as it once was, but I have trouble seeing them losing this one to an arbitrator.

I would agree to an extent.....but with all of the steroid stuff in the news, you may just get an arbitrator that says "You know what, enough is enough."

The thing going in Byrd's favor is that he obviously did not try to circumvent or hide any of his transactions, so he apparently took the drug with the belief that he was allowed to so so.

Perfect timing on the release of this news.

Byrd's a real competitor though, he doesn't let virtually anything bother him.

Timing,...what else would you expect from a left-wing media that only reports bad stuff as news ??

They WANT Boston to win, if only for their drama that generates ratiuings and revenue. They don't REALLY care about HGH and who takes it, but THAT will never get reported.

In other news, Byrd's HGH dealer will be singing tonights National Anthem...

at least we know it is for injury...

i mean the guy doesn't even hit 90....

not good news though, especially the timing... must be a red sox fan...

The timing of this is an absolute joke.

Before the Indians most important game of the season they have a stunning revelation that someone bought HGH, 5 years ago? GIVE ME A BREAK. At-least Byrdie did it when it was still within the rules because a suspension would have been a nightmare of a scenario given it's game 7.

It's an unfortunate situation but it may actually help the team rally around one another. Hopefully everyone can pick Paul up tonight.

From Yahoo Sports

Report: Byrd says doctor prescribed HGH

October 21, 2007

BOSTON (TICKER) -- Paul Byrd has admitted using human growth hormone, but the Cleveland Indians pitcher insisted he only used it on a doctor's prescription.

On Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle's Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada, authors of the Game of Shadows book on Barry Bonds, reported that Byrd bought 13 shipments of HGH from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center for a total of $24,850, according to records they have seen. Byrd responded to those allegations in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports.

The 36-year-old did not dispute the Chronicle report, saying he took HGH on the advice of three different doctors treating him for adult growth-hormone deficiency. Byrd also said he had been treated for a tumor on his pituitary gland at the base of his brain.

"I have not taken any hormone apart from a doctor's care and supervision," Byrd said.

"The Indians, my coaches and MLB have known that I have had a pituitary gland issue for some time and have assisted me in getting blood tests in different states. I am currently working with an endocrinologist and will have another MRI on my head after the season to make sure that the tumor hasn't grown."

The Chronicle report said Byrd received the shipments, paid for on his own credit card, between 2002 and 2005. During those years, Byrd pitched for the Kansas City Royals, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Byrd had elbow-ligament transplant surgery on July 1, 2003, missed the entire 2003 season and did not pitch again until June 19, 2004.

In a statement Sunday morning, the Indians said they were collecting information but offered backing to Byrd.

"We aware of the story regarding Paul," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said. "I have spoken with Paul about the situation, however, at this time I don't feel I have enough information to make any further comments on the matter.

"He has been an important member of this organization - on and off the field over the last two years and we support him in this process."

In his interview with Fox, Byrd added that his upcoming book, "The Free Byrd Project" deals with his temptation to use increased doses of HGH in the hope of throwing harder.

In his book, Byrd said, he "shares some of the temptations I have had in MLB to cheat by scuffing baseballs and taking more than the prescribed dose of a particular hormone to increase the speed of my fastball. In the end, as scouts can testify, I did neither."

According to the Chronicle, Byrd's last order came in January 2005, one week before Major League Baseball formally banned the use of HGH on January 13 of that year.

Byrd writes in his book that he discovered his growth hormone deficit when he visited a doctor because he was having trouble sleeping, something he said had affected him all his life.

"Even though there were good things like my time with God that came out of my aloneness in the night, the sporadic periods of fatigue and lack of sleep have really bothered me on the baseball field," Byrd writes. "Chronic sore throats, an inability to recover and throw bullpens and times of tiredness have all affected while standing on the mound.

"At the insistence of a close friend, I went and had my hormones checked ... to my surprise, the doctor told me that I was producing very little growth hormone and prescribed a dosage to help me out. I didn't like sticking a needle in my inner thigh each night but I sure did enjoy the sleep that occurred afterwards. My life changed during that time and I was able to work out more, experience less fatigue and recover quicker from pitching.

Byrd also described the temptation to take more of the hormones to improve his performance on the mound.

"Like the other temptations that I've mentioned in this book, I had a new one to deal with one night when I stuck that needle in the hormone-filled bottle. I wondered if I doubled my prescribed dose, whether or not I would throw harder and have a better and possibly longer career. After all, I had a prescription.

"Some strange silent voices ran across my brain and had conversations with me as I pulled back the syringe. I remember having thoughts that doing better on the field could mean more money for my family, my charities and even supporting churches. Then I prayed and realized that God was in control of my life and he wouldn't want me making money through cheating the system."

Byrd won 15 regular-season games for the Indians this season, and has two key wins in the playoffs so far. He won the series clincher against the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and beat the Boston Red Sox in Game Four of the ALCS.

The Indians and Red Sox meet in the decisive seventh game Sunday night.

According to the Chronicle report, records show that Byrd received the bulk of the shipments at his home in Alpharetta, Georgia, although others were sent to the Atlanta Braves spring training facility at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. Other shipments were sent to team hotels when Byrd was on the road.

Byrd has pitched for 12 years in the major leagues, winning 97 games. His best season was 2002, when he won 17 games with a 3.90 ERA for Kansas City. The Chronicle report indicates that was the summer Byrd made his first purchase from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Clinic.

Byrd is midway through a two-year, $14 million contract with the Indians.

The Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center is one of several clinics that have been the subject of investigation from the Albany District Attorney in New York.





Updated on Sunday, Oct 21, 2007 11:43 am, EDT

If that was me, I'd tell Wedge to pitch me tonight, and then make everyone feel sorry. Sort of like how New England is running up the score on everyone in the NFL after everyone called them video tape cheaters.

I'd throw a no-hit shutout, with one baserunner the whole game ... and that would be because I intentionally beaned Manny.

1)He had a prescription
2)It wasn't against the rules when he took it

This shouldn't be THAT big of a story. I guarantee you that if the Indians weren't in the playoffs or he hadn't done well in them, then this would barely even make a headline.

Oh yeah... GO TRIBE!!!