MLB Roundup

June 14, 2006

Grimsley Outed

Last March, upon enormous pressure from Congress baseball had no choice but to toughen up with it’s drug policy… it was either do it, or Congress would do it.  MLB add more testing, increased the severity of the penalties and even agreed to test for amphetamine use.  Undoubtedly, had Congress not gotten involved the testing wouldn’t have increased, the penalties would not have increased and in all likelihood, testing for amphetamines wouldn’t be happening.

Since steroid testing has been implemented, many players have come up with positive tests… mostly for having used a banned substance found in over-the-counter supplements, while others have just “unknowingly” been caught with some sort of steroid.

With MLB’s new policy strictly enforced, players that had “used” at one time or another had no choice but to jump ship because of random testing.  Of course it’s not known who those players are, but over the course of the past year or so, there are many implications as to whom they are. 

While MLB’s policy has decreased use (we are to assume) solely on the premise of list of banned substances, a new revelation has been bestowed upon us… Players that have used steroids and or amphetamines are now turning to HGH (Human Growth Hormone), which is a performance-enhancing drug.  Even though HGH is on baseball’s banned list, the players aren’t tested for it’s use… HGH can’t be detected through urine testing, and the blood test is not universally regarded as valid, and as well the MLBPA says that taking blood would be an invasion of privacy. The Players Association already has agreed to a urine test for HGH, should one become available, and baseball is funding a three-year program with UCLA to research a valid urine test.

Last week, Jason Grimsley a 15-year veteran who had been with Arizona essentially ended his career one day after the feds had raided his Arizona home.  This came two months after they nailed him receiving a shipment of HGH.  According to reports, Grimsley cooperated with the feds to give an affidavit to the IRS in which he sang like a canary.  He named former teammates, some of whom are still playing who he said used steroids… Grimsley himself confessed to using steroids throughout his career, specifically in 2000 after his Tommy John surgery,  but later switched to HGH after MLB began testing for steroids.

Grimsley’s career began in 1989 with the Phillies and had played with seven teams – a career journeyman if you ask me, with close to a 5.00 ERA during his 15-years.  He certainly isn’t a “Type A” player that would give his previous team a supplemental draft pick as a free agent, nor does he fit the profile for someone that used enhancing-performance drugs. Lets be honest here – for someone that used enhancing-performance drugs where are those enhanced pitching results? 

Since the start of BALCO I’ve wondered many times who “might” be using…  I began thinking of players that most likely would have done such – guys like Bonds, Sosa, Giambi and Canseco came to mind first.  But under no circumstances would I have pegged Grimsley as a “user.”   His performances over his career just don’t equal that of user of performance-enhancing drugs…  I always thought that Brady Anderson (ex-Oriole) used – I mean here’s a guy who plays out of his head one year (1996- 50 HRs, 110 RBIs) and then falls flat on his face the next (18 HRs, 73 RBIs)… He certainly received plenty of accolades as a result of those 50 dingers, but Anderson’s ’96 season also attracted innuendos about possible steroid use. While vehemently denying any steroid use, Anderson does acknowledge experimenting with “massive” doses of creatine, the then legal dietary supplement that assists muscle cells with energy storage in 1996.

While singing to the agents during his house raid, Grimsley informed them that he had tested positive in 2003 during baseball’s “survey” testing program… In 2003, MLB had not implemented a steroid policy as yet but did assure the players and the MLBPA that all test results would not be connected to names.  We all know what happened next – BALCO surfaced when federal agents raided a lab where the samples were, and in another raid of a different lab found the names…  the lists were then put together making it possible to connect the names with the results.

Since this investigation is really part of the BALCO investigation, and given the way it’s gone, you know that despite the names being blacked out on Grimsley’s affidavit will come out eventually.  Let’s face it here, the investigation is really targeting Barry Bonds and they went as far as asking Grimsley to wear a wire, hoping to get something that they don’t have – clear cut information that Bonds indeed used steroids.

Meanwhile, with Grimsley’s confession come some interesting times ahead… Having played with seven different teams over his career, with close to 200 different teammates you have to wonder how many of them right now are scared out of their pants that they’ve been fingered. While it’s unknown at this time who those players are, there is already plenty of speculation on who they might be… which brings me to this - As I mentioned, the names in the affidavit were blacked out. But we can gather some things about who he named from the affidavit. I’ve taken some excerpts from the affidavit, and will walk through them, hypothesizing immaturely as we go.  Please note, my detective skills are very poor and everything here is purely speculation on my part.

Somebody told Grimsley about his positive test in 2003, that’s a long black mark, which more than likely means there is some title or affiliation along with the name… for instance, former GM Allard Baird comes to mind.

In this paragraph, Grimsley names two names. One of them is repeated several times. Assuming things, as with my non-detective skills, Grimsley is giving the player’s last name when he’s referred to each time after the first one… and besides, it sure has heck looks to be a VERY short name – like “SOSA.” Not that anyone would be surprised of this revelation.

Additionally, four more names come into light in this next quote…

If you look closely, the first letter of the second name isn’t blacked out, and it reveals the letter “J.”  I’ve blown it up, and I’ve copied and pasted a “J” from another portion of the document, so you can see it in the same font for comparison:

So, detective work here narrows down the formidable results… If the first name starts with a “J” and he’s seen his back acne… summation: it has to been a former or current teammate. Also, the fact that he used steroids could be considered “very obvious” then there should be a notable improvement in play and/or appearance that would merit such a claim. Could be Javy Lopez?  He went from hitting .233 with 11 homers in 2002 to hitting .328 with 43 homers in 2003.  Could it have been Juan Gonzalez…? Jim Edmonds…? Or even Jose Canseco? – All former teammates at one time or another.

Under the MLB drug policy; there are provisions to suspend a player if he admits to using performance-enhancing drugs even though he hasn’t tested positive… and with all the information collected by the feds, MLB did such slapping him with a 50-game suspension – in my opinion, he should have received a lifetime ban for being such an idiot.  Grimsley knew the feds were on his tail… yet, he continued to purchase and “use” despite all this.  I guess he thought he could get one by the feds – heck he couldn’t even get his one by the hitters any assistance.

Grimsley getting caught was no doubt one of the best things to happen in baseball.  It is one way – and a very strong way to clean up the game and to get rid of all the performance-enhancing drugs use, the steroids, the HGH, the amphetamines etc. in the game.

Jason Grimsley makes Ricky Williams look like a saint – at least Williams never denied, “using.”  What makes Grimsley worse off is the fact he still believes and expects to be paid the remainder of his $825,000 salary, which is ridiculous.  Even Williams when suspended never balked or expected to get paid…  Grimsley has since filed a grievance with the players’ association to get his money – while the D-Backs have clearly stated they will not pay a “cheater” who stole from them.

Grimsley by his own request was released last Wednesday by Arizona – at first he was to get paid the remainder of his salary (released players normally get paid), but then Arizona rescinded and said they wouldn’t pay him.  Additionally, Arizona filed a notice of termination.

Grimsley is fighting the D-Backs’ actions, and if he beats MLB before an arbitrator, he may have to fight for the 50 days’ pay he would lose from the suspension. Under the major league pay calendar, that would be 27.3 percent of his salary, or $225,409.84. As well, because MLB levied the 50-game suspension, “it does not preclude us,” MLB spokesman Rich Levin said, from suspending him for an additional 30-50 games if baseball determines that Grimsley was distributing to other players.

Jason Grimsley is a disgrace to the game of baseball, and by no means does he deserve any money from the D-Backs.  I am in total agreement with the D-Backs for their decision not to pay him… and I agree with everything that my co-worker and columnist Michael Larson had this to say in his latest “The Savant.”  Here is just a bit of his rant…

“Let me make sure I understand this right. If I am on my job and get in trouble with the police, I can then quit my job, and then expect them to keep paying me? Boy have I ever been going about things all wrong. You can’t even get unemployment when you quit a job, you have to be fired. But in the amazing backwards world of baseball, you can quit and still get paid?  Is it just me or is something really wrong with this picture.”

Ken Kendrick, the managing general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks said, “We don't condone cheating and we’re not going to compensate a cheater,” speaking to a small group of media representatives during the course of the Diamondback’s 5-0 loss to the Mets at Chase Field. “Nobody from the Diamondbacks ever talked about compensating this player. I’m just not in favor of rewarding somebody for the bad acts they’ve committed. This guy has had a career of cheating. He’s a representative of the culture of cheating and that’s something we’re not going to support at all.”

“I'd rather take the money and give it to charity rather than give it to a player who doesn’t deserve it,” Kendrick said.

Well said…

Information provided in MLB Roundup has been gathered from A.P. reports, ESPN.com, Sportsline.com, MLB.com and numerous other e-sources. Opinions expressed are obviously solely the opinions of the author and do not reflect those of source material.

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