Gary Matthews - HGH - Minor League Ball

Gary Matthews - HGH

by CrimsonLiederhosen on Feb 28, 2007 6:20 PM EST Comment 25 comments

Nobody has mentioned this (which is surprising) but Gary Matthews has been implicated in an illegal HGH ring. Supposedly Matthews was getting prescriptions for the drug and having it mailed to an associate who probably passed it on to him.
I'm surprised to see that HGH actually came to the forground as quickly as this. it's not covered in the CBA but presents many of the same benefits of anabolic steroids. I'm not sure there will be any implications for Matthews beyond the public scrutiny and shame since the prescription was from a doctor at an 'anti-aging' clinic.
Any thoughts?

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HGH

I thought it was deemed illegal in the CBA but there is just no way to test for it right now.

by count sutton on Feb 28, 2007 6:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

I thought so too.

by MontrealMets on Feb 28, 2007 6:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

HGH

everyone does HGH. What kills me though is baseball is the only sport that really gets scrutinized over steroids and HGH. We've got guys like Urlacher, whose 6'4 258lbs running in the 4.5 range and no one mentions PED's. If a baseball player was that big and played CF, he'd be immediately convicted in the court of public opinion. But football players are different that baseball players, they are athletes and work hard during the offseason.

by Tyler on Feb 28, 2007 6:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Matthews and many others.....

And so the hunt for the BIG KAHUNA continues!

It looks like many other names will come out before it's all said and done. Holyfield and Canseco were also on the list from the pharmacy. One would have to believe that he's been on HGH right through his most recent/career best year. No testing? Why not use? Short term = $$$. Long term = increased risk for all kinds of health malodies. Not to mention living with all of the lies over the years.

I want it all and I want it now!!!

Eventually, Mr Bonds, you will be caught and the home run record will remain with its rightous owner.
One Mr. Henry Aaron...

Long live the clean and true players of the game (whoever they are)!
;-)

Fan of Fenway

by bodyiq on Feb 28, 2007 6:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

no way

barry bonds is clean and the best hitter in the known universe.

by wildthang on Feb 28, 2007 6:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Merriman

merriman from the charges gets caught doing steroids, and the NFL guys on espn talk about his suspension like its an injury. "oh he is out 3 more games, but will be back to play so and so" why does everyone kill baseball players who are only suspected, while football players who are busted are up for defensive player of the year and play in the pro bowl?

by fewgoodcards on Feb 28, 2007 6:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I was under the impression...

that Matthews' name was one of many that the pharmacy had on file, but that no specific allegations were made as to what, if anything was purchased. That's probably why it hasn't been mentioned - it's just wishcasting and supposition at this point. No proof of anything.

"People think it must be fun to be a super genious, but they don't know how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world." - Calvin

by RVachon on Feb 28, 2007 7:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re:

According to documents reviewed by Sports Illustrated reporters Luis Fernando Llosa and L. Jon Wertheim, Gary Matthews Jr. ordered HGH from an Orlando pharmacy in Aug. 2004.
In August 2004, he was allegedly sent Genotropin -- a brand of synthetic human growth hormone typically prescribed to children suffering from growth failure -- at an address in Mansfield, Texas. The reporters traced the address and found it to be a residence of a former minor league teammate of Matthews', who said that he is friends with Matthews. The reporters further discovered that Matthews received a prescription for HGH through a doctor at Health Watch, a now-defunct anti-aging clinic in south Florida.
Source: SI.com

by AucklandGM on Feb 28, 2007 7:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

OMG the real story!

Gary Mathews is aging at an incredible rate! Doctors say that, in two years, he will be effectively 98 years old which makes the Angel's commitment to him a little extravegent.

by Lunkwill Fook on Feb 28, 2007 9:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Nothing Illegal Yet

Specifically, the SI.com story says that in August 2004 HGH was mailed to a former unnamed minor league teammate of Matthews'. They've concluded that the shipment was actually intended for Matthews has yet to be stated.

Since HGH was legal at that time and the agreement with the players' union said nothing about HGH, Matthews did nothing illegal nor anything in violation of the agreement.

More stringent testing has been in place the last two years. Presumably Matthews was tested, and tested clean. I'm certainly no expert so I don't know whether this stuff would have shown up in a test. But giving him the benefit of the doubt, if he hasn't used it since 2004 then it really doesn't tie in to his anomalous 2006.

Who knows, maybe he got off the juice and that made him a better player?!

by FutureAngels on Feb 28, 2007 10:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

HGH

Can not be seen in current tests. I think this is one of the reasons why they should have blood tests but the union is not for that.

Dukes is Jurastically better than Bradley. After all Dukes has been playing baseball ever since T-ball.

by pedrophile on Feb 28, 2007 10:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

He "tested clean" because they're not testing for it, even though they DO punish for it now.

And I'm pretty sure it WAS illegal in 2004. It just wasn't punished.

Baseball's funny with their rules like that.

I mean, seriously -- I don't care about Matthews one way or another, but don't blindly make excuses for him. In return, I don't think anyone here should assume his "breakout year" happened solely because he TOOK hGH -- a lot of players take it, and most of them don't produce. Besides, Matthews' success was just as likely to be due to good luck.

p.s., With Barry and Gary, two outfield sons of former big leaguers, going down with PED accusations, my suspicions immediately turn to Griffey and Cruz Jrs.

by bleedjaxblue on Feb 28, 2007 11:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If there's one player that I absolutely REFUSE

to believe took any kind of illegal drugs, it's Ken Griffey Jr.

by Goose on Mar 1, 2007 2:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

really?

for me, it's McKay Christensen

(I wonder if anyone got that reference)

anyway, i do totally agree that griff didn't do steroids, hurt hamstrings and all

by bleedjaxblue on Mar 1, 2007 2:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

jose cruz jr.'s career really took off...

by wildthang on Mar 1, 2007 2:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

in retrospect....

....i can't believe there was five months of my life where i thought jose cruz jr. was the best prospect in baseball. it's right up there with disco clothes, new coke and pcp in the "what were people ever thinking?" category.

by bleedjaxblue on Mar 1, 2007 3:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

In other words

Howie Kendrick is the new Jose Cruz Jr...

Will Eli be showering in Evian at last?

by Brickhaus on Mar 1, 2007 3:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

nah

Cruz had a huge hole in his bat - the inside fastball.

He only had one good year in the minors (that with 203 AB) in A ball as a 22 year old. In spite of all that he still managed back to back 30+ HR years and three more years after that averaging 20HR per year.

Kendrick rakes at every level and has great bat control.

Hype on Longoria is more in-line with Cruz. I really like Longoria but would like to see another year from him before putting him so high.

Dukes is Jurastically better than Bradley. After all Dukes has been playing baseball ever since T-ball.

by pedrophile on Mar 1, 2007 5:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

for me....

the only reason I don't agree with Brickhaus is because I NEVER thought Kendrick was a top prospect.

a guy who puts everything he sees in play with not nearly enough power outside of the minor league bandboxes he played in is NOT an elite prospect -- even without piling on with the poor defense.

by bleedjaxblue on Mar 1, 2007 6:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

disagree

What is an elite prospect? That is the defining question IMO. Many people just look at upside (see BA). And according to that I would have to agree. But the likelihood of reaching it should also be considered.

Kendrick does have a small chance of being something special but we'll both agree it probably won't happen. And I do think he relies on speed which will hurt him in about 7 years time.

I see him hitting:
Avg 325, OBP 340, Slg 450

For a 2B that would be very good numbers. And since I think his bust rate is very low I would put him at the elite level.

Dukes is Jurastically better than Bradley. After all Dukes has been playing baseball ever since T-ball.

by pedrophile on Mar 1, 2007 6:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If I thought he'd do that...

....it put him at as a top 20 prospect as well. I just think the BA will be more like .300-.315, with a similarly low OBP and a somewhat lower slugging. I would guess he spends more of his career hitting below .300 than above .320. I also don't see him being a second baseman.

If you take him off second base, there's no way he's elite. Even if you keep him on second base, there's not too much difference between him and Mark Loretta, who is a top 100 but not a top 20 prospect (retrospectively speaking) in a given year.

You know how little I trust Angels hitting prospects (or any offensive prospects who put up gaudy stats in any of the big three minor league hitting leagues).

by bleedjaxblue on Mar 1, 2007 7:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

whoops

you were close. hairston jr.

by wily mo on Mar 2, 2007 2:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

terrifying trend

Anthony Gwynn should watch his back right now. And Andy LaRoche needs to make it CLEAR to the Dodgers what the consequences will be if they move him off third base.

by bleedjaxblue on Mar 2, 2007 4:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Illegality

It would be funny (in a sad way) if Matthews, Jr., and others were found to have used HGH and so on, and couldn't be punished by baseball, but WERE indicted in federal court.

Is there an indictment clause in that otherwise-brilliant contract to which the Angels signed Gary?

by devil_fingers on Mar 1, 2007 10:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

MLB Contract

Is standard for that type of thing, and if you negotiate something different, it's invalid anyway. There's a vague 'conduct detrimental to the team' clause, but as far back as I can remember, nobody's contract has ever been voided for that. The Rockies tried to for Denny Neagle when he was caught johning, but they were unsuccessful and still had to pay him.

Will Eli be showering in Evian at last?

by Brickhaus on Mar 1, 2007 3:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs