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2 local players on list; county reacts to steroid report
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More from County NewsBaseball's Mitchell Report includes the names of two players from local area schools among more than 80 present and former major-leaguers implicated in the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
No longer in the majors, Tim Laker (Simi Valley High, Oxnard College) and Matt Franco (Westlake High) were on the long list cited in the report, which caused a stir throughout the county's baseball community Thursday.
Laker, who spent last season managing the Cleveland Indians' class-A Mahoning Valley farm team, confirmed his steroid use to investigators, according to the report. He was required as a current baseball employee to meet with investigators.
According to the report, he detailed four steroid purchases from 1995 to 2000 from former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, a primary source of information for the investigation.
Laker's appearance in the report came as a surprise to Jerry White, his coach at Oxnard College, but White was not willing to criticize his former player.
"It doesn't change my opinion of Tim," White said. "I liked Tim. He worked hard. He was always trying to improve himself. Obviously, we know there's a right away and a wrong way of doing this, and we're finding out people that went about it the wrong way.
"It's difficult to wrong somebody. They're all trying to figure out a way to either stay in the big leagues or be a star. Really, isn't that the goal of all this stuff?"
Most players named in the report declined to be interviewed. The Star was unable to contact Laker and Franco, who was most recently playing in Japan.
Seeing teammates on list
Much of the initial reaction to the 409-page Mitchell Report focused on the players named, including stars such as Roger Clemens and Miguel Tejada.
"I was very intrigued to see who was on the list," said Jason Hirsh, a former Cal Lutheran pitcher now with the Colorado Rockies. "One of my teammates was on there and one of my coaches was on there. But what is done is done, and I guess we can let the commissioner and the authoritative parties take care of it.
"I am not really shocked other than the fact there were a lot of whispers among players, especially in the minor leagues, telling me this guy does it or that guy does it."
Not that you had to know the players involved to have a reaction.
"Our kids today were talking about it," said Oxnard High baseball coach Al Tarazon. "It was, Coach, did you see so-and-so's name or so-and-so's name?' "
The report also includes a long list of recommendations on combating the problem, ranging from a call for year-round testing to increased education on the dangers of substance abuse.
For Tarazon, the report provided something of a teachable moment.
"We talked about it," he said, "and kids are aware what can happen to you. Your performance gets better, I think, but they know how it's going to screw their body up in the long run. They understand the consequences of the negative side."
To Simi Valley coach Matt LaBelle, that message was the greatest value of the report, although he feels the message is already being conveyed at the high school level. The California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body of the state's high school sports, "has worked very hard on promoting the fact steroids are bad, the side effects and what have you. That's become part of our coaching education as well as the things that we bring to our kids."
'That's half the solution'
Which is not to say that everyone accepts the message when it's given.
"Every year we talk about it," said Roger Frash, an assistant coach at Oxnard College. "I rarely have people bring it up to me, because we've already talked about it.
"But we're not stupid. How do you go from being a nobody in high school and a year later, you're a man? All of a sudden you throw the ball harder and hit the ball harder. At our level, you can really see the difference."
Which, of course, explains why they're called "performance-enhancing substances," and why the report suggests they had been so widespread.
But Tarazon said he believes the release of the report was "a great step forward."
"If you know the problem, that's half the solution," he said. "What are we going to do now? We're going to move forward and make sure it doesn't happen again."
Just how that happens will be "a tremendous challenge for baseball," said Jim Colborn, the Santa Paula native and Ventura resident who pitched for 10 years in the major leagues and recently concluded eight seasons as a pitching coach for the Dodgers and Pirates.
"It's a really horrendous issue to deal with," said Colborn, now the coordinator of Pacific Rim operations for the Texas Rangers. "What are the ramifications in baseball? What do you do with the records? Those issues are very tough, and you almost have to see yourself being moralistic about it, and in today's world, you don't see too many industries or companies taking moralistic stances or character stances."
Sparky Anderson, the Thousand Oaks resident and former Cincinnati and Detroit manager inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 2000, declined comment, saying he had not seen the report.
— Staff writer Joe Curley and correspondent Rhiannon Potkey contributed to this report.
Posted by Face on December 14, 2007 at 7:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What is this, the Inquisition? How can you issue a report with names that are purported to be connected with drugs? Have these folks been convicted? Or is this a return to some weird Macarthyism? (sic)? Why are we spending government money on this?
Posted by caffeinefree on December 14, 2007 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
(sic)? don't have to do that. Just put (sic) everyone will forgive the misspelling if there is one. No need to question the question. Understand?
Posted by ed1pfa on December 14, 2007 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Was this investigation funded by our tax dollars? I thought Major League Baseball paid for it.
Posted by mrya_99 on December 14, 2007 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We ALL pay to see the games right? So...WE do pay for this type of investigation, sort of....
Posted by GuideDog on December 14, 2007 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MLB and the Players Union have been largely indifferent to the problem until recently when obvious situations forced them to deal with it:
a.) Over 100 years of major league records being broken by huge margins in large numbers in a short period of time; and
b.) the deaths or disability of young athletes caused or accelerated by steroids, HGH and other banned substance usage; and
c.) the unnatural performance of aging athletes whose performance improves and physical strength and musculature increases at the very time of their careers (ages 35+) when their bodies should be doing the opposite; and
d.) the national notice given the admissions by players like Jose Canseco (in his book) and the late Ken Caminiti (as he was dying) of the scope of usage within the league and health dangers to the problems to individual players; and
e.) the disclosures in court documents by indicted suppliers of steroids, HGH, etc., of how easy baseball made it for them to do this and who their customers were; and
f.) the disclosure of details by honest players and team personnel who discovered and reported the problem to their respective organizations only to be greeted by apathy and indifference by team management, MLB and/or the union.
The rule breakers, MLB and the Players Union profited greatly from the indifference. The penalty was for the honest players who had to compete at a huge disadvantage and for the fans
who pay the bills, but also can no longer view the sport and traditions they loved as worthy of the investment of money, time and respect.
I particularly blame MLB ownership who appointed Bud Selig as commissioner. His tepid actions in addressing the problem did not show the desire for the integrity and watchfulness of his predecessor, Fay Vincent. Vincent efforts to curb steroid use were cut short when MLB management picked one of their own to run and protect their investments. MLB chose not to deal with the problem effectively when Selig first came into the office when it could have been more easily dealt with it and before it risked killing off the game.
The 1919 "Black Sox" scandal pales in comparison to this disaster for the game, its honest players and its fans.
Posted by CAPEDad on December 14, 2007 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"It doesn't change my opinion of Tim," White said. "I liked Tim. He worked hard. He was always trying to improve himself. Obviously, we know there's a right away and a wrong way of doing this, and we're finding out people that went about it the wrong way.
Jerry White - Your opinion isn't changed? Those listed in the report are liars and cheats. They stole roster positions and pay from clean players who worked hard and played by the rules. What do you have to say to them? Sorry?
Posted by CAPEDad on December 14, 2007 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
GuideDog - Excellent post.
Posted by SUBLIMETIME123 on December 14, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why do we have to take home town heroes and make them look like criminals. Give it up. These boys are talented regardless of what they have ever put into there bodies. Matt Franco is a great ball player and one of the nicest human beings that I have ever met. So for everyone putting these guys under the gun. Give it up. Everybody makes mistakes god made nobody perfect!
Posted by fungus on December 14, 2007 at 3:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Look... I don't remember anyone complaining about the excitement of the McGwire-Sosa homerun race... or the excitement of watching amazing games thown by some of the pitchers named in the report.
Such a big deal is made about the "steroid era"...yet has anyone looked at the NFL? Nope...a blind eye is turned because bigger football players bring more excitement to the game.
The media has sensationalized this problem as if it is something that we didn't know about already. (If I remember correctly, there were even some players from Westlake High that got caught a couple of years ago.) Guess what people... this issue has been around for a while; it was even a big controversy already. Time to fix the problem (or write it off as a non-issue)and move on.
Posted by Ventura22 on December 14, 2007 at 3:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The are certainly not heroes. They cheated and used illegal substances to gain their reputations as good performers, rather than to stand on their own merits and talents. Feed anyone steroids and you can make them perform like olympians(no pun intended). This is not a simple, innocent mistake; they knew well enough what they were doing and what it involved. Nobody has made them look like criminals other than themselves through their actions and lousy sportsmanship. It just finally came out like things always do. They hid from it for a long time but the truth came out. These players should be stripped of any titles, records and trophies they hold that were obtained while they were using illegal substances. At least that might restore some credibility to the professional sports community. With the recent activity in the pro sports community that includes dogfighting, pandering, drugs, steroids, violence, and other criminal activity; I don't see how anyone can idoloze sports figures, let alone give them any regard as heroes. They should restore their professional code of ethics and hold ALL of the players, coaches and trainers to it.
Posted by RC on December 14, 2007 at 4:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SUBLIMETIME123..these folks are not home town heroes in my book. Home town heroes are fire fighters, policeman, childrens social workers etc...not a bunch of meat heads that play a sport
Posted by fungus on December 14, 2007 at 4:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Feed anyone steroids and you can make them perform like olympians"
Sorry, but no. Steroids will only ENHANCE performance... not create talent!
Posted by hustin1 on December 14, 2007 at 4:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It really irks me that some in the community (pick whichever one you want) are oh-so-surprised by the fact that athletes use steroids. I mean - come on - we expect - no - we DEMAND them to perform way beyond human capacity by putting the pressure on them to put up or get traded or lose endorsements or even their job - and then, are so indignant by the fact that some do use. What hypocrisy. It has to stop from the top and until Management changes its ball game, nothing will change.
Posted by GuideDog on December 14, 2007 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ventura22,
Many sports heroes ARE worthy of respect and admiration for their accomplishments on and off the field - sometimes in the face of huge obstacles. A few classic examples that come to mind from baseball are:
Lou Gehrig
Hank Greenberg
Jackie Robinson
Ron Santo
Jim Abbott
There are many more. They devote time and attention to community service and return much because they are fortunate to be given much. They live as examples of what they believe sports represents - a true opportunity to be the best that they can be and to share that experience with the fans.
Posted by Ventura22 on December 14, 2007 at 5:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, there are some true accomplished players from the past. Hence, I stated that recent activity in the sports world has led to their piss poor image.
It's a shame we live in a society where people give higher recognition to jocks that play sports than they do to the everyday people who really make things happen in the world. Street gangs use sports logos as their uniform symbols. It's a shame that most people know big colleges only by their flagship sports teams but not the areas of research they specialize in or the quality of graduates from their programs. I wouldn't classify swinging a bat, running bases, throwing balls and memorizing plays as talent; it's learned behavior that is accomplished through practice and training. Anyone can do it if they committ to the program. Talent is a marked, innate ability that shouldn't require such effort or drugs to succeed in.
Posted by FedUp on December 14, 2007 at 5:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
keep in mind, the players named on this list, are only the tip of the iceberg. these are the players who were basically linked to two specific trainers/suppliers. you have hundreds of ballplayers who live outside of the US during the offseason, who can easily walk to a local farmacia, and pick up steroids there. if they cycle all during the offseason, there is a good chance they will only need to do it once or twice during the actual season. one road trip to the SD area, and that solves any problems they might have had. these players on this list were the only ones dumb enough to get caught. to strip records from any of them, does nothing. everyone in baseball, from the players, to the owners, to the writers knows this is a small chunk of the reality.
we just need to deal with the fact that we are witness to what will forever be known as the "steroid era" in baseball.
if I had a vote for the HOF, I still put Clemens and Bonds in on their first chances. (and I hate bonds with a passion) you cant leave out people like them, while not punishing players like Gaylord Perry. he was cheating for most of his entire career.
I dont know any of the local players linked, but I dont blame them for trying whatever it took to make it to the bigs. all they had to do, was take a look at the guy next to him bulking up, and slowly taking their chance away from making it...
Posted by BeaHappi on December 14, 2007 at 5:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My concern with the steroid use extends far beyond the MLB players who currently or formerly used. My concern is for the young kids who look up to these athletes and then perhaps might choose to model their behavior after them.
The number of kids who use or have used steroids in the US is astonishing...upwards of half a million. And many, many have died or suffered series consequences because of it.
These guys knew better and they did it anyways...
Posted by CAPEDad on December 14, 2007 at 10:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'll say it again - anyone who took roids/HGH is a thief and a cheat - they stole from clean players who worked hard and played by the rules. Stop coddling these guys as "victims of society". Their public shame is right.
Posted by vcpilot on December 17, 2007 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Funny that the STAR would interview the biggest cheat in the county to talk about this. Look at his rosters, addresses and where the kids played ball until they were ready to get to high school. What the paper should do is investigate this HIgh School and how many kids attend that school that should be at other schools. Thats a problem we as a county can deal with on a lower scale. CHeating is cheating whether you take steroids or recruit players from other schools!!!
Posted by 7107 on December 17, 2007 at 2 p.m. (Suggest removal)
But Tarazon said he believes the release of the report was "a great step forward."
"If you know the problem, that's half the solution," he said. "What are we going to do now? We're going to move forward and make sure it doesn't happen again."
How is he part of "we" and "We're"?
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