NEW YORK -- Jose Canseco, Lenny Dykstra, Glenallen Hill and
Geronimo Berroa were accused of using steroids by former major
league pitcher Jason Grimsley in a federal agent's affidavit
unsealed Thursday.
Grimsley also accused Chuck Knoblauch of using human growth
hormone; David Segui and Allen Watson of using
performance-enhancing drugs; and Rafael Palmeiro and Pete
Incaviglia of taking amphetamines, according to IRS Special Agent
Jeff Novitzky's sworn statement.
All but Incaviglia, Berroa and Watson were mentioned last week
in the Mitchell report on doping in baseball.
Four names, including that of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, were not mentioned
in the affidavit, despite a newspaper report last year that singled
them out.
At the request of federal prosecutors, a judge in Phoenix
unsealed the 20-page affidavit signed by Novitzky in May 2006, used
to obtain a search warrant for Grimsley's home in Scottsdale, Ariz.
When the affidavit first was released in June 2006, players'
names were blacked out. The Associated Press asked a federal
magistrate judge to make the complete statement public, but the
request was denied until July 2007.
In October 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that the names of
Clemens, Pettitte, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts and Jay
Gibbons were among those blacked out. Tejada's name was mentioned
when Grimsley described a conversation he had with Baltimore
Orioles teammates Tejada, Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa about how they
would play after baseball banned amphetamines.
Segui said last year that his name was in the affidavit.
Just after the newspaper's report was published, Kevin Ryan,
then the U.S. Attorney in San Francisco, said it contained
"significant inaccuracies."
Clemens' attorney, Rusty Hardin, released a statement Thursday night: "When this grossly inaccurate story broke in October 2006, Roger said it was untrue and the Los Angeles Times chose not to believe him. As the record now clearly proves, Roger was telling the truth then, just as he continues to tell the truth today. Roger Clemens did not take steroids, and anybody who says he did had better start looking for a hell of a good lawyer."
On Thursday, the Times said it would run a correction in
Friday's paper.
"We acknowledge the inaccuracies of the report and deeply
regret the mistake," Times spokesman Stephan Pechdimaldji said.
In a separate two-page order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward C.
Voss in Phoenix cited the newspaper for "abusive reporting" in
its article that linked Clemens to the affidavit.
"At best, the article is an example of irresponsible
reporting," Voss wrote. "At worst, the 'facts' reported were
simply manufactured. ... Hopefully, any reference to the Times
article as authoritative will now cease."
Pettitte and Jay Gibbons have admitted in recent weeks that they
used human growth hormone, with the pitcher saying he used HGH
twice in 2002 -- three years before it was banned by baseball.
Earlier this month, Gibbons was suspended for the first 15 days of
next season.
Roberts admitted a single use of steroids in 2003, and Clemens
has denied using any performance-enhancing drugs.
Grimsley declined to cooperate with former Senate Majority
Leader George Mitchell and his staff. Grimsley did not wish to
comment on the affidavit, according to his agent, Joe Bick, who
spoke with the former pitcher Thursday after it was unsealed.
Canseco, Grimsley, Knoblauch, Watson and Hill all played on the
2000 Yankees.
According to Novitzky, Grimsley said he had been referred to an
amphetamine source by former Yankees strength coach Brian
McNamee. Grimsley said he obtained steroids, HGH and amphetamines
from that source, Novitzky said. The source was not identified.
In Mitchell's report, McNamee said he injected Clemens with
steroids and that he provided Pettitte with HGH.
The report also said federal law enforcement identified McNamee
as a customer of former Mets clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski, who
told Mitchell he had sold performance-enhancing drugs to many
players.
Late Thursday, an affidavit by Novitzky used
in the case involving Radomski was unsealed, revealing several low-profile names, including former Mets All-Star Sid Fernandez.
Radomski has pleaded guilty and awaits
sentencing on felony charges of distributing steroids and
laundering money.
Investigators in the BALCO case in San Francisco said last year
Grimsley initially cooperated with their investigation, but then
withdrew his assistance. Authorities tracked a package containing
HGH to Grimsley's house in April 2006 and raided it in June.
Grimsley, who spent 15 seasons in the major leagues, asked for
and was given his release by the Arizona Diamondbacks the day after
the raid. He has not pitched in the big leagues since.