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Wednesday, April 09, 2008

AP: Indictment: Agents steered baseball players to doctor for performance-enhancing drugs

A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday charged that unidentified agents for baseball players steered clients to a California physician linked in media reports to supplying Troy Glaus and Scott Schoeneweis with illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

No players or agents were mentioned by name in the 11-count indictment returned by a grand jury against Dr. Ramon Scruggs and two of his associates at the New Hope Health Center in Costa Mesa, Calif. Schoeneweis is represented by Scott Boras, and Glaus by Mike Nicotera.

“I have no knowledge of this medical practitioner or any relationship that he has with any of our clients,” Boras said. “We have never referred any of our clients to a wellness center.”
...
“It was a further part of the conspiracy that, on occasion, sports representation agents for professional baseball players referred their client-players to defendants Scruggs, Danto and MacPherson for the purpose of obtaining anabolic steroids and other drugs which those individuals knew to be banned by Major League Baseball and therefore unavailable to the players through lawful medical channels absent the illegal prescriptions provided by Scruggs,” the indictment said.

NTNgod Posted: April 09, 2008 at 08:44 PM | 15 comment(s)
Related News: General, Steroids

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1. NTNgod Posted: April 09, 2008 at 11:35 PM (#2737568)

SF Chronicle:

The prescriptions were forwarded to pharmacies in California and elsewhere and delivered to Scruggs' clients throughout the United States, the indictment said. He was also charged with misbranding drugs and with money-laundering.

Scruggs' lawyer, Carlos Negrete, said his client denies wrongdoing.

"It seems to be a witch hunt guided by publicity and particularly arising from the (Major League Baseball Players) Association's failure to police its own," Negrete said. "His position is that all of his activities during this period of time were lawful and within the scope of proper medical practice."

2. Styles P. Deadball Posted: April 10, 2008 at 09:01 AM (#2737662)

Agents doing this? Is that even legal?

3. thedad01 Posted: April 10, 2008 at 09:25 AM (#2737670)

Players, Trainers, Clubhouse staff, Managers, GMs and Owners have all had their turn in the barrel. Is anyone really surprised that the Agents were not aware if not involved with this also? Of all of the participants involved, Agents were the ones making the easy money.

4. Shooty Is A One Man Legion Posted: April 10, 2008 at 09:34 AM (#2737677)

I had a friend who, with a lawyer friend of his, tried to break into the player agent business. They signed some young players, many with major league promise, some who are in the majors now, and currently are out of business and out a lot of money. They loaned money to players, had players ask them to get them steroids and corked bats and then, jsut when they were about to start earning MLB money, they would dump them for a Scott Boras or one of their ilk. I'm not saying agents are pure, victimized souls, but the players have all the leverage in the business relationship and many of them take advantage of it. It is very easy to see a scenario where a player asks his agent for steroids and when the agent refuses, the player finds one more accomodating. My friend and his partner refused and now they're out of business.

5. David Nieporent (now, with child) Posted: April 10, 2008 at 10:14 AM (#2737707)

Of all posters, I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you, that Kevin would be the one to accuse someone without the slightest bit of evidence.

6. The Polish Sausage Racer Posted: April 10, 2008 at 02:31 PM (#2738059)

Given the press we've seen about Boras' hands-on involvement in every aspect of his clients' development, I'd be astonished if he DIDN'T know about his clients going to a "wellness clinic." Whether he would send them himself, I dunno, but he certainly would know if they went.

7. JPWF13 Posted: April 10, 2008 at 02:42 PM (#2738071)

How many baseball executives are now on their knees praying that Boras is implicated?

8. bunyon Posted: April 10, 2008 at 02:47 PM (#2738078)

How many baseball executives are now on their knees praying that Boras is implicated?

I'm guessing most are praying the reverse; if Boras goes down, a big chunk of MLB probably goes down with him. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to go quietly.

9. Shooty Is A One Man Legion Posted: April 10, 2008 at 02:54 PM (#2738087)

I didn't mean to imply Boras was dirty--I was just using his name as an example of an established agent that snipes clients from less established ones just before the player begins to make money.

10. Los Angeles Waterloo of Black Hawk Posted: April 10, 2008 at 05:41 PM (#2738234)

The articles says that is alleged that law enforcement figures were also supplied with the PED.

Isn't this a bit more bothersome than having athletes using them?

11. cardsfanboy Posted: April 10, 2008 at 05:45 PM (#2738239)

Of all posters, I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you, that Kevin would be the one to accuse someone without the slightest bit of evidence.

Isn't Kevin a Red Sox fan? how many of their players are or at one time were Boras clients? I think we now have the definitive link that the Red Sox cheated towards world series in Kevin eyes. (I may be mistaking Kevin for BL)

12. David Nieporent (now, with child) Posted: April 10, 2008 at 08:15 PM (#2738495)

(I may be mistaking Kevin for BL)

BL is the overly sarcastic one who actually knows something about law and logic.

13. robinred Posted: April 10, 2008 at 08:24 PM (#2738518)

The articles says that is alleged that law enforcement figures were also supplied with the PED.

Nah. With so many criminals on drugs, that just levels the playing field.

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Wednesday, April 09, 2008

AP: Indictment: Agents steered baseball players to doctor for performance-enhancing drugs

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