Baseball for the Thinking Fan

Login | Register | Feedback

btf_logo
You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Baseball Primer Newsblog > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Record Net: Sprague admits use of Andro

Also, Sprague zarathrusted...like you wouldn’t believe! (no wonder he retired in 2001)

Ed Sprague, now in his fifth season as baseball coach at University of the Pacific, said he used amphetamines and Androstenedione and once hit a home run with a corked bat. When asked directly about steroids, Sprague said he couldn’t condemn all steroid users in baseball because he used Andro, which was banned under the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004, and amphetamines, a form of speed known in baseball as “greenies.”

“Well, amphetamines are illegal now, too, and I took those, so am I going to stand on one side and not the other side?” Sprague said. “I took Andro, and they banned that. So, am I the cleanest guy? No, but I tried to be as strong and as healthy as I could as long as I could for my career.”

...Amphetamines, which give players heightened energy and awareness, have been rampant in baseball since the 1940s. They were not banned by baseball until 2006.

“That was an ultimate part of the game,” Sprague said. “It was in the locker room forever. It was either a diet pill or a caffeine pill or whatever it was to give you more energy, and that was more prevalent than anything else. Is that a performance enhancer? Yeah, I guess it is if you’re dog-ass tired.”

Repoz Posted: April 10, 2008 at 05:56 AM | 17 comment(s)
  Related News: GeneralTorontoSteroids

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

Page 1 of 1 pages
   1. Craig Calcaterra Posted: April 10, 2008 at 06:36 AM (#2737624)
I want Game 2 of the 1992 World Series retroactively awarded to the Braves.
   2. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: April 10, 2008 at 06:52 AM (#2737626)
Zarathrusted? Ewwww...
   3. Harold Posted: April 10, 2008 at 07:14 AM (#2737631)
Sprague hit .292/368/577 against lefties in 2000, mostly for the Padres. In retrospect, it's not surprising that he was using PEDs; but the taboo was less in 2000 than in the last few years.
   4. Drexl Spivey Posted: April 10, 2008 at 07:16 AM (#2737632)
So, I know about the University of Pacific because of a druggie and an NBA draft bust?
   5. RB in NYC (Now with a Training Schedule!) Posted: April 10, 2008 at 07:19 AM (#2737633)
So, I know about the University of Pacific because of a druggie and an NBA draft bust?
I'm sure they'd prefer you think of a superagent and a National Championship winning coach.
   6. HGM Posted: April 10, 2008 at 07:52 AM (#2737642)
So, he can't "condemn" players for doing steroids, because he did things that weren't banned by baseball until after he retired? And one of those things wasn't even illegal until after he retired? Big deal.
   7. Shooty Is A One Man Legion Posted: April 10, 2008 at 08:04 AM (#2737643)
So, I know about the University of Pacific because of a druggie and an NBA draft bust?

Hey, I'm a UOP Tiger! We did have some success recently in the NCAA tourney, too. Also, a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark was filmed in front of the Liberal Arts building. So, yeah!
   8. Van Lingle Mungo Jerry Posted: April 10, 2008 at 09:29 AM (#2737672)
Well, there go his chances at the HOF.
   9. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: April 10, 2008 at 10:55 AM (#2737763)
Props to Sprague for being up-front, and talking honestly about this of his own free will.
   10. baseball chick, now with lousy baseball team Posted: April 10, 2008 at 10:59 AM (#2737765)
and can we please stop pretending that using andro before it was banned was something bad

it was available on the GNC shelf to anyone who wanted it. a 10 year old girl could have bought it

that isn't "cheating" any more than using vitamin C
   11. Traderdave Posted: April 10, 2008 at 11:08 AM (#2737773)
Universuty of the Pacific -- in Stockton.

How many freshman have matriculated there expecting a Beach Boys album cover campus, only to turn catatonic with self-recrimination?
   12. rLr Shouldn't Have Drunk The Hot Mountain Dew Posted: April 10, 2008 at 11:10 AM (#2737775)
it was available on the GNC shelf to anyone who wanted it. a 10 year old girl could have bought it

Is this an admission?
   13. baseball chick, now with lousy baseball team Posted: April 10, 2008 at 11:14 AM (#2737781)
rLr

i guess it explains why i only grew to 5'2" when everyone else in my family is a foot taller
   14. Shooty Is A One Man Legion Posted: April 10, 2008 at 11:15 AM (#2737784)
How many freshman have matriculated there expecting a Beach Boys album cover campus, only to turn catatonic with self-recrimination?

I'd guess all the international students. Suckers! As a Hayward kid, I knew what to expect. Scarily enough, the most glamorous depiction of Stockton I can think of is Fat City. (Great book. Go read it now!)
   15. Shredder Posted: April 10, 2008 at 11:24 AM (#2737792)
Yeah, but was his wife juicing when she "won" that gold medal in 1992? Inquiring minds...actually they probably don't care either.
   16. rLr Shouldn't Have Drunk The Hot Mountain Dew Posted: April 10, 2008 at 11:47 AM (#2737827)
i guess it explains why i only grew to 5'2" when everyone else in my family is a foot taller

They slipped you the Human Shrinking Hormone! Punk'd!!!
   17. Outman, fighter of the Hitman (jonathan) Posted: April 10, 2008 at 04:57 PM (#2738203)
I've grown up in the Bay Area and even paid attention the few times that team was making NCAA noise.


And you're telling me Pacific is in Stockton?

Who knew.



I'd guess all the international students. Suckers! As a Hayward kid, I knew what to expect. Scarily enough, the most glamorous depiction of Stockton I can think of is Fat City. (Great book. Go read it now!)


At least it gave us Pavement.
Page 1 of 1 pages

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

 

<< Back to main

Support BBTF

donate

My Bookmarks

You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.

Vivid Seats is a sports ticket broker, concert ticket broker and theater ticket broker offering the best baseball tickets like Yankees tickets, Cubs tickets, and Red Sox tickets, as well as Police reunion tour tickets and Jersey Boys tickets.

We have baseball tickets, the NFL schedule, college football tickets and Cowboys tickets. We have NBA tickets like Celtics tickets and Lakers tickets. Plus, buy concert tickets, Patriots tickets and Colts tickets. Also check out our MLB baseball schedule

Baseball Bats

Concerts Theatre NFL Angels Dodgers MLB Celtics Theater NBA Tickets Venues NHL Lakers Tickets NFL Yankees NHL Phillies NBA Wicked Marlins MLB Concerts Cubs Mets Red Sox Wicked WWE Red Sox Mets Yankees Dodgers

Major League Baseball: All Star Game, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, LA Angels, Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, and the Chicago Cubs.

Find terrific deals on Yankees tickets for the new home, Cubs tickets for classic Wrigley, or Red Sox tickets for Fenway with OnlineSeats. We have seats for every baseball game, including Dodgers tickets.

Page rendered in 0.4949 seconds
81 querie(s) executed