Right-hander Eric Gagné, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Brewers last week, is named in Sen. George Mitchell's report on performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball.

The report, released today, says that Gagné acquired performance-enhancing drugs from former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, who supplied several other players and cooperated with the investigation.

According to the report, Gagné purchased human growth hormone from Radomski for $3,200. Gagne paid by check, which he sent via Federal Express. Radomski supplied Mitchell with a copy of an Express Mail receipt showing that Gagné received the shipment at Dodger Stadium while pitching for the Dodgers, for whom he won the National League Cy Young Award in 2003.

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin released a statement on the matter:

"The Milwaukee Brewers organization is fully committed to eliminating the use of performance enhancing substances from baseball, and we fully support Senator Mitchell's report. We also fully support Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Player's Association's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. In both the Major and Minor Leagues, our organization regularly educates our players about the dangers of performance enhancing substances, strongly encourages players to avoid their use and outlines the repercussions that these substances will have on their health and career.

"In regard to any players that we have signed, traded for or will acquire in the future, our goal is to field the best team possible based on information we have in hand. Our recent signing of Eric Gagne was based on an analysis of our needs and how he could help fill a key role. While we were disappointed to see information from 2004 related to Eric in the report, we still firmly believe that his addition to the Club makes us a much stronger team as we head into the 2008 campaign.

"Senator Mitchell's report credits the Commissioner for laying the groundwork for the testing program and found that the current program has been effective. The report contains historical information from which we can learn and outlines several steps for improving Major League Baseball's drug testing program. We fully support these measures."

Several former Brewers are mentioned in the report, including infielder Fernando Vina, infielder David Bell, catcher Gary Bennett and pitchers Josias Manzanillo, Ricky Bones, Darren Holmes, Ron Villone and Steve Woodard. Here is what the report says about some of the players with Brewers ties:

Manzanillo: Josias Manzanillo pitched for eight teams in Major League Baseball between 1991 and 2004, the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Florida Marlins.

Kirk Radomski stated that when he was working for the Mets in 1994, Manzanillo asked Radomski to inject him with the steroid Deca-Durabolin that Manzanillo provided.

Radomski did so in the Mets clubhouse. Radomski said that this was the only instance in which he actually observed a major league player using steroids.

 Page 1 of 3 

Next >>

3 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...