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Prf15
10-21-2007, 08:13 AM
Paul Byrd, who pitched the Cleveland Indians to the brink of the World Series with a victory in Game 4 of the ALCS on Tuesday, bought nearly $25,000 worth of human growth hormone and syringes, according to a published report.

Role of Religion
• Byrd, Indians win ALCS Game 4
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday that Byrd's purchase was from the Florida anti-aging clinic that was the focus of law enforcement for illegally distributing performance-enhancing drugs, according to business records.

The paper reported that the purchases were made via credit card from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center between August 2002 and January 2005. In that timeframe, Byrd pitched for the Kansas City Royals, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels.

Byrd, who is 2-0 this postseason with a 3.60 ERA as a starter for Cleveland, did not comment after The Chronicle attempted to reach him through his agent via phone and e-mail. The Indians declined comment as well.

The paper said Byrd spent $24,850 to buy more than 1,000 vials of growth hormone as well as hundreds of syringes. The records reviewed by The Chronicle included such items as purchase and shipping orders, Byrd's birth date and his Social Security number. The source that provided the records said the orders placed were consistent with personal use of HGH.

During his 13-year career in which he has played for seven different teams, Byrd is 97-81 with a 4.35 ERA. This season, he started 31 games and had a 15-8 record with a 4.59 ERA.

WMR
10-21-2007, 08:38 AM
The list of players linked in some way or another to performance enhancing drugs will be truly staggering by the time it is all said and done.

WMR
10-21-2007, 09:05 AM
He said he "prayed for guidance" while recovering from labrum surgery because he wanted to continue his career so badly...

guess Jesus told him to get on the juice?

steig
10-21-2007, 09:29 AM
Sounds like a 50 game suspension is headed his way.

Natty Redlocks
10-21-2007, 12:20 PM
The list of players linked in some way or another to performance enhancing drugs will be truly staggering by the time it is all said and done.

Ditto. Can't we just legalize everything and have everybody be huge freaks and get it over with? Records are made to be broken so screw it.

AmarilloRed
10-21-2007, 01:58 PM
I see this report is from the San Francisco Chronicle, but can you supply a link to the article?

redsfanfalcon
10-21-2007, 02:51 PM
It says on rotoworld.com that he did it because he had a tumor on the back of his brain, and that MLB and his doctors all knew he was taking it.

Blue
10-21-2007, 03:21 PM
Gee, I wonder if this story being leaked has anything to do with the fact that Byrd's team is playing one of the most popular teams in the country in the seventh game of the ALCS tonight?

AmarilloRed
10-21-2007, 03:57 PM
Byrd says doctor prescribed HGH
Ken Rosenthal
FOXSports.com, Updated 3 hours ago

Yes, Indians right-hander Paul Byrd admits to taking human-growth hormone. In his upcoming book, "The Free Byrd Project," he even writes about resisting the temptation to use an increased dosage with the hope of throwing harder.

Byrd says he never hid his use of HGH because it was prescribed to him under a doctor's care. He paid for the substance with his own credit card. At one point, he had it sent in his name to the Braves' spring-training facility in Kissimmee, Fla.

Byrd says he no longer takes HGH and has not taken it this season.

But now, as Byrd prepares to possibly pitch in relief for the Indians Sunday night in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, his past use of HGH is an issue.

In an exclusive interview with FOXSports.com, Byrd did not dispute a San Francisco Chronicle report stating that he received nearly $25,000 worth of HGH and syringes from a Florida anti-aging clinic that was targeted by law enforcement for illegally distributing performance-enhancing drugs.

Byrd said that three different doctors diagnosed him as suffering from adult growth-hormone deficiency. In spring training, he said, he was diagnosed with a tumor on his pituitary gland at the base of his brain, a condition that may have contributed to his deficiency, doctors told him.

"I have not taken any hormone apart from a doctor's care and supervision," Byrd said. "The Indians, my coaches and MLB have known that I have had a pituitary gland issue for some time and have assisted me in getting blood tests in different states. I am currently working with an endocrinologist and will have another MRI on my head after the season to make sure that the tumor hasn't grown."

In his book, Byrd says, he "shares some of the temptations I have had in MLB to cheat by scuffing baseballs and taking more than the prescribed dose of a particular hormone to increase the speed of my fastball. In the end, as scouts can testify, I did neither."

The Chronicle report says that Byrd received HGH from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center from Aug. 2002 to Jan. 2005, a period of time during which he played for the Royals and Braves. He underwent elbow-ligament transplant surgery on July 1, 2003, missed the entire '03 season and did not pitch again until June 19, 2004.

Major League Baseball formally banned HGH on Jan. 13, 2005, but does not test for the substance. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of HGH only for specific conditions and diseases, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. The list includes adult growth-hormone deficiency — the condition that former major leaguer David Segui cited in explaining his use of HGH — but not standard baseball injuries.

"We are aware of the story regarding Paul," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said in a statement. "I have spoken with Paul about the situation, however, at this time I don't feel I have enough information to make any further comments on the matter. He has been an important member of this organization — on and off the field — over the last two years and we support him in this process."

Byrd, a devout Christian, says he has had difficulty sleeping his entire life, and that his mother briefly put him on Ritalin when he was a young boy. In his book, he describes the effects of his sleeplessness and how it ultimately led him to a physician that prescribed HGH.

"Even though there were good things like my time with God that came out of my aloneness in the night, the sporadic periods of fatigue and lack of sleep have really bothered me on the baseball field," Byrd writes. "Chronic sore throats, an inability to recover and throw bullpens and times of tiredness have all affected while standing on the mound.

"At the insistence of a close friend, I went and had my hormones checked . . . To my surprise, the doctor told me that I was producing very little growth hormone and prescribed a dosage to help me out. I didn't like sticking a needle in my inner thigh each night but I sure did enjoy the sleep that occurred afterwards. My life changed during that time and I was able to work out more, experience less fatigue and recover quicker from pitching.
"Like the other temptations that I've mentioned in this book, I had a new one to deal with one night when I stuck that needle in the hormone-filled bottle. I wondered if I doubled my prescribed dose, whether or not I would throw harder and have a better and possibly longer career. After all, I had a prescription.

"Some strange silent voices ran across my brain and had conversations with me as I pulled back the syringe. I remember having thoughts that doing better on the field could mean more money for my family, my charities and even supporting churches. Then I prayed and realized that God was in control of my life and he wouldn't want me making money through cheating the system."

It sounds like his body was creating very little growth hormone, so a doctor prescribed HGH to make up for the deficiency. I can not fault him using HGH under those circumstances.

GoReds33
10-21-2007, 07:39 PM
Sounds like a 50 game suspension is headed his way.They can't suspend him, because it wasn't a banned substance.

I really feel for this guy. Even with HGH, he could only throw in the low 80s.:D

757690
10-21-2007, 10:34 PM
I do know that Byrd is a real stand up guy, and one of the last guys in the majors who would cheat. I believe him when he said he only took it to help with other real disorders.
Still, I think this does give further proof that HGH is a performance enhancer. His career really took off after he took HGH.

durl
10-22-2007, 09:55 AM
It sounds like his body was creating very little growth hormone, so a doctor prescribed HGH to make up for the deficiency. I can not fault him using HGH under those circumstances.

+1

mroby85
10-22-2007, 03:23 PM
I don't know about anyone else, but i'm sick of hearing about all this junk. They let it take over the game, and it gets more hype than the actual game does, and it's disgusting in my opinion.

GoReds33
10-22-2007, 06:54 PM
I don't know about anyone else, but i'm sick of hearing about all this junk. They let it take over the game, and it gets more hype than the actual game does, and it's disgusting in my opinion.Not only that, but the timing. What better time than before game 7 of the ALCS to have it be announced that you did HGH. I know he didn't release it, but he shouldn't have gone on tv yesterday to address the alligations. Let everything sit until the playoffs are over. I know this guy is a professional, but addressing the media wasn't the right thing to do.

steig
10-22-2007, 07:03 PM
They can't suspend him, because it wasn't a banned substance.

I really feel for this guy. Even with HGH, he could only throw in the low 80s.:D

He bought it just before the ban started. I would assume that he was taking it after he bought it and the ban was in effect.

GoReds33
10-22-2007, 07:07 PM
He bought it just before the ban started. I would assume that he was taking it after he bought it and the ban was in effect.Yeah, but that's all up to what MLB can prove. Just because he bought them right before the ban, that doesn't prove he took them after the ban. I think that all they can prove is that he did HGH. After that, it's all up to what he admits. He says that he wants to be a good role model for the kids, so he should be completly honest. If it was really to treat this growth he had, than that's fine. I think that anybody in MLB who throws less than 85 should get a lifetime supply of HGH.:)

Bip Roberts
10-22-2007, 07:33 PM
the ignorance of people talking about hgh and roids is ridiculous

durl
10-23-2007, 10:57 AM
Is it possible that he took only enough to raise his HGH levels to normal? If that were the case, it wouldn't have given him an advantage.

Or am I grasping at straws to give the guy a break?

Slyder
10-23-2007, 11:15 PM
Not only that, but the timing. What better time than before game 7 of the ALCS to have it be announced that you did HGH. I know he didn't release it, but he shouldn't have gone on tv yesterday to address the alligations. Let everything sit until the playoffs are over. I know this guy is a professional, but addressing the media wasn't the right thing to do.

And fester as those wanna be jocks continually trash him and the Indians? Come on you know idiots like Rome and Co there at ESPN would have a field day with that regardless of timing. And it would grow beyond the game and maybe the hype of the series. He (Byrd) did the right thing coming out and dealing with it when he did, kept the media folks from bugging his teammates and others about it.

The one guy I'd like to question about this was the "independent" counsoler (sp?) appointed by MLB to look into this. He's still serving on the board of the *Shock* Boston Red Sox*Shock*.

I wonder when we might hear leaks of present or former Red Sox... and no Im not holding my breath for that one.