Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines - RedsZone.com - Cincinnati Reds Fans' Home for Baseball Discussion

savafan · 06-09-2006, 02:37 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2476681

While baseball's latest focus in its fight against ridding the sport of performance-enhancing drugs is on human growth hormone, it's another banned drug that a former Yankee fan favorite has confessed to using.

"I can remember my first amphetamine," Jim Leyritz said during an interview Thursday on XM Satellite Radio. "I was out all night drinking with Andy Hawkins and some of the guys on the team. I was a young player."

Leyritz, who broke into the big leagues in 1990 with the Yankees, played 11 seasons in the majors with six different teams.

"I came in. I was hung over, sleeping by my locker. And all of a sudden, [Don] Mattingly came to me and said, 'Hey, you're in the lineup.' And I went, 'What?' He goes, 'Yeah, I just hurt my back.'

"Now I'm walking around, I'm going, 'I don't know how I'm going to do this. There's no way that I can go play this game today.' I ran into my teammate who I knew had some of the 'little helpers,' as they called them.

"He said, 'Take one of these. It should help. It'll take the edge off.'

"So sure enough, I took one. He goes, 'OK, you can take two, but no more than two.' So I popped one more, and I went out and went 3-for-4 with two homers."

According to retrosheet.org, Leyritz is referencing a Saturday, June 30 game in 1990 against the White Sox, where he went 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBI.

His recollection of the day isn't perfect spot-on, however, as Mattingly played first base and Leyritz manned third.

This admission comes in the wake of an investigation of pitcher Jason Grimsley, where Grimsley told federal agents that he used illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

According to court documents, Grimsley failed a league drug test in 2003. Authorities said when he was cooperating, he admitted to using human growth hormone, amphetamines and steroids.

He added that amphetamine use was prevalent in pro baseball, and that it was placed in coffee in clubhouses -- marked "leaded" or "unleaded" to indicate which pots contained the drugs, according to court documents.

During the offseason, owners and players agreed to increase the penalties for performance-enhancing drugs to 50 games for a first offense, 100 games for a second and a lifetime ban for a third.

dabvu2498 · 06-09-2006, 02:40 PM

You're right, this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

I really don't think that amphetamine use will really stir the pot like HGH or roids, though. I'd guess you'd be shocked by the number of people who pop (or used to pop) greenies to get through a rough day, study for exams, recover from hangovers, etc.

Matt700wlw · 06-09-2006, 02:41 PM

He went to my High School.....he must have skipped 9th grade Health class

savafan · 06-09-2006, 02:44 PM

To be fair, I will say this.

When I was in high school, I had a research paper due in two weeks. Ever the procrastinator, I hadn't started it yet. A classmate overheard me complaining about how I didn't see finding the time to get it completed, and he gave me a bottle of some red pills and told me they would help me. I asked him what they were, and he said not to ask, that it was better that way. Desperate, I took the pills at a feverish rate and went nine straight nights without sleep and felt none the worse for doing so. I finished the report, and it was even twice as long as the teacher required. I also got a perfect score on the paper.

I'm not advocating anything, but I'm not judging in this case either.

zombie-a-go-go · 06-09-2006, 04:36 PM

I, like, took some cough syrup once. it helped my cough.

Truly.

Matt700wlw · 06-09-2006, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savafan

To be fair, I will say this.

When I was in high school, I had a research paper due in two weeks. Ever the procrastinator, I hadn't started it yet. A classmate overheard me complaining about how I didn't see finding the time to get it completed, and he gave me a bottle of some red pills

Did you enter the Matrix?

KronoRed · 06-09-2006, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zombie-a-go-go

I, like, took some cough syrup once. it helped my cough.

Truly.

Now all your posts need one of these *

princeton · 06-09-2006, 04:41 PM

file this one under duh

06-09-2006, 02:37 PM	#1
savafan Maple SERP Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 17,485	Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2476681 While baseball's latest focus in its fight against ridding the sport of performance-enhancing drugs is on human growth hormone, it's another banned drug that a former Yankee fan favorite has confessed to using. "I can remember my first amphetamine," Jim Leyritz said during an interview Thursday on XM Satellite Radio. "I was out all night drinking with Andy Hawkins and some of the guys on the team. I was a young player." Leyritz, who broke into the big leagues in 1990 with the Yankees, played 11 seasons in the majors with six different teams. "I came in. I was hung over, sleeping by my locker. And all of a sudden, [Don] Mattingly came to me and said, 'Hey, you're in the lineup.' And I went, 'What?' He goes, 'Yeah, I just hurt my back.' "Now I'm walking around, I'm going, 'I don't know how I'm going to do this. There's no way that I can go play this game today.' I ran into my teammate who I knew had some of the 'little helpers,' as they called them. "He said, 'Take one of these. It should help. It'll take the edge off.' "So sure enough, I took one. He goes, 'OK, you can take two, but no more than two.' So I popped one more, and I went out and went 3-for-4 with two homers." According to retrosheet.org, Leyritz is referencing a Saturday, June 30 game in 1990 against the White Sox, where he went 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBI. His recollection of the day isn't perfect spot-on, however, as Mattingly played first base and Leyritz manned third. This admission comes in the wake of an investigation of pitcher Jason Grimsley, where Grimsley told federal agents that he used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. According to court documents, Grimsley failed a league drug test in 2003. Authorities said when he was cooperating, he admitted to using human growth hormone, amphetamines and steroids. He added that amphetamine use was prevalent in pro baseball, and that it was placed in coffee in clubhouses -- marked "leaded" or "unleaded" to indicate which pots contained the drugs, according to court documents. During the offseason, owners and players agreed to increase the penalties for performance-enhancing drugs to 50 games for a first offense, 100 games for a second and a lifetime ban for a third. __________________ This is the Cal Ripkin Jr. of typos. If you ask me to join your fantasy baseball league and I select Legolas in the first round, don't be angry at me. It's not my fault I've read up on the players and you haven't.

06-09-2006, 02:40 PM	#2
dabvu2498 Yay! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Middletown, Ohio Posts: 7,260	Re: Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines You're right, this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I really don't think that amphetamine use will really stir the pot like HGH or roids, though. I'd guess you'd be shocked by the number of people who pop (or used to pop) greenies to get through a rough day, study for exams, recover from hangovers, etc. __________________ When all is said and done more is said than done.

06-09-2006, 02:41 PM	#3
Matt700wlw Making sense of it all Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 26,130	Re: Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines He went to my High School.....he must have skipped 9th grade Health class __________________ An excited shade of Red

06-09-2006, 02:44 PM	#4
savafan Maple SERP Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 17,485	Re: Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines To be fair, I will say this. When I was in high school, I had a research paper due in two weeks. Ever the procrastinator, I hadn't started it yet. A classmate overheard me complaining about how I didn't see finding the time to get it completed, and he gave me a bottle of some red pills and told me they would help me. I asked him what they were, and he said not to ask, that it was better that way. Desperate, I took the pills at a feverish rate and went nine straight nights without sleep and felt none the worse for doing so. I finished the report, and it was even twice as long as the teacher required. I also got a perfect score on the paper. I'm not advocating anything, but I'm not judging in this case either. __________________ This is the Cal Ripkin Jr. of typos. If you ask me to join your fantasy baseball league and I select Legolas in the first round, don't be angry at me. It's not my fault I've read up on the players and you haven't.

06-09-2006, 04:36 PM	#5
zombie-a-go-go Mod Law Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Miskatonic University Posts: 4,302	Re: Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines I, like, took some cough syrup once. it helped my cough. Truly. __________________ "It's easier to give up. I'm not a very vocal player. I lead by example. I take the attitude that I've got to go out and do it. Because of who I am, I've got to give everything I've got to come back." -Ken Griffey Jr.

06-09-2006, 04:41 PM	#8
princeton Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: princeton, nj Posts: 9,482	Re: Ex-Yankee Leyritz admits to using amphetamines file this one under duh

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode