Until this week Jason Grimsley was an unremarkable relief pitcher. Now, he sits at the epicenter of a human growth hormone controversy that threatens to throw Major League Baseball’s drug-testing program into disarray.
Under intense public pressure from Congress, baseball adopted a tougher steroids policy this season, dramatically increasing punishment for offenders. But Grimsley revealed the gaping loophole in the program, telling federal investigators April 19 that he switched from steroids to exclusive use of HGH because players weren’t tested for it.
According to the IRS agent who prepared the affidavit that was made public Tuesday, Grimsley claimed “boatloads” of players were buying from his source and he provided the names of 10 to 12 players, whose names were blacked out in the affidavit.
As baseball braces for those to become public – the government has a history of leaks in this case that is intertwined with the BALCO investigation tied to Barry Bonds – it increases the scrutiny of HGH.
Human growth hormone is on baseball’s banned substance list, but a reliable urine test has not been developed. Under the collective bargaining agreement, baseball is not allowed to perform blood tests on players. Rockies second baseman Jamey Carroll suggested the union should be willing to listen as it reacts to another black eye on the game.
“It seems like this is something that’s going to bring the issue to the forefront,” Carroll said Thursday.
“It’s going to be real interesting where it goes from here. If you are going to test for it, test for it. It hurts when this stuff comes out and it becomes one of the baseball stereotypes that a lot of players are doing this. The main issue is getting the game clean.”
When baseball launched its investigation into past steroid use, centering on those players involved in the BALCO scandal, commissioner Bud Selig said baseball would fund a three-year study to develop a urine test for detecting HGH. Dr. Don Catlin, the researcher who first identified HGH, told The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger he has not received the grant money, but expected to by next month.
The International Olympic Committee conducted blood tests for HGH at the past two Olympic Games in Athens and Turin, but production delays have limited their use. No athlete tested positive for HGH at those Olympics.
The NFL is in a similar position to baseball. Though it conducts more steroids tests, roughly 10,000 a year, the league does not do a blood test for HGH.
“We are involved in efforts with USADA and others to develop an effective urine test for HGH,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. “Hopefully science will get us there.”
At congressional hearings April 27, 2005, in Washington, D.C., the NFL policy was knocked by anti-doping expert Gary Wadler and congressmen for not blood testing for HGH and not including amphetamines among its banned substances. Wadler remained critical of baseball this week for not adopting blood tests.
NFL union chief Gene Upshaw pointed out the NFL strengthened its drug policy in the past two years by reducing allowable testosterone levels from 6-to-1 ratio of testosterone/epitestosterone to 4-to-1, which complies with IOC standards.
“I guarantee you, unless it’s something brand-new, it’s detectable. One thing you don’t want to do is mess around in the National Football League,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “They don’t give second chances. If you’re positive, you’re positive.”
For educational purposes, the Rockies provided separate wide-ranging presentations to their major-leaguers and minor-leaguers at spring training, covering stimulants, steroids, HGH, marijuana and alcohol. Human growth hormone was designed to treat dwarfism and other serious medical issues, such as kidney failure. But in the 1990s, it began being touted as an anti-aging drug and immediately became popular in Hollywood as a wrinkle-free solution.
Athletes can benefit from HGH because it increases lean muscle mass and hastens recovery.
As science attempts to catch up with cheaters, apprehension grips baseball, wondering whose name will surface next. Former Rockie Steve Reed, who was with the Baltimore Orioles last season while Grimsley was making one of the quickest recoveries from Tommy John (elbow ligament reconstruction) surgery, criticized the journeyman.
“If they develop a test, I think you would find that use was sporadic. But if you have 700 people in a business, whether it’s baseball or IBM, you are going to have a handful of idiots,” Reed said.
“Given all the attention on this, it’s unbelievable guys still dabble in it. It’s like a bank that has been robbed nine times and you try the 10th time the day after it’s been robbed. Eventually you are going to get caught.”
What is HGH?
Human growth hormone is produced naturally in the pituitary gland to regulate growth. Recombinant (synthetic) HGH was developed in the 1980s to help children with hormone deficiencies grow to normal size. Its use in children stimulates the growing ends of the long bones.
It also increases muscle mass, making it attractive for athletes and bodybuilders. Another controversial use of HGH involves attempts to reverse or slow the aging process. It is believed many elite athletes turned to HGH because of increased steroid testing. There was no test for recombinant HGH until 2004.
Mike Klis and John Meyer contributed to this report.
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
