Today’s San Francisco Chronicle reports that Indians pitcher Paul Byrd spent $ 25,000 over three years on growth hormones:
Paul Byrd, the veteran pitcher who has helped the Cleveland Indians reach the brink of the World Series, bought nearly $25,000 worth of human growth hormone and syringes from a Florida anti-aging clinic that was targeted by law enforcement for illegally distributing performance-enhancing drugs, business records show.
Byrd made 13 purchases from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center between August 2002 and January 2005, according to the records. During those years, he pitched for the Kansas City Royals, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Angels.
Paying with a credit card, Byrd spent $24,850 to buy more than 1,000 vials of growth hormone, an injectable prescription drug with muscle-building properties, and hundreds of syringes.
The records reviewed by The Chronicle included Byrd’s purchase and shipping orders, payment data and other information, including his birth date and Social Security number. The records were provided by a confidential news source, who said the orders were consistent with an athlete’s personal use of growth hormone.
Byrd’s agent, Bo McKinnis, did not respond to phone calls and e-mails from The Chronicle on Friday requesting comment for this story. An Indians spokesman said Friday that he had relayed The Chronicle’s queries to both Byrd and his agent. On Saturday, the spokesman said Byrd would have no comment. The team made no comment.
Byrd, 36, won 15 games for the Indians this year and won two more games in the playoffs, beating the New York Yankees in the deciding game of the American League Division Series and the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series. With Cleveland’s 12-2 loss to Boston on Saturday night, that series is tied 3-3. The deciding Game 7 is scheduled tonight, with the winner advancing to the World Series against the Colorado Rockies
The evidence seems pretty damning.
