First Player in Baseball Drug Report Admits Guilt to 'Wash Post'

By: E&P Staff Gary Bennett, a catcher for several major league baseball teams, including the Washington Nationals' in 2005, said in a phone interview this evening that he took human growth hormone (HGH) while a member of the San Diego Padres in 2003 -- just as the new Mitchell Report on drug abuse alleged on Thursday.

The scoop came at the Nationals Journal blog at The Washington Post. "As far as the report is concerned to me, it's accurate," Bennett said in a telephone interview.

Bennett was one of 91 players named Thursday.

As the Post explains it: "The report said that while with the Rockies in 2003, he was battling a knee injury that kept him on the disabled list and affected his performance. A teammate, pitcher Denny Neagle, directed Bennett to Kirk Radomski, a clubhouse attendant with the New York Mets. The report contained a check for $3,200 from Bennett to Radomski that Radomski said was for two kits of HGH. 'Obviously, it was a stupid decision,' Bennett said. 'It was a mistake. It was something that quite obviously, you regret now. And beyond that, I just don't know.'

"Bennett said he wrestled with the decision then, and that he did not take HGH after the 2003 season."

The New York Times, meanwhile, reported late today that one player who had purchased drugs -- but claimed not to use them -- cooperated with the Mitchell probe, one of the few who did.

His name was then omitted from the report, as the probers bought his story that he had not actually used the substances.

The Times, on its baseball blog Bats, presented an interview with the Red Sox' Curt Schilling, who had testified before Congress attacking steroids use -- but then refused to talk to Sen. George Mitchell for his report. Schilling explained that he thought he had no direct exposure to steroids so couldn't offer much, and also didn't want to get into a position where he could be accused to passing along names.

In a separate posting, the Times talked to a former big league pitcher now hurling in Japan about why he turned away from a chance to use steroids. C.J. Nitkowski said that in the 2001 season he was briefly interested in taking steroids, and he asked his friend Brian McNamee -- the trainer who says he shot up Roger Clemens -- for his opinion.

McNamee did not advise it but clearly gave Nitkowski that option. ?The guy knows what he?s doing; he?s dedicated his life to this, and he?s good at what he does,? Nitkowski said today. ?But you can?t stop your guys. You have athletes you care about, and if they want to do it, you?re not going to talk them out of it.?

Nitkowski decided not to use steroids, he said, "because he was worried he would get caught committing a crime by purchasing or possessing them," the Times entry continues. "He was not as concerned about the possible health effects when compared to the potential for greater glory and wealth that steroids could help achieve. 'If you know what?s available if you succeed in the major leagues, the health risks don?t scare you at all,' Nitkowski said."
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