Brewers statement regarding Mitchell Report

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The Official Site of Milwaukee Brewers: Official Info: Press Release

The Milwaukee Brewers organization is fully committed to eliminating the use of performance enhancing substances from baseball, and we fully support Senator Mitchell's report. We also fully support Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Player's Association's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. In both the Major and Minor Leagues, our organization regularly educates our players about the dangers of performance enhancing substances, strongly encourages players to avoid their use and outlines the repercussions that these substances will have on their health and career.

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The Official Site of Milwaukee Brewers: News: Milwaukee Brewers News

MILWAUKEE -- On Monday, the Brewers put free agent reliever Eric Gagne through a meticulous physical examination and finalized a one-year contract that guarantees Gagne $10 million in 2008 and could pay $1 million more in performance bonuses.

About 72 hours later, Gagne was among 11 current and former players with big league ties to the Brewers named in former Sen. George Mitchell's report investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. The document was released at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday.

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Gagne named in Mitchell report - Brewers Blog

Eric Gagne, the free agent relief pitcher the Brewers signed to a one-year, $10 million contract on Monday, is named in the report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball presented by former Sen. George Mitchell today.

Gagne is listed among the players who received performance-enhancing drugs from former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski.

The report states that Gagne purchased human growth hormone from Radomski when he was pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Included in the report is a copy of an Express Mail receipt showing Gagne received a shipment from Radomski at Dodger Stadium.

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Report: Lo Duca contacted Radomski for Gagne - Brewers Blog

The Mitchell report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball says catcher Paul Lo Duca first contacted New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski on behalf of Eric Gagne to purchase human growth hormone. Lo Duca and Gagne were teammates with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1999 through 2004.

Radomski says Lo Duca called and said Gagne wanted to purchase HGH, then Gagne came on the telephone to ask "how to get air out of a syringe." Radomski said that was the only time he actually spoke to Gagne.

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Brewers not commenting on Gagne - Brewers Blog

As requested by MLB, the Brewers have released the same generic statement on the Mitchell report as other clubs:

"With the release of the Mitchell Report today, we are currently reviewing the content. The Milwaukee Brewers support the process that has led to the issuance of this report and thank Senator Mitchell for leading the effort.

"The Brewers fully support any and all efforts to eliminate the use of performance enhancing substances from all professional sports as we believe it is critical to the success of the industry."

I hope to get a comment from general manager Doug Melvin about Eric Gagne being included in the report before the day is over. It has been asked by readers if he might try to void the new $10 million contract Gagne signed. I doubt that will happen because Gagne hasn't failed a drug test to my knowledge.

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Turnbow's failed test detailed - Brewers Blog

Included in the Mitchell Report were the details of Derrick Turnbow's failed U.S. Olympic team drug test in October 2003. I reported on that failed test after the Brewers claimed Turnbow on waivers before trhe 2005 season.

Turnbow tested positive for androstenedione, a steroid precursor that was not banned by MLB at the time. Turnbow didn't realize the Olympics tested for it and later admitted to taking andro, so it was hardly a controversy.

Andro became a national story when Mark McGwire admitted he took the supplement during his 1998 home run chase of Roger Maris' record. MLB later banned andro.

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Melvin says he couldn't worry about Mitchell Report - Brewers Blog

I just spoke with Brewers general manager Doug Melvin about newly signed closer Eric Gagne being named in the Mitchell Report today for allegedly receiving shipments of human growth hormone in 2004.

Not knowing what would be in the Mitchell Report, Melvin said he had to use the evidence and information on hand in determining whether to sign Gagne to a one-year, $10 million conract on Monday. In other words, Gagne had not tested positive under the current testing program, and passed the requisite physical examination.

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Boras wanted to make general comments - Brewers Blog

I apologize, but an earlier post I put on my blog with comments from Scott Boras, the agent for reliever Eric Gagne, were misconstrued by me as being on the record. I just spoke again with Boras, who wanted to make sure he didn't comment publicly about Gagne in particular because he felt it inappropriate regarding an investigation.

In other words, I had a miscommunication with Boras, which was unintentional, so I removed that post.

Without commenting specifically on Gagne, Boras said, "The integrity of baseball is defined by rules set by the governance of the sport on both sides. To make a judgment on the conduct of players prior to 2005 (when the current drug program went into effect) is something we have to look closely at.

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JS Online: Brewers and the Mitchell Report

Josias Manzanillo
Ron Villone
Fernando Vina
Eric Gagné
Gary Bennett, Jr.
David Bell
Steve Woodard
Derrick Turnbow
Ricky Bones

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JS Online: Gagne faces accusation

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he couldn't worry about what might be in the Mitchell Report when he agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with free-agent reliever Eric Gagne last weekend.

"We use the information at hand to make decisions on players," Melvin said. "If teams were worried about players being in the Mitchell Report, there wouldn't have been any signings or trades."

The findings of Mitchell's investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball included the names of 85 players. Gagne was accused of receiving two shipments of human growth hormone in 2004, when he pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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The Official Site of Milwaukee Brewers: News: Milwaukee Brewers News

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers general manager Doug Melvin admitted on Friday that Eric Gagne's inclusion in the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, just three days after Gagne and the Brewers finalized a $10 million contract, was a "black eye" for the organization.
Turns out the Brewers nearly had two black eyes.

Melvin revealed Friday morning on 1510 AM, Milwaukee's ESPN Radio affiliate, that he talked "at length" with Baltimore Orioles officials during last week's Winter Meetings about a trade for shortstop Miguel Tejada, another prominent player named by Mitchell in the report released on Thursday. Instead, the Orioles traded Tejada to the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

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Brewers OK with Gagne - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

MILWAUKEE (TICKER) -- Despite concerns about his past performances and alleged steroid history, the Milwaukee Brewers still have faith in Eric Gagne.

While George Mitchell was shaking the baseball world on Thursday with his long-anticipated report on steroid use in the sport, one of the names that popped up in the document was that of Gagne, the newly minted Brewers closer.

Milwaukee signed the veteran reliever to a one-year deal worth a reported $10 million on Monday despite an ugly stretch with the Boston Red Sox at the end of the 2007 season during which Gagne went 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA and a .335 batting average against.

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The Official Site of Milwaukee Brewers: News: Milwaukee Brewers News

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers general manager Doug Melvin admitted on Friday that Eric Gagne's inclusion in the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, just three days after Gagne and the Brewers finalized a $10 million contract, was a "black eye" for the organization.
Turns out the Brewers nearly had two black eyes.

Melvin revealed Friday morning on 1510 AM, Milwaukee's ESPN Radio affiliate, that he talked "at length" with Baltimore Orioles officials during last week's Winter Meetings about a trade for shortstop Miguel Tejada, another prominent player named by Mitchell in the report released on Thursday. Instead, the Orioles traded Tejada to the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

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JS Online: Gagne's inclusion news to Melvin

Because Eric Gagne had not tested positive since baseball's drug-testing program went into effect in 2004, Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin felt certain the free-agent reliever was not doing steroids.

Beyond that, anything was speculation, particularly with what any player might have been doing before the union finally conceded to a testing program.

"It all goes back to the earlier years," said Melvin. "Nobody really knows what anybody was doing. You can speculate all you want."

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Melvin believes Gagne eventually will talk - Brewers Blog

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin has been in contact with Scott Boras, the agent for newly signed closer Eric Gagne, to see what they have on their mind as far as addressing allegations in the Mitchell Report.

Gagne was accused in that report by former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski of receiving two shipments of human growth hormone in 2004, when he pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Some players accused in the Mitchell Report have responded, either admitting to using HGH or denying it. No one has admitted to using steroids.