Mitchell Report Confessions

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Dec 18, 2007

Mitchell Report Confessions

Andy Pettitte

In the wake of the Mitchell Report, several of the 80-plus players implicated in the document have come forward and admitted their use of performance-enhancing drugs. <br><br>The Yankees left-hander was one of the first to admit his guilt, doing so on Saturday, two days after the Mitchell Report said he took HGH in 2002 to help his left elbow heal faster. "If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize. I accept responsibility for those two days. In 2002, I was injured. I had heard that HGH could promote faster healing for my elbow. I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. I was not comfortable with what I was doing, so I stopped. This is it -- two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career. I wasn't looking for an edge. I was looking to heal."

Fernando Vina

A scrappy second baseman who played for five teams in a 12-year career, Vina is now an analyst on ESPN. "I tried everything rehabbing. I came to a point that I was desperate. I never bought steroids from [Kirk Radomski]. All I used was HGH. Was it right? No. Obviously it was wrong. I'm embarrassed by it."

Brian Roberts

A two-time All-Star second baseman for the Orioles, Roberts said he used steroids once. "In 2003, when I took one shot of steroids, I immediately realized that this was not what I stood for or anything that I wanted to continue doing. I never used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance enhancing drugs prior to or since that single incident."

David Segui

Segui played 15 years in the majors and first acknowledged his HGH use in 2006, though he said he obtained it legally to treat a insulin problem, for which he still uses HGH every day, according to the Baltimore Sun. He told the Sun: "I played more years where I didn't take anything than years where I did take something. I never denied it or pretended to be an angel. I have nothing to hide. I have no problem talking about what I have done."

Gary Bennett

Bennett has been a big league catcher for 12 seasons, spending the past two years with the St. Louis Cardinals. He signed with the Dodgers shortly after the Mitchell Report was released. "As far as the report is concerned to me, it's accurate," he told the Washington Post. "Obviously, it was a stupid decision. It was a mistake. It was something that quite obviously, you regret now."

Jay Gibbons

The week before the Mitchell report came out, the Orioles outfielder was suspended for the first 15 games of the 2008 season after admitting that he purchased HGH. "I am deeply sorry for the mistakes that I have made. I have no excuses and bear sole responsibility for my decisions."

Brendan Donnelly

A middle reliever who pitched for the Red Sox in 2007, Donnelly spent the first five years of his career with the Angels, where he was suspended for 10 games in 2005 for having pine tar on his glove. He admitted to calling Radomski and asking about Anavar, a steroid. "Upon learning that Anavar was a steroid, I realized that was not an option. That was the end of it. Yes, I called him. But I did not purchase or receive anything from him. I never took Deca or Anavar. I do want to fully support the testing program of Major League Baseball, and I support wider testing."