TAMPA – Gary Sheffield says he’s no steroid user, and he’s only guilty by association. And the slugger insists he’d back up his innocence with a urine test.
“I’ve been an honorable guy, I’ve been outspoken about testing guys,” Sheffield said. “Anybody that wants to [make steroid allegations], I’ll take the challenge of taking the test.
“I’ll be the first to stand up there and won’t back down.”
The new Yankee right fielder yesterday fired back at critics who allege he’s juicing up, explaining his connection with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) as a transaction involving only custom-made vitamins.
Sheffield’s name was inadvertently leaked recently in conjunction with a federal grand jury investigation involving BALCO. He said he’s already received an apology from the U.S. attorney’s office. Sheffield, the nephew of Dwight Gooden, has survived an often-tumultuous career mostly brought on by a notorious temper. But the 35-year-old says he’s never used steroids and has mellowed. More than ever, he said, he’s cognizant of his responsibilities as a role model.
“I’ve been guilty by association all my life,” Sheffield said. “My uncle with his drug problems, I’ve had to be under investigation for that since I was 17 years old.
“Now I’ve been listening to the news and see where they’re trying to link Barry Bonds to things. Everybody knows I’ve been outspoken about training with the guy. Obviously they’re gonna try to put two and two together and say, ‘We’ve got something.'”
Sheffield, who showed up early in Tampa, said he no longer works out with Bonds. The two men had previously trained together in the offseason in California, which is where Sheffield became involved with BALCO.
BALCO developed custom-made vitamins when the lab wasn’t allegedly trafficking illegal steroids. Sheffield testified at a grand jury a few weeks back.
His name was accidentally leaked this week as a client who sent a FedEx package to the lab. Sheffield says he mailed blood and urine samples to the company so it could develop a vitamin for him.
“I always felt like if every team wants to say, ‘This guy’s cheating, this guy’s cheating,’ be a man and stand up and [get] tested,” Sheffield said. “I don’t feel like I have to cheat. I’ve been a talented player for 15 years. And I don’t need to enhance me to play a baseball game.”
Yankee GM Brian Cashman said he would make sure Sheffield isn’t rattled by the recent events, but added that he’s prohibited from doing much more than that.
“I might take his temperature to see where he’s at mentally,” Cashman said.
Cashman said asking Sheffield if he takes steroids would be “an investigation interview – and I’d have to deal with the union.”
Sheffield said he isn’t sure what’s next and doesn’t think he needs to do anything more to clear his name.
“I’ll be the first to stand in line and lift my head up high and say I’m a legit player,” he said.
The controversy has “kind of put a damper on” his first spring with the Yankees.
“But I’ll bounce back,” he said.
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THE BALCO BUNCH
Here’s a look at 29 athletes subpoenaed in Balco investigation and those who are known to have tested positive THG (check mark indicates positive test):
NFL
Bill Romanowski – positive
Chris Cooper – positive
Barret Robbins – positive
Dana Stubblefield – positive
Tyrone Wheatley
Chris Hetherington
Josh Taves
Johnnie Morton
Larry Izzo
Artie Ulmer
TRACK & FIELD
Regina Jacobs – positive
John McEwen – positive
Kevin Toth – positive
Dwaine Chambers – positive
Melissa Price – positive
Marion Jones
Tim Montgomery
Calvin Harrison
Alvin Harrison
BOXING
Shane Mosley
SWIMMING
Amy Van Dyken
MLB
Barry Bonds
Gary Sheffield
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Benito Santiago
A.J. Pierzynski
Bobby Estalella
Armando Rios
*
Steroids by the numbers
9: Balco athletes known to have tested positive for THG
101: Estimated number (7%) of MLBers testing positive for steroids in 2003
3.4: Average number ofplayers per team testing positive
2: Former major leaguers who have admitted using steroids (Ken Caminiti, Jose Canseco)
