I am absolutely tired of writing about these “Steroid” or “Performance-Enhancement” Drugs in College Baseball or any baseball. This has absolutely killed my interest in pro baseball and it is starting to filter into the college game. When I started writing on College Baseball many years ago, I was one of the few that actually covered the Steroid scandal with the Duke baseball team under former head coach Bill Hillier. The Blue Devils coaching staff “encouraged” steroid use by the players and the school continued to renew Hillier’s contract year after year.
Wait, you don’t remember this? Of course you don’t because Duke has been a non-factor in college baseball in recent history and haven’t appeared in an NCAA Tournament since the 1961 season. I think you should really read up on this story if you are not familiar. (LINK) So if Duke who is terrible at baseball was cheating in the early 2000’s who isn’t?
So last week it comes out that the University of Miami Strength and Conditioning coach Jimmy Goins has been named in a Miami New Times article that he has been connected to a few players in the BioGenesis case. The Miami New Times stated the following about Goins involvement:
Jimmy Goins, the strength and conditioning coach for the Hurricanes baseball team for the past nine seasons. Goins is recorded in multiple client lists; in one detailed page dated December 14, 2011, Bosch writes he’s selling him Anavar, testosterone, and a Winstrol/B-12 mix and charging him $400 a month. Another, from this past December, includes sales of HGH and testosterone.
So of course, Miami (FL) has removed Goins from their coaching staff and website while denying comment on the investigation. Goins has denied any involvement in the case.
If you believe, that then I have some oceanfront property in Arizona I’d like to sell you. Great price too!
Back in the fall of 2009, Miami (FL) 2B Frankie Ratcliff was caught with 19 vials of HGH in his apartment after being arrested with 101 grams of marijuana on him. Ratcliff was immediately kicked off the team and everything was fine. Maybe he was a rogue player that was trying to get an edge.
His expected teammate for that 2009-2010 season Yasmani Grandal who was picked 12th overall in the 2010 MLB Draft was suspended 50 games this fall by MLB for having an increased testosterone level. This is code that basically he was taking a supplement or a drug that creates his body to put out an increase in testosterone so he could get stronger or recover.
The other former University of Miami (FL) players that were named in the New Times report are Cesar Carrillo who played at the school from 2002-2005 and Ryan Braun 2003-2005.
Braun was originally suspended by MLB in the fall of 2011 for elevated level of testosterone but ended up getting the suspension overturned on a technicality.
Guess who was on the Miami (FL) staff on all these teams besides head coach Jim Morris, assistant coach JD Artega? Jimmy Goins. Are you telling me that Goins didn’t have at least a little bit to do with getting these players some sort of PED?
Miami came out on Thursday releasing the following statement about Steroid Use:
February 07, 2013 — Coral Gables — “The University of Miami’s comprehensive drug testing policy, enacted in 1995, continues to evolve as the methods and reliability of testing have improved and as more drugs have been introduced into the world of competitive sports.
The University’s program is monitored by a University committee, which includes medical professionals, and is overseen by a Medical Review Officer–currently, a former UM Miller School of Medicine physician–who ensures the integrity and confidentiality of the drug testing program. An outside third-party firm administers the tests and provides results to the University.
Since 2005, approximately 3,380 student-athletes have been tested more than 10,000 times by the University, in addition to drug tests administered by the NCAA. During that period, no student-athlete has tested positive for anabolic steroids. The University of Miami, like many of our peer institutions, the NCAA and many professional sports leagues, does not currently test for Human Growth Hormones.
The University of Miami’s drug testing policy is consistent with those at most NCAA Division I programs and provides more stringent penalties–including game suspensions for first-time positive results–than many of our peers.
As stated last week, we have initiated an internal review involving an employee and will continue to monitor developments.”
So this statement says that they have no positive results but guess what…they haven’t been testing for the drug that the players are currently using in HGH. Why aren’t they? HGH tests are blood based and for some unknown reason professional football and professional baseball do not test for this and of course the NCAA doesn’t either since it is EXPENSIVE.
The NCAA will likely end up getting involved in this soon as the Miami (FL) athletic department is currently under a major NCAA investigation related to mostly the football program but could bring in the baseball team.
John Infante of The Bylaw Blog which is the furthermost expert on NCAA related investigations states Miami might have broken the following rules:
Bylaw 10.2 – Knowledge of Use of Banned Drugs.
A member institution’s athletics department staff members or others employed by the intercollegiate athletics program who have knowledge of a student-athlete’s use at any time of a substance on the list of banned drugs, as set forth in Bylaw 31.2.3.4, shall follow institutional procedures dealing with drug abuse or shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in Bylaw 19.5.
Bylaw 10.1 – Unethical Conduct.
Unethical conduct by a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or a current or former institutional staff member, which includes any individual who performs work for the institution or the athletics department even if he or she does not receive compensation for such work, may include, but is not limited to, the following:
…
(f) Knowing involvement in providing a banned substance or impermissible supplement to student-athletes, or knowingly providing medications to student-athletes contrary to medical licensure, commonly accepted standards of care in sports medicine practice, or state and federal law. This provision shall not apply to banned substances for which the student-athlete has received a medical exception per Bylaw 31.2.3.5; however, the substance must be provided in accordance with medical licensure, commonly accepted standards of care and state or federal law.
So Miami (FL) has a choice to make either face their allegations head on or continue to grandstand that their players have never failed a drug test. From what I have seen from Miami (FL) since this story broke last week, I expect them to continue to grandstand and do nothing about their program which has been in a massive decline since the 2008 season.
10 comments
Its hard to blame players for using PEDs in the 90s and early 2000s. If taking a pill or shot would make you write better, sell more or whatever job you hold and have the potential to make millions, i highly doubt very many people would say no. Especially if there were no tests to detect it.
However, anyone still trying to do so with all that has gone on in the last few years is an idiot and should face much tougher penalties than what are in place.
I might be wrong but HGH is very expensive and very few college athletes could afford HGH so need to test for it not as great as other PEDs.
60 dollars for a month supply for HGH…I think most college students can find a way to afford that if they think they are going to be a MLB drafted player.
How effective is $60 HGH gonna be? Is it really going to benefit a baseball player?
True…I just googled HGH and that is what came up!
Brian Foley
Editor of College Baseball Daily
Dude you have any clue how much it costs to go to Miami? Try $45K and with 11 scholarships none of the players get more than $20K. Most are not rich so saying they can pay $60 a month for HGH is dumb. Most of the boyz on that team can barely afford to eat out. Most live at home too. I don’t knows for sure but I would bet you are wrong.
Regarding Miami, you’re saying “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”. In view of the smoke you cited, that makes sense.
Having coached D-I players over a couple of decades, I must admit I haven’t seen many signs of PED use. I do recall a Kansas juco where I coached in the 90s getting all upset over some players’ marijuana use while ignoring steroids (their football program was a national power and rampant steroids use was a part of their culture). I pointed out that hypocrisy; my input was not appreciated.
As to Miami ‘fessing up: That’s a bit naive, don’t you think? Like every major college athletic program which cheats, they will deny until the evidence becomes insurmountable, then object to being charged with lack of institutional control.
This is just one more component in the bad joke of intercollegiate athletics: claiming to be amateur when it is obviously anything but. Unfortunately, young people get hurt in the charade.
Fred4945 – your right …these NCAA athletes are pro’s ….but are barred from a union and a agent, any form of collective rights formations… and any real pay and negotiations to a contract … hung out to dry like beef jerky !
until Fox news and CNN show up on campus (hope they do) they will not claim ‘mia culpa’ … once they do claim guilty …they should lay off/fire the top guys ….not guy who hands out towels in the locker room and ‘spots’ the kids doing reps in the weight room and and so on … Its the big wage earners who have major bucks to gain for each win – and they know whats going on !!! ….. . we have so forgotten about the pride and the princple of “the captian going down with the ship” .now they blame the towel guy or the helper in the weight room !!! Gutless!!! LOL !!!
As a former Duke baseball player for Coach Hillier it would be nice to see someone put blame on the players who said they used steroids than accuse Coach Hillier and his staff of encouraging or “encouraging” players to use steroids. Coach Hillier and his staff were men of incredible class and loyalty and always wanted was best for you. We were tested multiple times every year and in particular right after the scandal and we all cameback negative. Instead of continuining to throw his name along with his staff into the mud, throw the players into the mud who made excuses and didn’t like the coach because they couldn’t hack it in the classroom or on the baseball field.
Dude , you sound like the PSU defence council…. The coaches knew or ought to have known what was happening under their watch… If they have the guts they should litigate for slander….if these players are not talking the truth. Did this happen? Results?
That Duke story is not new…
Brian Foley
Editor of College Baseball Daily
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