FanHouse David Bell

When state and federal authorities conducted coordinated raids on several online pharmacies last month, they leaked the names of several prominent athletes who appeared on confiscated customer lists. America weeped for its heroes, and hundreds tens a small handful of children were suddenly forced to accept that their favorite player may have gotten where he did not by hard work, but by having a teammate stick a sharp piece of metal into his buttock.

Apparently, tainting the reputations of guys like Gary Matthews, Jr., Darren Holmes and David Bell without the benefit of a full trial has weighed on the conscience of investigators, because they're now debating whether they should release any of the other names they've found on pharmacy customer lists. From the Los Angeles Times:

"We're still trying to figure that out - we're struggling with it," said Heather Orth, spokeswoman for the Albany D.A.'s office, which is overseeing the investigation. "If a crack house was raided in Albany and a customer list was there, would it be published? But we also realize how important it is for fans to know about this."

But while the Albany D.A.'s office isn't sure whether they should release the names publicly, the Times reports that they will forward any appropriate names to professional sports leagues today or tomorrow, at which point (I'm guessing) the league will sit on the names hoping none of them ever see the light of day, especially considering Orth stressed that none of the customers will be charged with a crime.

Previously at FanHouse:
Gary Matthews: 'I Have Never Taken HGH'
HGH Investigator to Let MLB in on Players' Identities
Add Darren Holmes to Your Allgeged HGH-User List
Add Jerry Hairston Jr. to Your Alleged HGH-User List
HGH Probably Doesn't Increase Strength
Garry Matthews Was Mailed HGH in 2004
Garry Matthews Avoids the Steroid Question
Garry Matthews Allegedly Named in Steroid Bust

John Rocker, Jose Canseco and David Bell were the latest three players named as alleged customers of performance-enhancing drugs in SI.com's on-going coverage of the federal investigation of a purported steroid and HGH distribution ring.

Canseco has famously admitted steroid abuse in the past, so no surprise there. Rocker allegedly received shipments for HGH back in 2003, a year after he last appeared in the majors. Needless to say, neither player seems especially relevant for our purposes, since both players allegedly received the drugs after they were out of the majors for good.

The name that should garner the most attention is that of David Bell, who's not on a roster this year but split last season between the Phillies and Brewers. From SI.com:

David Bell, a veteran of a dozen major league seasons, received six packages of HCG at a Philadelphia address last April, when he played for the Phillies. The cost was $128.80, and the drug was prescribed in conjunction with an Arizona antiaging facility. Bell acknowledges receiving the shipment but tells SI the drug was prescribed to him "for a medical condition," which he declined to disclose, citing his right to privacy.

Now here's what I don't understand: who's to say that Bell doesn't have a legitimate medical condition that requires HGH HCG (see below)? The natural inclination is to rush to judgment and assume that he took the drugs so that he could gain an advantage on the baseball diamond (an advantage, that is, over his otherwise decrepit skills, since he was never one of the most talented on the field...), but how do we know? Doesn't it seem odd that his medical records -- or at least, his prescription history -- are now part of the public domain without the benefit of a trial?

Maybe Gary Sheffield is right -- this definitely has a "witch hunt" aura surrounding it.

Update: As commenter No. 2 pointed out below, my initial headline and post said Bell received HGH, when the article actually said HCG. (I have no problem using that the fact I confused the two as an example of how generally ill-equipped the media is in having a conversation about performance-enhancing drugs. But I digress ...) According to Wikipedia, HCG is "human chorionic gonadotropin." It has several medical uses, but is also frequently used in conjunction with anabolic steroids to "restore / maintain testosterone production in the testes." Make of it what you will.