The New York Daily News is reporting that St. Louis Cardinals phenom/comeback story of the year Rick Ankiel received human growth hormone (HGH) in 2004. His name surfaced during a federal investigation into illegal Internet prescription drug sales.
The Daily News reports: “Ankiel received eight shipments of HGH from Signature Pharmacy in Orlando from January to December 2004, including the brand-name injectable drugs Saizen and Genotropin. Signature is the pharmacy at the forefront of Albany District Attorney David Soares’ two-year investigation into illegal Internet prescription drug sales, which has brought 22 indictments and nine convictions.
“Ankiel’s prescriptions were signed by Florida physician William Gogan, who provided them through a Palm Beach Gardens clinic called ‘The Health and Rejuvenation Center,’ or ‘THARC.’ The drugs were shipped to Ankiel at the clinic’s address.
“THARC also provided a shipment of steroids and growth hormone to former major league pitcher Steve Woodard, who pitched for Milwaukee, Cleveland, Texas and Boston during a seven-year career that ended in 2003, according to records. Woodard and Ankiel were teammates with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in 2004.”
It’s not necessarily damning news, though: “Ankiel, 28, has not been accused by authorities of wrongdoing, and according to the Signature records obtained by the News, he stopped receiving HGH just before Major League Baseball officially banned it in 2005.”