Steroids scandal flares up

SAN FRANCISCO – A former New York Mets clubhouse employee pleaded guilty Friday to distributing steroids to major league players for a decade and has agreed to help baseball’s steroids investigators.

Kirk Radomski, 37, admitted providing anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, Clenbuterol, amphetamines and other drugs to “dozens of current and former Major League Baseball players, and associates, on teams throughout Major League Baseball,” San Francisco U.S. Attorney Scott Schools said in a statement.

He did not identify any of Radomski’s clients, and the names of players appeared to be blacked out of a search warrant affidavit obtained by several news organizations.

“The distribution of anabolic steroids to professional athletes cheats both the paying public and the clean athletes and is a serious crime,” Schools said. “This investigation shows that distribution of performance-enhancing drugs continues to be an issue for sport in America.”

Radomski pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to felony charges of distributing steroids and laundering money. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 7.

Friday’s guilty plea is the latest development in the steroids scandal that has plagued sports in recent years. It puts baseball back in the doping spotlight and surely will get fans wondering what names will follow.

As part of the plea deal signed Thursday, Radomski agreed to testify before a grand jury, if needed, and to cooperate in the ongoing federal probe of steroids in sports. He also agreed to meet with investigators from baseball’s own steroids investigation, led by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell.