Pubdate: Mon, 23 Sep 2002
Source: Newsday (NY)
Copyright: 2002 Newsday Inc.
Contact:  http://www.newsday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/308
Author: Michael Dobie

METS' JOINT DENIAL

Phillips, Valentine Challenge Report On Team's Drug Use

Mets general manager Steve Phillips denied Friday there is "rampant drug 
use" in his organization, although he acknowledged that once a player 
reaches the 40-man roster, drug detection is no longer within the team's 
control.

The comments were made at a news conference at Shea Stadium to address 
allegations of Mets marijuana use in a story that appeared on the front 
page of Newsday Friday.

"In my opinion, there is not rampant drug use on our major league roster 
and on our major league team," Phillips said, adding that "there has never, 
never been any evidence of rampant or significant drug use in the New York 
Mets organization in the minor league system."

Phillips couched his remarks by saying, "If there are things that are 
happening that we're not aware of, we would like to address them. Clearly, 
we're not able to test 40-man-roster players."

During the news conference, rookie relief pitcher Grant Roberts publicly 
apologized to the Mets organization and their fans. A photograph of Roberts 
smoking marijuana from a bong, a marijuana smoking apparatus, in 1999 was 
published with the Newsday story.

"I'm very embarrassed. ... I made a mistake," Roberts said. "The woman who 
gave up the picture has also tried to threaten me and do other things, to 
get me to do stuff and give her things. Obviously, I did not."

Mets manager Bobby Valentine denied having voiced his concerns about a drug 
problem within his team to Phillips as far back as spring training, as was 
reported in the Newsday story. "I didn't think anybody on our team was 
smoking marijuana," Valentine said. "If I misstated that to you guys, I 
screwed up," he said, speaking directly to Newsday reporters David Lennon 
and Jon Heyman, writers of Friday's story.

Valentine also denied an allegation by an unnamed top team official that 
Valentine had confronted Roberts earlier this season regarding the 
pitcher's alleged drug use. "If I told you guys I talked to Grant Roberts, 
maybe I was the one smoking that stuff because I don't think I ever did 
talk to Grant Roberts about that," the manager said. "I'm sorry if I 
miscommunicated that."

Phillips denied the story's assertion that Mets minor leaguers were tipped 
off in advance about drug testing by people in the organization - "I 
completely refute that," he said - and offered that no Mets minor-leaguer 
has ever tested positive for the drug Ecstasy. Phillips invited the unnamed 
sources in Newsday's report to come forward and speak with him about their 
accusations.

Though Phillips characterized the Newsday report as "based solely on 
anonymous sources," Newsday editor Anthony Marro said the paper stands by 
the story.

"The sources are unnamed but we're confident the information is credible," 
Marro said Friday.

Two Mets players didn't deny that drug use exists in the major leagues.

"There have been guys. I'm just not concerned that it's widespread," Mike 
Piazza said Friday. "There are guys that its been brought out and they have 
to live up to that."

"Everyone does it," Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo said. "It's not only 
baseball players. I've never seen it here. This is the first time I've 
heard it and it's a weird feeling."

The Mets were in full defensive mode Friday with a lockdown that was 
unprecedented in recent memory. Not only was the clubhouse shuttered to 
reporters at the usual opening time of 3:40 p.m. - 3 1/2 hours before the 
game's first pitch - but the tunnel leading to it was off limits and 
guarded by security.

One Met said Phillips basically gave everyone a "heads-up" about what was 
going on in the wake of the Newsday story and the media was not allowed 
into the clubhouse until after the news conference, which was strange in 
itself.

Valentine followed Phillips to the podium and provided both an awkward 
apology as well as comic relief, which Phillips did not find very amusing. 
As Valentine mugged for the small army of television cameras, Phillips sat 
off to the side with a blank expression as reporters chuckled at 
Valentine's impression of a major leaguer trying to bat while under the 
influence of marijuana. "I guarantee you no one was in uniform who had done 
marijuana," Valentine said, "unless they really had a lot of Visine."

Although both Phillips and Valentine answered questions, a team spokesman 
said that Roberts would have nothing more to say about the matter following 
his statement and asked reporters to "respect his privacy."

Roberts did not confirm or deny whether he has used drugs this season at 
the news conference.

When asked specifically on Thursday whether Roberts had ever failed a drug 
test while in the Mets minor league system, Phillips refused to comment.

In the story Friday, culled from interviews with a top team official, a 
former prospect and two people close to Mets players, Newsday reported that 
at least seven major league Mets were suspected of using drugs this season, 
that minor league Mets often are warned well in advance of drug testing, 
that marijuana has been mailed to the Shea Stadium clubhouse concealed in a 
peanut butter jar, that minor league Mets sometimes bury their drugs and 
drug paraphernalia near the team's road hotels, and that instead of taking 
the team bus between cities on road trips, some major league Mets instead 
have shared marijuana-filled limousine rides.

In the story, Valentine said he addressed his team in late June about the 
"foolishness" of using drugs after two of his players were caught using 
drugs and one was taken to the hospital.

Later, after the news conference, behind the batting cage, the manager 
explained how his attitude toward one-on-one intervention has changed. "If 
a guy is drinking too much or if a guy is suspected for drugs, I've had 
very bad experiences with players and teams because of that stuff, 
confronting and personalizing it, and getting involved," Valentine said.

"It never worked, from Rick Leach to Steve Howe to other undocumented 
situations that I've been in contact with. That's why there's an Employee 
Assistance Program in place. To try to keep the manager out of that situation."

When asked if it was a manager's job to police players, Valentine said, "I 
don't think it is, only because in the past it hasn't worked. Since I've 
been here, the few times I've intervened personally, I've been burned so 
badly that I don't go next to the stove."

Staff writers David Lennon and Jon Heyman contributed to this story.
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