A-Rod ‘at ease’ with ties to doctor
March 9, 2010
TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Yankees star Alex Rodriguez(notes) said Tuesday he is at easewith his ties to a Canadian sports doctor embroiled in cross-borderinvestigations involving HGH and another drug, though he still hasn’t talked tofederal authorities about the case.
Speaking a day after Dr. Anthony Galea told The Associated Press he treatedRodriguez last year and prescribed anti-inflammatories but never gave him or anyother athlete HGH, the three-time MVP said he still doesn’t know when he will beinterviewed by federal agents.
“I’m at ease no matter what,” Rodriguez said when asked how he felt aboutGalea’s comments.
New York Yankees Alex Rodrigue… AP – Mar 1, 3:29 pm EST New York Yankees Alex Rodrigue… AP – Mar 1, 3:28 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 1; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100301/capt.efaa466264f2426bad2f811673456b3a.canadian_doctor_rodriguez_baseball_flkw110.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=359&hc=399&q=70&sig=5g.X9qYCbdiezTCFZx3tkg--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 2 MLB Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
Rodriguez sat in front of his locker at New York’s spring training complexTuesday and spoke to reporters for about 3 1/2 minutes about the situation. Heseemed calm and even laughed at times.
“I got nothing new to report,” he said several times.
Galea was arrested in Canada last October on four charges relating to anunapproved substance used in healing therapy called Actovegin. He is known forusing a technique, called platelet-rich plasma therapy, designed to speedrecovery from injuries. He has used that to treat several high-profile athletes.
Rodriguez said he feels “no pressure, not at all,” even after Galea spokeabout their relationship.
Rodriguez and other baseball players, including Jose Reyes and CarlosBeltran(notes), have been contacted by U.S. federal investigators regarding Galea. TheDenver Post reported Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street(notes) said he was on a listof players federal investigators wanted to interview. Reyes and Beltran eachsaid they did not receive Human Growth Hormone from Galea.
The Yankees third baseman said he didn’t know where his interview would takeplace.
“I’m not sure. Maybe here. I don’t know. I’m not sure,” Rodriguez said.“I’m not sure where Reyes and Beltran did it. I’m not sure.”
When asked if he is choosing not to talk or has been told not to speak,Rodriguez laughed and said he “thinks the latter.”
This had been a relatively quiet spring for Rodriguez compared to last year,when he admitted during an awkward news conference that he used steroids from2001-03.
Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said the team would talkto Rodriguez after federal agents do.
“We didn’t know Alex was seeing this doctor, and we’ve been told he’s goingto cooperate with the authorities in full, and he’s going to answer somequestions for them,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner saidafter a news conference in New York. “And until that’s done, there’s justnothing to add.”
Galea, who recently resigned as the team doctor for the Canadian FootballLeague’s Toronto Argonauts, became the focus of authorities’ attention lastSeptember when his assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, was stopped at the U.S. borderin Buffalo, N.Y.
U.S. federal court documents say “20 vials and 76 ampoules of unknownmisbranded drugs including Nutropin (Human Growth Hormone – HGH) and foreignhomeopathic drugs” were found in a car Catalano was driving.
But Galea said Catalano only could have had a tiny, half-empty bottle or oneampoule of HGH because she was bringing the drug across the border for his ownuse. An ampoule is a small sealed vial which is used to contain and preserve asample.
The 51-year-old Galea says he’s taken HGH, which is banned by the majorsports, for a decade because it can improve the quality of life for people over40.
Galea was arrested Oct. 15 after a search warrant was executed at theInstitute of Sports Medicine Health and Wellness Centre in Toronto. He ischarged with selling Actovegin, conspiracy to import an unapproved drug,conspiracy to export a drug and smuggling goods into Canada.
Rodriguez had hip surgery a year ago and Galea said he aided with the star’srehab. Dr. Marc Philippon performed the surgery, and chiropractor Mark Lindsay—who has a history of close ties to Galea—helped monitor Rodriguez’s recovery.
Even if he’s cleared in the investigation, Rodriguez could be in violationof his record $275 million, 10-year contract because a team has the right toapprove doctors that aren’t on its medical staff.
If Rodriguez was treated without club consent, any attempt to determinewhether he violated the contract’s guarantee language or baseball’s collectivebargaining agreement likely would hinge on whether treatment was elective ornecessary.
AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.
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