Shane Spencer radio interview a hoax
Shane Spencer watches his eighth-inning RBI single sail into the outfield for the first run of the Yanks' 2-0 shutout of the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. Credit: AP, 1999
UPDATE: Shane Spencer has since confirmed the interview was hoax perpetrated by someone pretending to be him. Both he and the radio station have released statements on the matter. For the full story, click here.
- - - - - - - - - -
Amid the recent performance-enhancing drug scandal in baseball, former Yankee and Met Shane Spencer appeared on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio Monday and admitted to "cycling" with steroid use in Double-AA but said for the most part did not use PEDs at the major-league level.
"I can't say that I never dabbled, but for the bulk of my career I had never been involved with steroids," Spencer told ESPN Radio's Mike Lindsley.
Spencer won three World Series titles with the Yankees in his five seasons with them (1998-2002). During that time he said he used a substance called "prohormones," but he said at the time those were something available at stores like GNC and weren't taken seriously around the league.
He told ESPN Radio it was hard to say who was using what because players tended to use steroids with discretion.
"I have used steroids in the past. ... Did I ever see anyone using them? Absolutely," Spencer said. "Here's the one thing I would say, is that most people did not use steroids in a public forum. Most people didn't make it -- it wasn't like you would walk into the Yankees' locker room or any other team I played for and people were just using steroids or people would be openly talking about it."
He said he never saw anyone use steroids in the Yankees' clubhouse and that would be considered unprofessional.
"It would be the equivalent of somebody drinking while they were on the air," Spencer told ESPN. "You would never do that."
Spencer said he didn't know whether or not Roger Clemens was using steroids with the Yankees, but he said it was his perception that he was.
"Yeah, I mean there's no question," Spencer said. "Look at the size of the guy."
Spencer defended Alex Rodriguez to some extent, saying he felt bad for him and said he was nothing but professional to him.
"The fact of the matter is a lot of us did steroids, but no one was as good as Al was."
Listen to Spencer's full interview here.
