Cardinals' Slugger Rick Ankiel Implicated in Drug Probe...

If this is true, it’s a monumental shame.

From CNNsi.com

“Comeback kid Rick Ankiel of the St. Louis Cardinals received a year's supply of human growth hormone in 2004, the Daily News reported Friday.

The pitcher-turned-outfielder is the latest athlete to be linked to the Florida pharmacy at the center of an investigation by the Albany County (N.Y.) district attorney's office into the illegal Internet distribution of performance-enhancing drugs.”

Also…

“Citing records the newspaper obtained, the Daily News said Ankiel got eight shipments of human growth hormone from Signature Pharmacy in Orlando from January to December 2004, including Saizen and Genotropin, two injectable drugs.

Florida physician William Gogan signed Ankiel's prescriptions, providing them through a Palm Beach Gardens clinic called The Health and Rejuvenation Center, or THARC, the newspaper reported.

The drugs were shipped to Ankiel at the clinic's address, the paper said. The 28-year-old Ankiel lives close by in Jupiter.”

Well, I figured if a story was too good to be true, it probably is; however, you cannot discount the ability of Ankiel and what he has done. In the end, we all wanted a great story to uplift not only a sport, but our own desires, and Rick’s fit the bill. He not only sparked the Cardinals' regent surge, a city, and a team marked with tragedy and injury -- but he came back from his own struggles and demons.

Sadly, I think Rick may be one of many who have indulged and partook in making themselves better through chemistry.

Do we care no? We still attend ballgames and care about the sport.

That's the bottom line.