Pittsburgh drug trials
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Readding the aftermath for the Pirates
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The '''Pittsburgh drug trials''' of [[1985 in baseball|1985]] were the catalyst for a baseball-related [[cocaine]] scandal which resulted in the harshest [[Major League Baseball]] penalties since the [[Black Sox scandal]] of [[1919 in baseball|1919]]. Several [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] — [[Dale Berra]], [[Lee Lacy]], [[Lee Mazzilli]], [[John Milner]], [[Dave Parker]], and [[Rod Scurry]] — and other notable major league players — [[Willie Mays Aikens]], [[Vida Blue]], [[Enos Cabell]], [[Keith Hernandez]], [[Jeffrey Leonard]], [[Tim Raines]], and [[Lonnie Smith]] — were called before a [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] [[grand jury]]. Their testimony led to the drug trials, which made national headlines in [[1985#September|September 1985]].
==Testimony==
The players were granted immunity in exchange for their testimony.
Ex-Pirate [[John Milner]] talked about getting [[amphetamines]] from Hall of Famers [[Willie Mays]] and [[Willie Stargell]]. Milner added that he bought two grams of cocaine for [[United States dollar|$]]200 in the bathroom stalls at [[Three Rivers Stadium]] during a Pirates-[[Houston Astros]] game in [[1980 in baseball|1980]]. Keith Hernandez revealed he'd used cocaine for three years. Hernandez added that about 40 [[Percentage|percent]] of all Major League Baseball players were using cocaine at the time. Hernandez however, quickly backtracked by saying that he might have been "grossly wrong." Tim Raines told how he'd keep a gram of coke in his uniform pocket (as well as revealing that he snorted during games), and that he only slid into bases headfirst as not to break the vial. <ref>
"[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof07/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=2726275 Raines, Rickey running toward Cooperstown]", [[Jerry Crasnick]], [[ESPN.com]], [[January 11]], [[2007]].</ref>
Testimony also revealed that Rod Scurry once went looking for cocaine during the late innings of a Pirates game. Drug dealers frequented the Pirates' clubhouse. Even the [[Pirate Parrot]], [[Kevin Koch]], was implicated for buying cocaine and introducing a few of the ballplayers to a local drug dealer.
==Verdict==
[[Curtis Strong]] and six Pittsburgh men were convicted and found guilty of 11 counts of distributing cocaine. Strong received a 12-year prison sentence but was ultimately released after serving just four years. [[Dale Shiffman]] from Pittsburgh was indicted on 111 counts, pled guilty to 20, was sentenced to 12 years and served twenty-four months.
===Ramifications===
On [[February 28]], [[1986 in baseball|1986]], [[Baseball Commissioner]] [[Peter Ueberroth]] handed down suspensions to 11 players—seven for a full season. All avoided the suspensions by agreeing to donate a small percentage of their [[1986 in baseball|1986]] salaries to a drug program and do community service work. The players who were suspended for a full year were allowed to play under the condition that they donated 10 percent of their base salaries to drug-related community service, submitted to random drug testing, and contributed 100 hours of drug-related [[community service]]:
*[[Joaquín Andújar]]
*[[Dale Berra]]
*[[Enos Cabell]]
*[[Keith Hernandez]]
*[[Jeffrey Leonard]]
*[[Dave Parker (baseball player)|Dave Parker]]
*[[Lonnie Smith]]
The four players who were suspended for just 60 days were allowed to play if they donated 5 percent of base salaries and contributed 50 hours of drug-related community service:
*[[Al Holland]]
*[[Lee Lacy]]
*[[Lary Sorensen]]
*[[Claudell Washington]]
Peter Ueberroth also asked every player to submit to voluntary urine tests. Ultimately, the [[Major League Baseball Players Association|Players Association]] thwarted that plea.
===The dealers===
Seven drug dealers pleaded guilty or were convicted of selling cocaine to players:
*Shelby Greer, 49, of [[Mount Washington (Pittsburgh)|Mt. Washington]]: Pleaded guilty to seven criminal counts.
*Dale Shiffman, 54, of [[Baldwin, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Baldwin]]: Pleaded guilty to 20 criminal counts. Spent 24 months in the federal penitentiary. He now lives drug- and alcohol-free in [[Fairfield, Ohio]], and shares his faith and the dangers of drugs with the local youth of Cincinnati.
*Thomas P. Balzer: Pleaded guilty to selling cocaine. Sentenced to 18 months in prison.
*Kevin M. Connolly: Pleaded guilty to selling cocaine. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.
*Jeffrey L. Mosco, 49, of [[Shaler Township, Pennsylvania|Shaler]]: Pleaded guilty to three drug-related counts. Spent 18 months in prison.
*Robert W. "Rav" McCue: Convicted on seven counts of cocaine distribution.
*Curtis Strong: Convicted on 11 counts of selling cocaine.
In [[September 2006|September]] [[2006 in television|2006]], Shiffman & Koch were interviewed on [[HBO]]'s ''[[Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel]]'' in a segment entitled '''''Under the Influence'''''.
==Aftermath==
Several players went on to rejuvenated careers in the wake of the scandal:
*Dave Parker signed with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] and was selected to the All-Star team in 1985, 1986 and 1990.
*Hernandez recovered and continued his consecutive [[Rawlings Gold Glove Award|gold glove]] streak through 1988.
*Smith signed with the [[Atlanta Braves]] and was selected as the [[MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award]] in 1989.
Others continued to struggle with substance abuse:
*Rod Scurry died from a cocaine-related heart attack in [[1992 in baseball|1992]] at the age of 36.
*Willie Aikens was convicted in 1994 of selling crack cocaine and sentenced to 20 years in prison (Was released on June 4, 2008).
*Lary Sorensen, after a sixth drunk driving conviction, was sentenced to more than two years in prison in 2005.<ref> [http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/020105/loc_plea001.shtml ''Sorensen pleads guilty to sixth offense of drinking and driving'', Staff Article, Macomb Daily News, 2/1/2005] </ref>
Not only did players pay a price, but the whole Pittsburgh Pirates organization did as well. Fans turned away from the game in large numbers and, it can be debated, the fans have never regained the love for a sport that the city has been home to for over 120 years. The team nearly moved to [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]] after the trials and last had a winning season in 1992, when they won the [[NL East]] and nearly went to the [[World Series]]. They have since slid past the [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Steelers]] and [[Pittsburgh Penguins|Penguins]] in popularity in the city, although they were already significantly behind the Steelers in popularity before the trials.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.steelertribute.com/countdown2.htm America Loves Countdowns - The Pittsburgh Drug Trials]
* [http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_284901.html Deja vu again: Drug abuse slams Major League Baseball]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1406651&type=columnist ESPN.com - Remembering the Pain of the Pittsburgh Drug Trials]
* [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/columnist/bodley/2004-03-04-bodley_x.htm Ueberroth took action in 1986 cocaine scandal]
* [http://www.post-gazette.com/pirates/200009291980bucs3.asp The Eighties: A terrible time of trial and error]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/17/SPG8T521461.DTL Baseball, Giants cracking down on trainers' access]
* [http://espn.go.com/page2/s/trials.html ESPN.com - Page2 - Court is in session]
* [http://www.hbo.com/realsports/stories/2006/episode.114.s2.html Under the Influence]
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9598118/diamond_blues Diamond Blues]
{{Pittsburgh Pirates}}
[[Category:Trials in the United States|Pittsburgh Drug Trials]]
[[Category:1985 in baseball|Pittsburgh Drug Trials]]
[[Category:Drugs in sport|Pittsburgh Drug Trials]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates|Drug Trials]]
[[Category:Baseball lore|Pittsburgh Drug Trials]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball controversies|Pittsburgh Drug Trials]]
[[Category:Baseball players suspended for drug offenses| ]]