Ex-Pitcher Admits to Steroid Use

Former major league pitcher Tom House used steroids during his career and said performance-enhancing drugs were widespread in baseball in the 1960s and 1970s, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

House, perhaps best known for catching Hank Aaron’s 715th home run ball in 1974 in the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen, said he and several teammates used amphetamines, human growth hormone and “whatever steroid” they could find in order to keep up with the competition.

“I pretty much popped everything cold turkey,” House told the Chronicle in a story published Tuesday. “We were doing steroids they wouldn’t give to horses. That was the ‘60s, when nobody knew. The good thing is, we know now. There’s a lot more research and understanding.”

House, 58, estimated that six or seven pitchers per team were at least experimenting with steroids or human growth hormone.

*

John Rocker, attempting a comeback with the minor league Long Island Ducks, had a testy exchange with a fan as he walked off the field at Atlantic City, N.J., after another disappointing performance.

The 30-year-old lefty gave up two runs, two hits and two walks in one-third of an inning. As Rocker left the field, Dave Macken of Atlantic City, sitting near the visitors dugout, yelled, “It’s a long way from Atlanta.”

Rocker replied, “I’m still a millionaire” and followed with profanity, Macken told The Press of Atlantic City. Macken said the two then exchanged profanities.

“Call me what you want, but don’t start cussing at me like that,” Rocker told the paper. “That’s just wrong.”

*

Suspended Minnesota reliever Juan Rincon was “devastated” to hear he had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and said he would never put his career in jeopardy. Penalized 10 days Monday for the violation, the right-hander asked the players’ union to file a grievance over the ban.