Article: Red Sox Legend Mo Vaughn Admits to Using HGH

[Seth Stohs]

Mo Vaughn bashed baseballs for the Red Sox for eight seasons. Recently, he admitted to The Athletic that he used HGH later in his career. 

In an Monday-morning article, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote that former Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn admitting to using HGH. Vaughn had been mentioned in the 2007 Mitchell Report, but this is the first time that Vaughn has publicly acknowledged his "transgression." Vaughn told Rosenthal, "I was trying to do everything I could. I knew I had a bad, degenerative knee. I was shooting HGH in my knee. Whatever I could do to help the process." 

Vaughn was the Red Sox' first-round draft choice in 1989 out of Seton Hall where he was a teammate of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio and long-time Red Sox infielder John Valentin. As the 23rd overall pick, Vaughn received a bonus of $126,000. Just over two years later, on June 27, 1991, Vaughn made his big-league debut. By 1993, he had become one of the most feared hitters in the league. He was a hulking figure in the left-handed batter's box with his elbow hanging over the plate. he was hit by a lot of pitches, but he had incredible bat speed to turn in inside fastballs. 

In 1995, he was named an All-Star for the first time and won a Silver Slugger award. He also edged out Cleveland outfielder Albert Belle for AL MVP. That season, he slashed .300/.388/.575 (.963) with 28 doubles, three triples, and 39 home runs. He led the league with 126 RBI. He was even better in 1996. In 161 games, he slashed .326/.420/.583 (1.003) with 29 doubles, 44 homers and 143 RBI. He was again an All-Star and finished fifth in the AL MVP voting. From 1993 through the 1998 season, his final with the Red Sox, he had six straight seasons with an OPS over .914.

Vaughn left the Red Sox after finishing fourth in MVP voting in 1998 and joined the Anaheim Angels. He became baseball's highest-paid player with his six-year, $80 million contract. On Opening Day 1999, he was chasing a foul pop up and fell down the steps of the Cleveland dugout and injured his left ankle and knee. Over three seasons with the Angels, he earned $31.5 million. Unfortunately, he missed the entire 2001 season with a ruptured biceps tendon, and after the season, he was traded to the Mets in exchange for Kevin Appier. Over the final three years of his career, he earned $46.5 million. He played in 139 games for the Mets in 2002, but in May 2003, after just 27 games, his career was over. 

"The Hit Man" was a big guy, and seemingly once the injuries started, it was hard to recover and he became angry. He told Rosenthal that his anger "stemmed from his belief that if not for a series of injuries, he could have accomplished more." 

Former Mets batboy Kirk Radomski provided Vaughn with the HGH. He said during the Mitchell investigation that "he did not sell Vaughn steroid because Vaughn was 'afraid of the big needles.'" It is important to note that MLB did not ban HGH until 2005. 

While Vaughn had a few well-documented run-ins with the law in his playing career, he has stayed busy in his retirement. He has spent a lot of time buying and rehabilitating poor housing in the New York area. He's added security to some places. He also has investments and real estate in other parts of the country. In 2009, he committed $6 million to improvements to a 168-unit complex with new appliances and other renovations. His company "does not tolerate guns, drugs and criminal behavior." He also was the president of Mo Vaughn Transport, a trucking company that he sold in 2018. 

Vaughn was named to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008. 

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