Ball players allegedly got illegal scripts

SACRAMENTO, March 12 (UPI) -- Federal prosecutors in California are investigating whether a doctor illegally wrote prescriptions for patients, including major league baseball players.

Dr. Ramon Scruggs was linked to prescribing steroids in 2003 and 2004 to two major league players -- Troy Glaus and Scott Schoeneweis, The New York Times reported.

The information about Scruggs arose from an investigation into an Internet ring of pharmacies and anti-aging clinics conducted by the Albany County, N.Y., district attorney's office and by the authorities in Florida and Alabama. The federal prosecutors in California weren't involved in the Internet case, but now looking more closely at Scruggs, lawyers told the Times.

One lawyer said the investigation uncovered names of other major league players who received prescriptions from Scruggs.

"It's not as big as Radomski, but certainly is something significant," one lawyer said of the investigation, referring to the probe of the former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski.

As part of a plea agreement, Radomski named dozens of current and former players for the report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball released in December by former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell, D-Maine.