In the wake of Mark McGwire's shocking admission that he used steroids throughout his homerun-record-shattering career, another admission has been made. Jeff Kent, former MVP and silent force behind the San Francisco Giants golden era of the late 90's, admitted earlier this week that throughout almost the entirety of his 10+ year career in major league baseball, he had been high on ecstasy.
Recently retired after 13 years as the starting second baseman for the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and for his last 4 seasons (2005-2008), an obscure, nazi appreciation league team, Jeff Kent was arguably the top offensive middle infielder of his time, and notably, in an era clouded in steroids controversy, Kent stood apart as a role model who had apparently played the game clean.
That is until yesterday when Kent announced at a press conference, "I would wake up after day games, around 7:30 in a pool of sweat, my hair in rubber bands, and I wouldn't remember anything from the last 12 hours." Kent continued, "from early march 'til mid november, I don't think I ever took off my E pants. you know? The really baggy ones that have all those zippers that don't do anything? I'd wear them under my baseball pants, in the shower, and then I'd go straight to the raves. I couldn't hit the next day if I didn't roll that night."
The demand of professional sports has driven many athletes to great lengths, and in the summer of 1997 Jeff Kent had given into the pressure. "You show up to the bigs and it's a different game. It's faster, it's mean, everyone's out to get you and you'll get trampled if you don't keep up." He recounts "I had been hitting alright in New York, mostly just staying on first base after I'd ground out and counting on the umps not noticing. But Cleveland was a wake up call, and when I was traded to San Francisco, well, I knew it was now or never, and there was a PED culture on that team. Danny (Darwin) was the first to offer it to me." Darwin, a starting pitcher, 20 year veteran, and noted Japanese night club owner, was perhaps the league's most infamous E user, and it didn't take long until Kent became dependent on the drug, admitting "It was like night and day, I would wake up in my own sweat, take 7-36 pills, and I wouldn't feel any pressure. I'd be in the on deck circle, bouncing, screaming "macarena" lyrics with my eyes closed and my tongue out and the ball looked like the size of jupiter. I couldn't have done what I did with out it."
When asked why he finally came out about his years of performance enhancing drug abuse Kent said it was Darwin's death that made it important to come clean. "It was Darwin's death that made it important for me to come clean" Kent says, "When he collapsed from dehydration at his hall of fame induction last year, we all knew that it had gone too far and that we needed to make amends to our fans. Also, playing with the Dodgers. The two low points in my career were my best friend dying in front of everyone, and having to play in Los Angeles. They were both equally loud wake up calls that my entire life had been a waste."
Jeff Kent is now the latest in a string of athletes to have his reputation tarnished by ecstasy. Whether or not the baseball world ever forgives Kent or sees him the same way is still to be seen.
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