The former Red Sox MVP Mo Vaughn was one of the most feared batters of all of Major League Baseball in the 1990s. You remember him, right? That towering presence at the plate, that raw power, the guy who would send a baseball screaming into the seats at Fenway Park.
Well, the former Boston Red Sox first baseman recently sat down with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and admitted to using human growth hormone (HGH) to try to extend his career.
“I was trying to do everything I could,” Vaughn, now 57, told Rosenthal. “I knew I had a bad, degenerative knee. I was shooting HGH in my knee. Whatever I could do to help the process.”
Vaughn’s Link to the Mitchell Report
Now, let’s set the record straight. HGH wasn’t even banned by Major League Baseball (MLB) until 2005, years after Vaughn’s playing days were over. But that doesn’t mean his name didn’t already have a connection to performance-enhancing substances.
If you recall the Mitchell Report, the bombshell 2007 investigation into the steroid era, Vaughn was among the 89 names listed. The report linked him to three separate payments for HGH in 2001. He allegedly sent them to Kirk Radomski—an ex-MLB bat boy turned supplier who played a major role in the investigation.
A Career of Power and Dominance
For those who might’ve forgotten, Vaughn was an absolute force in the batter’s box. Over 12 MLB seasons (1991–2003), he suited up for the Red Sox (1991–1998), the Anaheim Angels (1999–2000), and the New York Mets (2002–2003).
He was a three-time All-Star (1995, 1996, 1998) and took home the American League MVP award in 1995, the same year he led the league in RBIs (126) and won a Silver Slugger Award.
But while Vaughn’s bat was lethal, his body didn’t always cooperate. Injuries, particularly to his knees, plagued the later years of his career. That’s where HGH entered the picture. The use was not as a means to bulk up, but as a last-ditch effort to keep his body in playing shape.
Legacy and Red Sox Hall of Fame Induction
Vaughn’s career, though, was cut short due to injuries—hence the HGH injections he now openly admits to using. By the time he retired in 2003, his body had taken a beating, and despite his attempts to stay on the field, it just wasn’t meant to be.
Regardless of how you feel about his admission, you cannot deny Vaughn’s impact on the game. The Red Sox recognized that in 2008, inducting him into their Hall of Fame. And let’s be honest—when he was at his best, few hitters in baseball were more intimidating.
