As many of you will remember, back in June, a source we thought was reliable leaked to us that one of the names in the infamous Jason Grimsley HGH affidavit was Chris Mihlfeld, who is the former trainer for Grimsley and the longtim trainer of Albert Pujols. As evidenced by the Los Angeles Times this weekend, our source was, sadly, wrong. And therefore, so were we: Mihlfeld appears not to be named in the document.

So, a clearing of the decks, a mea culpa: We were wrong to trust our source's information, and we were wrong to print their claim that he was in the document. We apologize to Mihlfeld and deeply regret the error.

Clemens Is Named in Drug Affidavit [Los Angeles Times]
Say It Ain't Steroids [Kansas City Pitch]

Anyway, we've been digging though the angry emails — our favorite was "I hope you get the clap from your cheating wives" — and we're not sure what much more we can tell you here. If our source is wrong and Mihlfeld isn't named in the document, we won't use the source again and you can feel free not to listen to us anytime we quote someone on a steroid name. (Despite the now-established Milhlfeld-Grimsley connection.) If our source is right and Milhfeld is in the document, it's anything but proof that he's ever supplied anyone with HGH or anything like that. It just means he's in the document.

There has been talk of a rush to judgment, and we suppose that's fair. But no matter what, these names will come out — all of them — and we will all know just how deep everything goes. It's just a matter of time.

KC Trainer Responds, Denies Affidavit Cameo [Deadspin]
Rushing To Judgment [Bleed Cubbie Blue]
Grimsley's MLB Diary [MLB.com]

First off, in the biggest news of the day, trainer Chris Mihlfeld has denied our source's report that his name is in the document. (In multiple places.)

"I just don't want my name to be part of this," Mihlfeld said. "It's not fair to me. It's not fair to my family. It's not fair to the other players I work with. It's not fair to the kids I work with ... They've got the wrong name on that deal.

"I know Jason Grimsley very well. And I have only two statements to make. One, Jason Grimsley is still my good friend. And two, I've never been involved in any illegal steroids, amphetamines or HGH activity. Period."

Mihlfeld also said Jason Grimsley's lawyer told him he wasn't in the affidavit either. Our source stands behind his/her story, so we have no choice but to do so ourselves. After our report yesterday, there's all kinds of business blowing up out there. The Boston Herald has dragged the tortured soul of Chuck Knoblauch into this. Meanwhile, someone dug up an invite Mihlfeld sent out about the opening of his training faciity. (Thanks to The Sports Frog on this one.) To quote:

We also have more important dates to announce Mike Sweeney from the K.C. Royals will be there on Jan 14th 06 to do a camp with Chris Mihlfeld. Also Albert Pujols will be back in early Feb for a hitting clinic, and Jason Grimsley will be there at the end of January for pitching clinics.

By the way, we feel obliged to — once again — clarify our initial report. A few facts:

• There is no claim that Albert Pujols has taken HGH.
• There is no claim that Mihlfeld was in any way a distributor of HGH, or steroids.
• There is a source — whose confidence has always been rated at "80 percent" — who says Mihlfeld's name is in the report. Mihlfeld has denied this, and we, as always, hope he's right. As anyone who has ever read this site knows, Albert Pujols is our favorite player. We own four different pieces of merchandise with his name on it. We are out to get no one, least of all him.

Regardless of Mihlfeld's name in the report, the connection of Grimsley to Mihlfeld and Mihlfeld to Pujols is now officially established. When you read the full report, and read the full breadth of Grimsley's steroid/HGH/amphetamine abuse, the man who trained him back from a brutal Tommy John surgery is sure to remain under suspicion, fairly or otherwise.

Former Royals Trainer Denies Steroid Involvement [Kansas City Star]
Announcement [eTeamz]
Jason Grimsley Diary [MLB.com]

(Photo from Kansas City Star.)

How reliable are these names? We feel pretty confident in them, but we can't go 100 percent, since the information is secondhand. We'll say this: If Bud Selig issuing a press release naming the names is a 10, and picking a player at random out of the Baseball Encyclopedia is a 1, we're at an 8.

So. Let's do it then. Remember: Betting lines are for entertainment purposes only.

First: The person who told Grimsley about the positive test in 2003. That's former Royals general manager Allard Baird.

As many people have guessed, one of the "former players" who were sold out by Grimsley: Sammy Sosa. Our source(s) couldn't confirm if the other was Rafael Palmeiro.

Nothing new or exciting about that name. Then it starts to get interesting. We've heard amphetamine rumors of Miguel Tejada, but we can't confirm that. What we can confirm? The doozy.

Grimsley says that a former employee of [redacted] and personal fitness trainer to several Major League Baseball players once referred him to an amphetamine source. Later, this source — not the trainer — provided him with "amphetamines, anabolic steroids and human growth hormone." This trainer? His name is Chris Mihlfeld, a Kansas City-based "strength and conditioning guru." (And former Strength And Conditioning Coordinator for the Royals.)

Does Mihlfeld's name sound familiar? If it doesn't, he — and we assure you, this gives us no pleasure to write this — has been Albert Pujols' personal trainer since before Pujols was drafted by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 draft. We have no confirmation that Pujols' name is in the affidavit ... but Mihlfeld's is. If you read the document, it doesn't say the trainer/Mihlfeld supplied all the HGH and what-not; it just says the trainer was the referrer.

Yeah. Sigh. We just report what we're told, folks. Ever hope your source is wrong? This is one of those times.

(UPDATE: OK, we've taken our head out of the microwave long enough to update you a bit. Here's a "diary" Grimsley wrote about his quick recovery from Tommy John surgery. (At MLB.com!) He thanks Mihlfeld for helping him with his recovery.

We repeat: We are not claiming that Pujols has taken HGH. We are simply pointing out that Milhfeld is reportedly mentioned in the affidavit, and that he has connections to be Grimsley and Pujols. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to go back to our silent screams of pain.)