Sport is being murdered.

ESPN: Report: Jose Guillen, Matt Williams bought steroids

Veteran outfielder Jose Guillen purchased thousands of dollars worth of steroids and human growth hormone from a Florida clinic under investigation for illegal drug sales, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday.

Citing business records, the Chronicle reported Guillen, who played for the Seattle Mariners last season, bought more than $19,000 worth of drugs from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center between May 2002 and June 2005. Guillen had some of the shipments sent to the Oakland Coliseum during the 2003 season, after he was traded to the A's. The anti-aging clinic was raided in February as part of an investigation by the Albany County, N.Y., district attorney.

Major League Baseball began testing for steroids in 2003 and put growth hormone on its list of banned substances in January 2005.

The records, provided to the Chronicle by a confidential source, contained shipping and purchase orders, payment information, Social Security numbers and customers' birthdates, the newspaper said. The Chronicle also found that:

• Retired third baseman Matt Williams, a five-time All-Star who played 17 seasons in the majors, purchased $11,600 worth of HGH, steroids and other drugs from the Palm Beach clinic in 2002. Williams, the cornerstone of the San Francisco Giants' infield for a decade, was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks at the time. His last season was 2003; he is now a broadcaster for the Diamondbacks.

Reached by phone Monday, Williams told the Chronicle he used HGH on the advice of a doctor to treat an ankle injury he suffered during spring training in 2002.

"We obviously just learned of this," Diamondbacks team president Derrick Hall said in a statement Tuesday. "Matt informed us that a doctor recommended its use to help heal his ankle injury. It was a substance that he was not familiar with at the time, and according to him, did not like its effects after sampling. He discontinued the use of it and retired the next season.

"Matt is a stand-up guy, who without hesitation, admitted using it and not liking it. There is no doubt in our minds that Matt would decline such a recommendation today, knowing what we all know about enhancing substances."

• Right-hander Ismael Valdez, who spent parts of 12 seasons with seven teams and last pitched in the majors in 2005, purchased $11,300 worth of performance-enhancing drugs in 2002 following his trade from the Texas Rangers to Seattle.

Valdez's former agent didn't return messages left by the Chronicle.

The newspaper's examination of the Palm Beach clinic's records found that Guillen ordered three different types of HGH, two forms of testosterone and the steroids stanozolol and nandrolone between 2002 and 2005.

Guillen did not reply to requests for comment left with his agent and business manager.