FIVE LOCALS ARE PART OF REPORT MLB: SIMI VALLEY'S LAKER ONLY ONE TO ADMIT USING SUBSTANCE.

Byline: Heather Gripp

Staff Writer

The use of steroids in baseball hit home when the players named in the Mitchell Report released Thursday included five products of local high schools.

Varying levels of allegations were made against Simi Valley graduate Tim Laker, Westlake's Matt Franco, St. Francis of La Canada's Gregg Zaun, Crescenta Valley's Jim Parque and Granada Hills' Gary Matthews Jr.

Laker, a catcher with five teams from 1992-2006, is the only one of the locals to admit in the report that he did use a performance-enhancing substance.

In the report, Laker confirms four transactions with Kirk Radomski, the former New York Mets equipment manager and a primary supplier involved in the report, involving Deca-Durabolin and testosterone.

Laker, who spent this past season as a minor-league coach in the Cleveland Indians organization, is said to have made his first purchase in 1995 and began using testosterone again in the 1996-97 offseason following his rehab from elbow surgery.

He described a regimen in which he'd inject himself in the buttocks once a week for eight to 10 weeks, take a break then repeat the cycle until he stopped using in 2000.

Laker hit .226 with 11 home runs and 79 RBIs in 281 career major-league games.

He maintains ties to Simi Valley and has come to the school to talk to Pioneers players in the past. School representatives speak highly of Laker and, not knowing the details, preferred not to comment on his link to the Mitchell Report.

However, Simi Valley baseball coach and athletic director Matt La Belle said the report in general should be a positive in the school's effort to educate students about steroids.

"I think as all these allegations come out, it's done a good job of deterring the kids," La Belle said. "There's been so much talk about this, I don't think there were many surprises in the report."

Evidence against Zaun and Parque included personal checks to Radomski.

Parque, a left-handed pitcher drafted in the first round by the Chicago White Sox in 1997 out of UCLA, allegedly made two purchases of human growth hormone during the 2003 offseason.

He has not appeared in a major-league game since, announcing his retirement amid shoulder problems in 2004.

The 31-year-old attempted a comeback this year and went 1-3 with a 7.80 ERA in 45 innings for the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A team. He was 31-34 with a 5.42 ERA in 103 major-league games.

Zaun, a catcher with a .252 career batting average for seven teams since 1995, reportedly purchased Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol from Radomski, who had a 2001 check from Zaun.

Further allegations against Zaun included those by former Montreal Expos bullpen catcher Luis Perez, who told investigators in 2003 that Zaun was among eight major leaguers to whom he had personally supplied anabolic steroids.

Franco, an infielder for three teams from 1995-2003, denies purchasing any performance enhancing substances or even knowing Radomski, who stopped working for the Mets the year before Franco joined the team. Radomski said he made one sale to Franco in 2000.

No new allegations were made against Matthews, the Angels outfielder who made headlines during spring training in connection to human growth hormone reports. HGH was reportedly sent in Matthews' name to an address where he stayed in 2004, but the home belonged to a teammate and Matthews said he has never taken HGH. Earlier this month, the commissioner's office said there was insufficient evidence to discipline Matthews.

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AREA PLAYERS NAMED

MATT FRANCO

High school: Westlake.

MLB career: Infielder spent 1995-2003 with the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta.

In the report: Radomski said that he sold Franco steroids on one occasion in 2000.

GARY MATTHEWS JR.

High school: Granada Hills.

MLB career: Angels outfielder has played for six other teams since his 1999 debut.

In the report: Matthews reportedly appeared on a customer list of Applied Pharmacy Services. Syringes were found by Chad Allen, Matthews' teammate, in an apartment the two shared while with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate after the 2004 season.

GREGG ZAUN

High school: St.Francis.

MLB career: Toronto catcher has played with six other teams since 1995.

In the report: Radomski believed that Jason Grimsley referred Zaun to him when they both played for the Royals in 2001. Radomski received a check from Zaun for the steroids.

JIM PARQUE

High school: Crescenta Valley.

MLB career: Left-hander pitched from 1998-2003 with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay.

In the report: Radomski did not recall who referred Parque but said he made two sales of human growth hormone to him.Radomski produced two checks from Parque. The first was dated Oct. 18, 2003 in the amount of $3,200; the second was dated Dec. 6, 2003 for $1,600.

TIM LAKER

High school: Simi Valley.

MLB career: Catcher played with five teams from 1992-2006.

In the report: Although Radomski could recall only one or two cash transactions with Laker in the late 1990s involving Deca-Durabolin and testosterone, Laker acknowledged a total of four transactions.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1) MATT FRANCO

(2) GARY MATTHEWS JR.

(3) GREGG ZAUN

(4) JIM PARQUE

(5) TIM LAKER