Former Dodger Lo Duca, cited in steroids probe, apologizes for ‘mistakes in judgment’

Paul Lo Duca, cited in the Mitchell Report as a user of steroids and human growth hormone and the person who referred former Dodgers teammates Eric Gagne and Kevin Brown to his drug supplier, issued a statement today in which he apologized for “mistakes in judgment.”

Lo Duca did not directly say what he was apologizing for.

“In regards to the Mitchell Report,” the catcher’s statement read, “I apologize to my family, all my fans and the entire baseball community for mistakes in judgment I made.”

Lo Duca had not commented publicly since the Mitchell Report was released in December. He issued the statement on the day he reported to camp with the Washington Nationals, who signed the four-time All Star to a one-year, $5-million contract two days before former U.S. Sen. George J. Mitchell released his report.

Lo Duca was scheduled to speak with reporters later today, but the conclusion of his statement indicated he would not address the specifics of Mitchell’s report.

“So that I can focus on making positive contributions and avoid creating further distractions,” the statement ended, “I respectfully decline to comment any further on the content of the Mitchell Report.”

The report cites former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski as saying he sold at least six kits of human growth hormone to Lo Duca. The report included copies of three checks for $3,200 each, payable from Lo Duca to Radomski, as well as a copy of this handwritten note on Dodger Stadium letterhead: “Thanks. Call me if you need anything! Paul.”

Radomski said the note was included with one of Lo Duca’s payments.

Two of the three checks are dated during the 2004 season; the date on the third is not clear.

Commissioner Bud Selig did not meet his timetable of determining whether active players cited in the Mitchell Report would be suspended. Although federal law forbade the use of human growth hormone, or HGH, without a legitimate medical prescription in 2004, baseball did not ban it until 2005.

Lo Duca also referred Brown to Radomski in 2000 or 2001, and Brown subsequently purchased HGH from him, according to the Mitchell Report.

Lo Duca also introduced Gagne to Radomski and paid for one shipment of HGH to Gagne. Radomski said he twice shipped HGH to Gagne during the 2004 season, providing a receipt for one shipment directly to the home clubhouse at Dodger Stadium.

Lo Duca and Gagne were the Dodgers’ representatives in the 2004 All-Star game. Brown had been traded to the New York Yankees the previous winter.

The report also said Lo Duca referred former Dodgers reliever Matt Herges to Radomski. Herges subsequently bought HGH from Radomski.

The report further includes testimony from Todd Seyler, a former Dodgers minor league trainer, who said he discussed performance-enhancing substances with a group of minor leaguers in 1999 and said he understood that either Herges or Lo Duca would buy steroids for a group of minor league players “from a source in Florida.”

In July 1999, Seyler said he witnessed Lo Duca inject himself with steroids.

bill.shaikin@latimes.com