Josh Hodnik
MuscleChemistry Representative
Biogenesis: Baseball's Newest Dilemma
by: Josh Hodnik
07-11-2013
Source VPXsports.com
Biogenesis is Baseballs Newest Dilemma
Biogenesis is the firm that has been labeled as the East Coast Balco due to recent accusations of administering steroids and HGH to at least 20 MLB players. Many of these players are linked to the South Florida area and some have ties to the University of Miami, which is just a short distance from the building where Biogenesis operated. All of the player’s named, including University of Miami strength and conditioning coach Jimmy Goins, have a common connection to one person, and that is Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch.
Bosch was born in Miami and seemed to have grown up in a comfortable setting. His father, Pedro, had been a successful physician for nearly 40 years, but Tony decided not to follow the same path of legitimate medical success as Pedro.
Tony partnered with two friends in 1987 to open a series of medical supply companies. Even though none of these operations were able to last more than just a few years, Bosch was still able to draw in investors. In 1990, he met Tony Lanza, his biggest investor yet. After hearing Bosch’s sales pitch, Lanza would take out a mortgage on her home to invest in Miami Med Management Consultants. For the first few months Lanza was confident that she had made a good investment. Bosch had a business plan that was sound, or seemed that way when Bosch approached her. Miami Med Management Consultants closed its doors within two years, and Lanza never saw a dime of the money she invested. A Dade County Court ordered the $65,000 to be repaid by Bosch, but that didn't help matters, and Lanza repaid the loan herself.
Over the next ten years, Bosch went through two divorces and his home was foreclosed on with $184,000 left unpaid on the mortgage. Two ex-wives sued Bosch for years of unpaid child support. With bills piling up, Bosch devised a new business plan, and this plan started with a trip to Belize to obtain a "medical degree."
Bosch was not licensed to practice medicine in the state of Florida, but that would not stop him from putting together a firm in 2009 under the name Colonial Services, which would specialize in testosterone and HGH “replacement”.
That same year Manny Ramirez was suspended after testing positive for HCG. Ramirez admitted in a statement that a personal doctor had prescribed a medication he didn’t realize would violate the MLB drug policy. It was later reported that the doctor was Pedro Bosch. It was quickly identified that Tony had connections in Latin American baseball circles that originated a decade earlier. Bosch was often seen with players attending parties, and at ballparks in New York and Boston.
A year after the Ramirez affair, Tony Bosch moved to a new building in Miami that would operate under the name Biokem. Bosch would build a client list in the hundreds before changing the name from Biokem to Biogenesis.
Juan Garcia* (not his real name) walked into Biogenesis looking to improve his appearance and the way he felt. Garcia sat down with Bosch and was set up with a combination of Winstrol and Anavar. He felt uneasy in the beginning after researching these drugs on the internet and realizing the cocktail given by Bosch were in fact two anabolic steroids. The improvements Garcia saw in his appearance quickly removed any uneasy feelings. He looked at Biogenesis and saw a money- making opportunity and he approached Bosch about investing. Bosch agreed of course, and he gave Garcia keys to the clinic and allowed him to recruit new clients.
After hearing rumors of employees not being paid by Bosch, Garcia knew something wasn’t right, and he asked for the money he had invested back. Records show that Biogenesis brought in more than $25,000 a month, but it is thought that revenue was much higher than this and undocumented. Bosch may have changed the type of business he operated, but his way of swindling investors and employees hadn’t changed a bit. A former secretary for Biogenesis claimed she never received a paycheck during the two months she worked there. She also stated that many of the other employees at Biogenesis were owed money by Bosch as well.
When you are running a business that depends on confidentiality, it is extremely important to stay on good terms with any employees or associates that have access to confidential information. That is where Bosch slipped up.
Before Biogenesis closed in January, an employee handed over a batch of records to the Miami New Times. The records contained personal files of Tony Bosch that were separated by year. Each year contained hundreds of pages of business plans, inspirational phrases, self-praising bios, and patient names and prescriptions. One of Bosch’s personal notebooks listed more than 50 clients and notes whether their drugs were delivered or picked up, how much they paid, and what they were taking. At number seven on that list, is Alex Rodriguez. The New York Yankee paid $3,500 for HGH and testosterone cream, Bosch notes.
Ryan Braun, the National League MVP in 2011, had tested positive for extremely high levels of testosterone that same year, but won an appeal after a second test showed the levels to be in normal range. Braun’s name appeared three times in Biogenesis records, and it was noted that he owed Bosch between $20,000 and $30,000.
More than 20 MLB player’s names are found within the personal files of Bosch. Since Biogenesis closed its doors, Major League Baseball has filed a lawsuit against Bosch alleging he interfered with the Players Association by providing banned drugs to players in violation of its drug program. MLB officials filed the suit in hopes of using it as leverage to draw more information out of Bosch.
It is rumored that Bosch tried to sell implicating documents to Alex Rodriguez and Rodriguez refused. Bosch then met with MLB officials and came to an agreement where he would offer “credible” information in exchange for the lawsuit being dropped and legal expenses being paid for by MLB.
Ryan Braun met with MLB officials earlier this week, but refused to answer any questions involving steroid use. Alex Rodriguez is scheduled to meet with the same officials on July 12th, and it is believed that he will refuse to give information about steroid use as well. MLB plans to hand out suspensions, which will be 100 games for Rodriguez and Braun, to all players thought to be involved with Biogenesis and Bosch.
I imagine once the investigation on Biogenesis is complete, and Bosch has fully cooperated, the number of athletes tied to Biogenesis will grow. Once that happens and everything is on the table, everyone can talk about the new black eye that baseball has suffered. ESPN can fill its shows with talk about putting an asterisk next to Ryan Braun’s (NL MVP 2011) and Alex Rodriguez’s (current career homerun leader) names just like they did after Balco with Barry Bonds.
by: Josh Hodnik
07-11-2013
Source VPXsports.com
Biogenesis is Baseballs Newest Dilemma
Biogenesis is the firm that has been labeled as the East Coast Balco due to recent accusations of administering steroids and HGH to at least 20 MLB players. Many of these players are linked to the South Florida area and some have ties to the University of Miami, which is just a short distance from the building where Biogenesis operated. All of the player’s named, including University of Miami strength and conditioning coach Jimmy Goins, have a common connection to one person, and that is Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch.
Bosch was born in Miami and seemed to have grown up in a comfortable setting. His father, Pedro, had been a successful physician for nearly 40 years, but Tony decided not to follow the same path of legitimate medical success as Pedro.
Tony partnered with two friends in 1987 to open a series of medical supply companies. Even though none of these operations were able to last more than just a few years, Bosch was still able to draw in investors. In 1990, he met Tony Lanza, his biggest investor yet. After hearing Bosch’s sales pitch, Lanza would take out a mortgage on her home to invest in Miami Med Management Consultants. For the first few months Lanza was confident that she had made a good investment. Bosch had a business plan that was sound, or seemed that way when Bosch approached her. Miami Med Management Consultants closed its doors within two years, and Lanza never saw a dime of the money she invested. A Dade County Court ordered the $65,000 to be repaid by Bosch, but that didn't help matters, and Lanza repaid the loan herself.
Over the next ten years, Bosch went through two divorces and his home was foreclosed on with $184,000 left unpaid on the mortgage. Two ex-wives sued Bosch for years of unpaid child support. With bills piling up, Bosch devised a new business plan, and this plan started with a trip to Belize to obtain a "medical degree."
Bosch was not licensed to practice medicine in the state of Florida, but that would not stop him from putting together a firm in 2009 under the name Colonial Services, which would specialize in testosterone and HGH “replacement”.
That same year Manny Ramirez was suspended after testing positive for HCG. Ramirez admitted in a statement that a personal doctor had prescribed a medication he didn’t realize would violate the MLB drug policy. It was later reported that the doctor was Pedro Bosch. It was quickly identified that Tony had connections in Latin American baseball circles that originated a decade earlier. Bosch was often seen with players attending parties, and at ballparks in New York and Boston.
A year after the Ramirez affair, Tony Bosch moved to a new building in Miami that would operate under the name Biokem. Bosch would build a client list in the hundreds before changing the name from Biokem to Biogenesis.
Juan Garcia* (not his real name) walked into Biogenesis looking to improve his appearance and the way he felt. Garcia sat down with Bosch and was set up with a combination of Winstrol and Anavar. He felt uneasy in the beginning after researching these drugs on the internet and realizing the cocktail given by Bosch were in fact two anabolic steroids. The improvements Garcia saw in his appearance quickly removed any uneasy feelings. He looked at Biogenesis and saw a money- making opportunity and he approached Bosch about investing. Bosch agreed of course, and he gave Garcia keys to the clinic and allowed him to recruit new clients.
After hearing rumors of employees not being paid by Bosch, Garcia knew something wasn’t right, and he asked for the money he had invested back. Records show that Biogenesis brought in more than $25,000 a month, but it is thought that revenue was much higher than this and undocumented. Bosch may have changed the type of business he operated, but his way of swindling investors and employees hadn’t changed a bit. A former secretary for Biogenesis claimed she never received a paycheck during the two months she worked there. She also stated that many of the other employees at Biogenesis were owed money by Bosch as well.
When you are running a business that depends on confidentiality, it is extremely important to stay on good terms with any employees or associates that have access to confidential information. That is where Bosch slipped up.
Before Biogenesis closed in January, an employee handed over a batch of records to the Miami New Times. The records contained personal files of Tony Bosch that were separated by year. Each year contained hundreds of pages of business plans, inspirational phrases, self-praising bios, and patient names and prescriptions. One of Bosch’s personal notebooks listed more than 50 clients and notes whether their drugs were delivered or picked up, how much they paid, and what they were taking. At number seven on that list, is Alex Rodriguez. The New York Yankee paid $3,500 for HGH and testosterone cream, Bosch notes.
Ryan Braun, the National League MVP in 2011, had tested positive for extremely high levels of testosterone that same year, but won an appeal after a second test showed the levels to be in normal range. Braun’s name appeared three times in Biogenesis records, and it was noted that he owed Bosch between $20,000 and $30,000.
More than 20 MLB player’s names are found within the personal files of Bosch. Since Biogenesis closed its doors, Major League Baseball has filed a lawsuit against Bosch alleging he interfered with the Players Association by providing banned drugs to players in violation of its drug program. MLB officials filed the suit in hopes of using it as leverage to draw more information out of Bosch.
It is rumored that Bosch tried to sell implicating documents to Alex Rodriguez and Rodriguez refused. Bosch then met with MLB officials and came to an agreement where he would offer “credible” information in exchange for the lawsuit being dropped and legal expenses being paid for by MLB.
Ryan Braun met with MLB officials earlier this week, but refused to answer any questions involving steroid use. Alex Rodriguez is scheduled to meet with the same officials on July 12th, and it is believed that he will refuse to give information about steroid use as well. MLB plans to hand out suspensions, which will be 100 games for Rodriguez and Braun, to all players thought to be involved with Biogenesis and Bosch.
I imagine once the investigation on Biogenesis is complete, and Bosch has fully cooperated, the number of athletes tied to Biogenesis will grow. Once that happens and everything is on the table, everyone can talk about the new black eye that baseball has suffered. ESPN can fill its shows with talk about putting an asterisk next to Ryan Braun’s (NL MVP 2011) and Alex Rodriguez’s (current career homerun leader) names just like they did after Balco with Barry Bonds.
