Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd says he has nothing to hide and no problem with people knowing he takes supplements provided by Victor Conte.
"Because of his name, it's probably a sore subject for a lot of people because of what he did in the past," Byrd said Friday. "But, me, I'm an honest guy, these are just supplements that I take."
Byrd said this is the second season he has gotten supplements from Conte, the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.
BALCO was at the center of a wide-ranging scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs that enveloped several top-level athletes, including Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Barry Bonds. Conte pleaded guilty to steroid distribution in July 2005 and served four months in jail.
The supplements for Byrd come from the Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning company that Conte now operates.
"I searched for a long time trying to find the right supplements, the right company to use, and I think I found the right one," Byrd said. "I'm not concerned. I'm not going to test positive. I'm taking the right things for my body and I know that. ... When his name comes up, there's always concern, especially in sports."
Byrd met with Conte last weekend when the Rangers played in San Francisco, and described Conte as "very, very knowledgeable."
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Some of the supplements Byrd uses were in clear view in his locker Friday, before the Rangers opened a nine-game homestand.
"It's something that I don't want to hide. It's also something I didn't want coming out where someone was snooping where it looks bad," he said. "If I get crucified now for my honesty, what can I do?"
Byrd's connection to Conte was first reported by Yahoo Sports.
"It doesn't look good because of who it is," Rangers manager Ron Washington said Friday. "It's really hard for me to pass an opinion on that because Marlon is a very smart kid... I know people are going to make a big deal out of it."
Byrd is a .279 career hitter with 44 homers and 279 RBIs in 700 games for Philadelphia, Washington and Texas. He was one of the National League's top rookies as the leadoff hitter and center fielder for the Phillies in 2003.
In his third season for the Rangers, Byrd was hitting .285 with four home runs and 33 RBIs in 61 games before Friday night. He hit 10 homers each of the past two seasons.
"I don't think I would have told you guys if I had 30 home runs at the break, but you know, I've been one-type of player," Byrd said.
Byrd said Rangers officials have said nothing to him about his connection with Conte.
"What are they going to say? Be careful," Byrd said. "I think it's more important for me knowing that I'm clean. I don't want a 50-game suspension."
Before connecting with Conte, Byrd said he used another company's supplements that have since been found to provide false positives.
"This right now, I think is the safest route," Byrd said.
