I just now stumbled across George Vecsey’s recent NYT column about Don Hooton and his son Taylor, who played high-school baseball around these parts. Here’s the heart-wrenching part:
The son gained 30 pounds in a few months before the family noticed his mood swings, known as roid rage. A psychiatrist urged him to stop taking the drug, but it can take a year for the body to produce testosterone again. Going through withdrawal, Taylor Hooton began experiencing depression.
“June 10 was his birthday,” Don Hooton said. “We rented a suite at the Rangers game.” The father did not remember how Alex Rodriguez, then in his third year of using a steroid, performed that night. He does know that his son committed suicide on July 15, 2003.
Information on the foundation Don started can be found here.
