racing analyst for the network. Defamation lawsuit On October 22, 2019, MLB umpire Joe West filed a defamation lawsuit in New York against Lo Duca and Action Network over comments Lo Duca made on a podcast in April 2019, recalling his Mets teammate Billy Wagner telling him in 2006-7, "Joe loves antique cars so every time he comes into town I lend him my ’57 Chevy so he can drive it around so then he opens up the strike zone for me." In the complaint West denied this and said he suffered unspecified damages as a result of Lo Duca's comments. Analysis of MLB records indicated that West was the home plate umpire for a single Mets game during the two seasons that Lo Duca and Wagner were teammates in New York, but Wagner did not pitch in that particular game. West was awarded a $500,000 judgment by the court. Mitchell Report On December 13, 2007, Lo Duca was named in the Mitchell Report in connection with human growth hormone use. Lo Duca allegedly received the hormone HGH from former Mets clubhouse attendant and steroids dealer Kirk Radomski, who produced three checks from Lo Duca totaling $3,200. Federal investigators also seized handwritten notes from Lo Duca to Radomski during a search of Radomski's house. The report also claims that Lo Duca introduced several other baseball players to Radomski, including Adam Riggs, Kevin Brown, Éric Gagné, and Matt Herges. The Mitchell Report cites an October 2003 meeting among Dodgers officials that included discussion of the possible use of steroids by some players. The notes of the meeting say: Six months later, the Dodgers traded Lo Duca to the Florida Marlins. Mitchell did not identify the Dodgers officials involved, nor if other players were traded because they stopped taking steroids. On January 9, 2013, in response to the Baseball Hall of Fame announcement in which no players were elected, Lo Duca acknowledged his steroids use, tweeting "I took PEDs and I'm not proud of it...but people who think you can take a shot or a pill and play like the legends on that ballot need help." Personal life Lo Duca was born in Brooklyn, New York, but was raised in Glendale, Arizona, and attended Apollo High School, after attending St Simon and Jude Middle School. On August 7, 2006, the New York media leaked a story about his divorce suit with his