A-rod tested positive for steroids

[Roy Hobbs]

In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.

When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. "You'll have to talk to the union," said Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, "I'm not saying anything."

No surprise there.  I wonder if voters will keep A-rod out of the Hall, like they threaten to keep Bonds and Clemens out.

[BigAlTheFuture]

Yeah, I'm not shocked about it. I don't even know which baseball player is clean anymore. Seems like everybody is using steroids, now.

[Brendan]

and mcgwire

long ago on a baseball blog (circa 2001-2004 years), i was accused of being a troll because i said the steroid thing was way out of control. so this is no surprise to me, and actually wish i had stayed active in that blog now, so i could say "told you so"

[Jon]

I'm not surprised.  I've always thought he did. 

[indeedproceed]

between this and torre's book A-rod has nice bookends to his crap sandwich

[Roy Hobbs]

What I want to know is, why did baseball waste millions of dollars on the "Mitchell report", when they had a list of 104 players (even if names weren't linked to those results at the time) who tested positive?  It seems oddly coincidental that the only players who were named by MLB's official report were guys nearing retirement, or young third-tier guys trying to make a name for themselves.  How could Mitchell miss the name of the biggest star in the game, who tested positive?

[Donoghus]

Rodriguez is already a lightning rod and this certainly won't help his image. 

This is a guy who, allegedly, is so concerned with his Madison Ave. image and how everyone perceives him.  He is fairly thin-skinned and I can only imagine how he'll react to this.

No surprise there.  I wonder if voters will keep A-rod out of the Hall, like they threaten to keep Bonds and Clemens out.

It's interesting and I think what comes next is extremely important.  One of the issues with Bonds & Clemens, IMO, is the way that they've handled these allegations.  Call it ego or whatever, but they both denied...denied...denied even when more and more mounting evidence came out against their stance. (although, some could argue that the stuff against Clemens is shady at best).

I think this thick-headedness in the face of evidence has really rubbed people the wrong way.  If A-Rod comes flat out and apologizes, I think you could see his case handled a different way.  If he goes into Bonds/Clemens mode, then he'll be treated the same way.

[Scalablob990]

Maybe they can do us a favor and bust LeRoid's next? Then we have a guaranteed path to the finals for the next 2 years haha. 

[SShorefan 4.0]

top story on Boston.com
and
ccn.com
and
msnbc.com

he's screwed.

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

Rodriguez is already a lightning rod and this certainly won't help his image. 

This is a guy who, allegedly, is so concerned with his Madison Ave. image and how everyone perceives him.  He is fairly thin-skinned and I can only imagine how he'll react to this.

It's interesting and I think what comes next is extremely important.  One of the issues with Bonds & Clemens, IMO, is the way that they've handled these allegations.  Call it ego or whatever, but they both denied...denied...denied even when more and more mounting evidence came out against their stance. (although, some could argue that the stuff against Clemens is shady at best).

I think this thick-headedness in the face of evidence has really rubbed people the wrong way.  If A-Rod comes flat out and apologizes, I think you could see his case handled a different way.  If he goes into Bonds/Clemens mode, then he'll be treated the same way.

ARod is going to do whatever the union tells him to do. That's what he's always done, and that's what he'll always do. He is not and has never been his own person, he's a "union man" through and through. Better or worse, I don't know, but don't expect him to handle this on his own without some stock union produced answer/response to any question that comes his way.

This news made my morning by the way.

[mahonedog88]

Contrary to everyone here so far, I actually am surprised.  I honestly thought that man was all talent.

[Jon]

Contrary to everyone here so far, I actually am surprised.  I honestly thought that man was all talent.

He's unnaturally thick.  I think that's somewhat of a telling sign. 

Just wanted to post in this thread again because it's so much fun.  Not only is he a choker, he's now also a cheater!

Torre was right, he is A-Fraud.

[winsomme]

One of the only big name players to IMO say the right thing about the steroid issue was Mike Schmidt.

to paraphrase, he said something like it was a era and that he couldn't say that if he played in that era he wouldn't have also used them.

there is so much hypocrisy on this issue i don't even know where to start. every level of baseball was complicit in steroids being used. it saved the game and the biggest stars were (as we know now) leading the charge...

i remember when it was presented to us that the big sluggers were the main culprits and the Peter Gammons came out and said that it was actually the pitchers that may have been the worst offenders. they just used less so they didn't bulk up like the hitters. they just wanted to get a little stronger without losing their flexibility.

remember when the smell test was whether or not a player looked like he took steroids..

to me the worst offenders in all of this are the writers who now act like they're trying to clean up the game when they totally went along with this at the time....and the commissioner's office who only really said that they should have looked closer at this sooner...not that they knew about it and just looked the other way.....

totally hypocrisy....and the only ones in danger of real repercussions are the players....

[winsomme]

Rodriguez is already a lightning rod and this certainly won't help his image. 

This is a guy who, allegedly, is so concerned with his Madison Ave. image and how everyone perceives him.  He is fairly thin-skinned and I can only imagine how he'll react to this.

No surprise there.  I wonder if voters will keep A-rod out of the Hall, like they threaten to keep Bonds and Clemens out.

It's interesting and I think what comes next is extremely important.  One of the issues with Bonds & Clemens, IMO, is the way that they've handled these allegations.  Call it ego or whatever, but they both denied...denied...denied even when more and more mounting evidence came out against their stance. (although, some could argue that the stuff against Clemens is shady at best).

I think this thick-headedness in the face of evidence has really rubbed people the wrong way.  If A-Rod comes flat out and apologizes, I think you could see his case handled a different way.  If he goes into Bonds/Clemens mode, then he'll be treated the same way.

i don't see why the players are held to a different standard. I mean, who has come out and given an honest acceptance of their own role in this whole situation?

nobody.

[mahonedog88]

Now whats the deal with suspension possibilities?

Because it was back in 2003 does nothing happen?