Alex Rodriguez tested positive for roids' in 2003

[CentralMOBuck]

Did they even test everyone during the steroid era? I thought it was just a random thing. If that's the case we definitely will never know who did and didn't use roids.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by CentralMOBuck

Did they even test everyone during the steroid era? I thought it was just a random thing. If that's the case we definitely will never know who did and didn't use roids.

It was random, however, Barry Bonds trainer told investigators a lot of people knew when their tests would be administered, allowing guys to cycle off before being tested.

In 2003, they randomly tested, and 104 players tested positive. Apparenetly, over 1,000 guys were tested, so you're looking at close to 10%. Factor in guys who knew they would be tested, and guys who were using but never got tested, and I think you're looking at close to 20%. Completely up for debate though.

Again, when Andy Pettite is caught using, I'm not playing guessing games. It taints everyone and the entire game. I've never really been upset with Bud Selig, but today has changed that. He cannot claim ignorance on A-Rod testing positive. I'm sure he was one of the first to know, especially since MLB did random testing as a test to see if they needed stricter drug testing standards. He had to have known.

And he continued to let it slide, until Congress got involved. And he's continued to play innocent on shows like Mike & Mike in the Morning, and any other interview where he's denied a widespread problem, and that big names would eventually come out. He's a liar, and has tried to protect guys who cheated the game. That isn't exactly what you'd expect out of someone trying to clean the game up.

[EDDIE GGGG27]

Keep up the good work Nim-Rod. Be sure to check this video out

YouTube - Eye To Eye: A-Rod Speaks Out

[billmac91]

More good news on this situation.

Apparently high ranking MLB Union staffer, Gene Orza, gave A-Rod a heads up in 2004 about an upcoming drug test.

3 unnamed MLB players have reported this to be true.

Gene Orza and A-Rod both declined comment on it. For this to have happened, someone within MLB had to have tipped Orza off about it. So now we're looking at MLB tipping off the Union, so its players can continue to juice up. Sweet.

Thank God MLB has always wanted the game to be clean, and they've done everything possible to keep it pure.

Bud Selig should change his name to Vince McMahon, roid' up himself, and attempt to become a DH in the AL.

[MaxBuck]

1. Lots of people leaping to conclusions here. All we have is a largely unsubstantiated report about a possible positive test.

2. How did this information leak out? I thought these tests were done strictly under the premise that results would never be publicly disclosed. Sounds like someone may have committed a felony to get this info.

[gemsweater]

If he tested positive in 2003 why is it just now coming out?

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by MaxBuck

1. Lots of people leaping to conclusions here. All we have is a largely unsubstantiated report about a possible positive test.

2. How did this information leak out? I thought these tests were done strictly under the premise that results would never be publicly disclosed. Sounds like someone may have committed a felony to get this info.

He's F'd in the A on this one dude......http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3890785

The Major League Baseball Players Association issued a statement Saturday afternoon: "Information and documents relating to the results of the 2003 MLB testing program are both confidential and under seal by court orders. We are prohibited from confirming or denying any allegation about the test results of any particular player[s] by the collective bargaining agreement and by court orders. Anyone with knowledge of such documents who discloses their contents may be in violation of those court orders."

A-Rod, By The Numbers

Alex Rodriguez belted a career-high 57 home runs in 2002, a year before he won his first of three MVP awards and reportedly tested positive for testosterone and an anabolic steroid as baseball conducted survey testing.
200220032004BA.300.298.286HR574736RBI142118106SLG. 623.600.512? Career statistics





Major League Baseball said it was "disturbed" by the report, but did not elaborate because of player confidentiality.
"Because the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be nondisciplinary and anonymous, we cannot make any comment on the accuracy of this report as it pertains to the player named," MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said.


Survey testing was created in 2003, in an agreement with the MLBPA, to see if mandatory testing and penalties needed to be implemented in 2004 -- it also was specifically designed to ensure players would not be identified.
The actual samples of 1,198 players were kept in one lab in Las Vegas and had codes, not players' names. A list with the names and corresponding codes was in an office in Long Beach, Calif. They were never supposed to be united.


MLB and the union had a deal with the company that any negative samples were to be automatically destroyed after 30 days. However, because of the current Barry Bonds investigation and the evidence the government is seeking to present in his current perjury case, it is now known that samples were not destroyed.
[+] Enlarge Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesAlex Rodriguez, shown here in June 2003, finished that season first in the American League in home runs (47), runs (124) and slugging percentage (.600).



Federal agents, with search warrants, raided the labs in April 2004, looking for the 2003 results of 10 players believed to be linked with their BALCO investigation. In their search, however, investigators came upon the full list of 104 players -- which reportedly included Rodriguez's name.
Shortly thereafter, the union notified the 104 players whose samples were seized that they had tested positive.
Rodriguez has never been linked to the BALCO case.



Sports Illustrated also reported that according to three big league players, Rodriguez in September 2004 was tipped off by union chief operating officer Gene Orza that he would be tested later that month. SI asked Rodriguez about the allegation, but he declined to comment.
Orza, according to the 2007 Mitchell report, had violated the union's agreement with MLB by informing a player about an upcoming drug test. The player was not identified in the report.
SI questioned Orza on Friday about the tipping allegations, and Orza responded: "I'm not interested in discussing this information with you."
Rangers reaction


Alex Rodriguez's former teammate and close friend, Michael Young, says he believes Rodriguez will be able to block out this latest distraction and still perform on the baseball field. Story




The union statement on Saturday also addressed the allegations. "As we have explained previously, in detail and in public, there was no improper tipping of players in 2004 about the timing of drug tests."
More than 5 percent of players in the majors tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in the '03 survey, and mandatory testing was implemented -- including provisions for penalties -- in 2004.

Even if Major League Baseball were to confirm that Rodriguez was one of the players to test positive in 2003, he would not be subject to any sort of discipline based on that testing.

This is the Feds linking 104 positive tests, to the over 1,000 samples taken. All 104 players were notified. The info was supposed to be sealed, apparently giving A-Rod a false sense of security. According to T.J. Quinn of ESPN, A-Rod HAD TO OF known he tested positive by July of 2004. That is when the 104 players were notifed MLB knew. But he most likely knew even before then b/c the Feds supposedly let the players know they had linked names to the codes on the samples.

Dude lied right through his teeth on that above interview.....he had 100% been notified he failed a drug test. Not to mention, Gene Orza, apparently tipped him off about an upcoming 2004 test to protect him.

This is awesome news for MLB.

Can't wait to see who else is on the list of 103 unknown users. Could be interesting.

[EDDIE GGGG27]

It was suppose to have been kept confidential. It was just a random test to see if MLB needed to put a drug test in place. No names or punishment were suppose to be handed out.

[EDDIE GGGG27]

I also guess this means Griffey will remain the best player of this era now that A-Rod got busted.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by EDDIE GGGG27

It was suppose to have been kept confidential. It was just a random test to see if MLB needed to put a drug test in place. No names or punishment were suppose to be handed out.

The players themselves weren't even suppossed to know if they tested positive or not. Unfotunately for the "users" this test became evidence for the Feds against Barry Bonds. They came in, took the tests, matched names to the number codes, and the rest is history. Players were notified that they had tested positive.

Who knows how this info leaked, but it did, and it is absolute. Expect some type of an aplogy soon....should be fun as well.

1. Will he apologize for using roids' and leave it at that?
2. Will he state he only used them for a short time to help with an injury?
3. Will he state he was injected or used a supplement he had no knowledge of being a steroid?
4. Will he claim his purple lipstick must have illegal substances that entered his blood stream?


The funny thing to me is A-Rod claiming his innocence, when he had taken Roids', been notified he had tested positive roids', and still claimed innocence. That interview is a thing of beauty.

[OHSportsFan9]

Yeah, talk about blatant lies.

I suppose it's easy to do when you never think you'll get caught, but he looks like a jackass now.

How do athletes live with their "accomplishments" knowing they cheated?

Like Bonds- How could he sit there and accept the home run crown from Henry Aaron knowing that he was a fraud? I'd feel like [censored] and want to come clean. Is it justified in their minds because "everyone else was doing it"? Do they not consider it cheating?

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Ever since the first spitball was thrown, Baseball has endorsed a culture of cheating. Jack Chesbro has the record for most wins in a season (41) throwing the spitball.... you guys don't seem to want an astericks....

It's part of the game for a guy to try and get an edge. Roids are no different. What I think is shocking is hardly who's testing or tested positive, but instead the "outrage" from folks who seem honestly surprised by any of this.

It's easy to blame A-Rod and Bonds, they're highly paid and for whatever reasons not well liked. But, the real "blame" here is the league which turned a blind eye to it.... even while it seemed pretty obvious something was going on.

In any case, if you look at A-Rods HR numbers, I guess I'm hard pressed to understand... does he only take Roids during odd numbered years?

2003 - 47
2004 - 36
2005 - 48
2006 - 35
2007 - 54
2008 - 35

Was he juiced in 2001 and 2002 when he hit 52, 57? But, not juiced in 2000 when he hit just 41?

The next time someone gets caught with a corked bat, or with a Emory board in his pocket, I'll expect similar outrage. In the mean time, shouldn't we begin the petition to get admitted cheater Gaylord Perry out of the H-O-F? Along with Don Drysdale and Whitey Ford, all of whom admitted to throwing spitters and scuffing baseballs....

[3074326]

Originally Posted by Buckeyeskickbuttocks

Ever since the first spitball was thrown, Baseball has endorsed a culture of cheating. Jack Chesbro has the record for most wins in a season (41) throwing the spitball.... you guys don't seem to want an astericks....

It's part of the game for a guy to try and get an edge. Roids are no different. What I think is shocking is hardly who's testing or tested positive, but instead the "outrage" from folks who seem honestly surprised by any of this.

It's easy to blame A-Rod and Bonds, they're highly paid and for whatever reasons not well liked. But, the real "blame" here is the league which turned a blind eye to it.... even while it seemed pretty obvious something was going on.

In any case, if you look at A-Rods HR numbers, I guess I'm hard pressed to understand... does he only take Roids during odd numbered years?

2003 - 47
2004 - 36
2005 - 48
2006 - 35
2007 - 54
2008 - 35

Was he juiced in 2001 and 2002 when he hit 52, 57? But, not juiced in 2000 when he hit just 41?

The next time someone gets caught with a corked bat, or with a Emory board in his pocket, I'll expect similar outrage. In the mean time, shouldn't we begin the petition to get admitted cheater Gaylord Perry out of the H-O-F? Along with Don Drysdale and Whitey Ford, all of whom admitted to throwing spitters and scuffing baseballs....

For me, it's more disappointing that a childhood idol who appeared (to me) to be one of the few legit super-talented players resorted to cheating. Doesn't matter to me whether I should be surprised or not, it's damn disappointing to find out that the player that I tried to be like as a kid was a cheater.

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Originally Posted by 3074326

For me, it's more disappointing that a childhood idol who appeared (to me) to be one of the few legit super-talented players resorted to cheating. Doesn't matter to me whether I should be surprised or not, it's damn disappointing to find out that the player that I tried to be like as a kid was a cheater.

I'm not sure I understand.... I mean.... I had my idols too, but I really don't give a pint of [censored] if they've been banned from baseball for betting on it (Pete Rose) or whether they have retired gracefully (Nolan Ryan). I feel no different regarding either despite their different legacies.

I don't know... like who you like... dislike who you dislike (like my extreme and irrational hatred of Sammy [censored]ing Sosa... [censored] that guy).... But I don't know that any sort of "life re-evaluation" or whatever is appropriate.
(Not saying that's what you're doing, just sayin)

Bonds once said, and correctly, Roids doesn't help hand eye coordination.... Maybe ARod got a couple extra feet on a few balls... So, take all his HRs that just cleared the fence and pretend they were long outs or doubles... who [censored]ing cares? Pretend he didn't cheat at all, but played in Colorado...

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

FWIW - I'm not endorsing cheating or use of steroids... I just don't see the big deal. Maybe if A-Rod was a family member I'd care more... as it is, he's just a keeper on my fantasy roster. If he want's to shrivel up his nuts so I get a couple more HRs this year, fine be me.