Sources: A-Rod tested positive for steroids in '03

[erik316wttn]

I have no idea what is to be gained by any of this

 

Bonds, ARod, Clemens, and McGwire won't make the HOF. That is certainly something to be gained.

 

Obviously, the HOF is going to somehow acknowledge the players during the "Steroid Era". If the top 2 HR hitters (assuming ARod passes Bonds) and one of the greatest RH pitchers of all time aren't acknowledged in the HOF, it certainly lessens the point of a HOF. Already excluded is the all-time hits leader. What if names like Pujols, Ramirez, Howard, etc. eventually get leaked? I would think the HOF is going to have to emphasize the differences between the eras in baseball (dead ball era, pre-integration era, post-integration era, steroid era, etc.) and deal with the changes in society.

 

Or put asterisks on the plaque saying something like "Major League Baseball believes his stats may have been enhanced by the use of performance-enhancing drugs" so they can separate the clean players from the tainted ones.

 

I know that no owner would do this, but could they theoretically offer a contract to a player with a provision that the rest of his contract is voided immediately after a positive steroid test? I know no player would sign it, but it would be a bold step for a free agent to come out and say "I want this in my contract so there is no doubt at all about my accomplishments on the field."

 

That way a team wouldn't have to worry about "eating" a contract of a star player, but could just cut him loose with absolutely no further commitment. The Player's Union would [expletive] a brick if any owner ever offered a contract like this to a player, though.

Edited February 9, 2009 by erik316wttn

[Sammy Sofa]

Pujols is the greatest hitter of this generation, ARod included.

 

Maybe as of right now, but longevity is key. He needs to stay injury-free.

 

How do we know that Pujols is clean? The real tragedy about all of this is you can't believe any player's stats.

 

There's no "tragedy." A great player is a great player for most of their career. Steroids doesn't create great players like that.

[imb]

come on, the union would never allow a player to sign a contract like that. be serious

[erik316wttn]

come on, the union would never allow a player to sign a contract like that. be serious

 

I know. Wishful thinking.

 

But you could put outside pressure on the Player's Union from the media if word got out about it.

[imb]

what would that accomplish? It's impossible and no team would do that, anyway. Do you put it in every contract? Obviously the player's union will never allow that. So you do what? put it in some player's contracts, but not all? Who gets it then. ARod? Great, now the Yankees have to void ARod's contract while everyone else just gets suspensions.

 

this is not feasible in any way

[treebird]

how about some players demand that the next time the owners collude against them, they get a 500 million dollar bonus? then they could separate the honest teams from the dirty ones.

 

i mean, come on. it's just not reasonable to ask people to stick their necks out for what would be a tiny p.r. benefit for a very brief period of time. besides, it would prove nothing. the technology is still (always) advancing and there's already stuff we can't test people for. it'd be nothing for a player to sign that special contract and then take all the benefits without changing his behavior one iota.

[SouthSideRyan]

Why would an owner want to sign a player with the promise he won't take PEDs? They want to purposely make bad signings to appease the McCarthys?

 

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too. I want to be the one to etch the asterisk on Aaron's plaque. I got dibs.

Edited February 10, 2009 by SouthSideRyan

[SpongeWorthy]

He tried to savage Selena Roberts in the Gammons interview. ARod claimed she entered his apartment building and was given a citation, was kicked off the University of Miami by campus police, and that she's digging into rumors of PED use dating back to high school.

[wade]

He tried to savage Selena Roberts in the Gammons interview. ARod claimed she entered his apartment building and was given a citation, was kicked off the University of Miami by campus police, and that she's digging into rumors of PED use dating back to high school.

 

Hadn't seen that yet. I'm sure he's pissed at her and MLB for attatching names to the samples in what was supposed to be an anonymous survey. But, he made the bed.

[The Voice of Reason]

Why would an owner want to sign a player with the promise he won't take PEDs? They want to purposely make bad signings to appease the McCarthys?

 

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too. I want to be the one to etch the asterisk on Aaron's plaque. I got dibs.

 

 

Good luck with that. Go for Maris while you're at it. Now those would be real "witch hunts." You can nit pick all you want but nothing in baseball history will compare to your tarnished heroes from the steroids era.

 

You sound like someone told you there is no Santa Claus.

[SpongeWorthy]

He tried to savage Selena Roberts in the Gammons interview. ARod claimed she entered his apartment building and was given a citation, was kicked off the University of Miami by campus police, and that she's digging into rumors of PED use dating back to high school.

 

Hadn't seen that yet. I'm sure he's pissed at her and MLB for attatching names to the samples in what was supposed to be an anonymous survey. But, he made the bed.

 

She'll regret it when Boras has her meet an unfortunate "accident."

[OleMissCub]

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too.

 

....green font?

[Rob]

Wonderful... now I get to look forward to a bunch of idiots spouting off nicknames like ARoid and A-Fraud. And with the other 100+ names on that list looking to have an imminent release to the public, a bunch of dumbass nicknames for them as well...

 

I think it's gonna be enough for an immediate add to my foe list for anybody pulling that crap.

[imb]

Why would an owner want to sign a player with the promise he won't take PEDs? They want to purposely make bad signings to appease the McCarthys?

 

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too. I want to be the one to etch the asterisk on Aaron's plaque. I got dibs.

 

 

Good luck with that. Go for Maris while you're at it. Now those would be real "witch hunts." You can nit pick all you want but nothing in baseball history will compare to your tarnished heroes from the steroids era.

 

You sound like someone told you there is no Santa Claus.

 

maris was a good power hitter who suddenly had the best HR season in the history of baseball, but he went bald during that year and then got hurt a lot afterward and retired, never coming close to approaching that homer total.

 

fits the profile

[Derwood]

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too.

 

....green font?

 

you don't think people have cheated in pretty much every era of the game?

[TruffleShuffle]

the people who were cheated most were those chose not to play in a steroid-dominated era without using steroids themselves. i'll use curt schilling as my example since he's always been a vocal opponent of steroids, so let's assume that he's telling the truth and has never used PEDs. he's regarded as having borderline qualifications for the HoF - if he pitched against lineups that were loaded with steroid-users, doesn't that make his numbers even more impressive?

 

i'm not just talking about guys who may not make the HoF because they didn't cheat. there were also guys who were AAAA-type players who got beat out for MLB bench or role positions by guys who were willing to cheat. the cheaters "earned" a larger salary and an mlb pension; the other guys are probably selling cars these days. it'd be nice to know who cheated and who didn't - and i'm sure we'll have more info guys who did cheat - but it's a lot easier to prove that someone cheated than to prove they were clean. i'm afraid that everyone just needs to be viewed with the same skeptical eye.

[OleMissCub]

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too.

 

....green font?

 

you don't think people have cheated in pretty much every era of the game?

 

Is that what I said? He said ALL your heroes were cheaters too. Mantle, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks?

[Jehrico]

Pujols is the greatest hitter of this generation, ARod included.

 

Maybe as of right now, but longevity is key. He needs to stay injury-free.

 

How do we know that Pujols is clean? The real tragedy about all of this is you can't believe any player's stats.

Either you're a fan of the sport or not. If you're not a fan, you don't believe anyone, and you kick MLB to the curb while cursing Selig for allowing the league to become a sham under his watch. If you are a fan, you remember the players you know cheated, and you forget about it with regards to any other player where no proof exists they ever did anything wrong. It's not fair to the guys who did stay clean to have that doubt over them when they've done nothing to bring that doubt upon themselves.

[Jehrico]

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too.

 

....green font?

 

you don't think people have cheated in pretty much every era of the game?

Players were using speed in the 70s, who knows what in the 80s. Steriods were just the latest fad 10 years ago, as far as I'm concerned. Ever since players started making big bucks, it's just gotten worse and worse. Some scientist in some lab is working on inventing the next great supplement that isn't a steroid and isn't HGH that will give its takers an unfair advantage over the non-takers.

[cubbinalltheway]

i'm just now watching arod's thing from earlier....... is he wearing lipstick??

[rocket]

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too.

 

....green font?

 

you don't think people have cheated in pretty much every era of the game?

 

Is that what I said? He said ALL your heroes were cheaters too. Mantle, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks?

 

Maybe they were.

[Sammy Sofa]

This fogeyism is ridiculous, all your heroes were cheaters too.

 

....green font?

 

you don't think people have cheated in pretty much every era of the game?

Players were using speed in the 70s, who knows what in the 80s. Steriods were just the latest fad 10 years ago, as far as I'm concerned. Ever since players started making big bucks, it's just gotten worse and worse. Some scientist in some lab is working on inventing the next great supplement that isn't a steroid and isn't HGH that will give its takers an unfair advantage over the non-takers.

 

That's a completely inaccurate perception of the history of steroids and PED's. They go back a lot longer than the 90's.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Sammy Sofa

[ConstableRabbit]

I wonder if that wife of his he left for Madonna had anything to do with the leak...

[RynoRules]

For some reason I feel badly for saying this, but other than the "I can't look away from the dead bodies on the road" aspect of this, I don't really care.

 

If the vast majority of players "cheat", is it still cheating?

[Wilson A2000]

If the vast majority of players "cheat", is it still cheating?

 

Yes