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

[E.J.]

Top Row: Clemens (?), Palmeiro, Sheffield (?)

Middle Row: Pudge, McGwire

Bottom Row: Sosa, ????, Bonds

 

Arod is in the middle next to Sosa.

[cubbinalltheway]

i thought it was pudge too. was he ever implicated? i don't remember it if so. it's absurd that sosa is in there amongst the other "known" users.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram weighs in on how the Rangers appeared to be the mecca of steroid use, yet no one ever batted an eye.

 

Link.

 

I find it odd, or interesting, or whatever, that apparently Buck Showalter had his suspicions about Arod.

 

Yes, however, I was surprised about Alex, even though I was privy to the off-the-record-at-the-time opinion of former Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter. After being hired here in ’03, which would be the final season as a Ranger for ’Roid Boy, let’s just say Buck certainly had his suspicions, and now we know he was dead-on.

 

Link.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Oswalt believes Arod's records should be stripped.

 

Link.

 

"A-Rod's numbers shouldn't count for anything," Oswalt said in a phone interview with MLB.com. "I feel like he cheated me out of the game."

 

Oswalt was a teammate of disgraced pitcher Roger Clemens between 2004-06, but allows Clemens the benefit of the doubt, calling the allegations against him "suspicion." The Astros two-time 20-game winner adds that if Clemens is indeed proven to have used performance-enhancing drugs, then his numbers, and all seven Cy Young Awards, need to be erased.

[cubbieinexile]

When this conversation ends baseball will still have testing and they will still have a drug problem. In five years fans will say that drugs in baseball are no longer a problem. They will say that drug use has been minimized and the players are for the most part clean. They will say this and they will probably even believe this because of drug testing. How do I know this? I know this because that is what we are experiencing right now with football. What football shows us whether you like to believe it or not is that fans don’t actually care if the players are taking drugs they just don’t want to know about it. Drug testing gives fans that mirage they are so desperately looking for.

 

Baseball is a business, baseball is a six billion dollar business. Baseball does not care about drugs within its midst. No, scratch that, let me take that back. Baseball cares about drugs because drugs generate huge amounts of revenue for them. As long as revenue continues to get poured into baseball then baseball will not care about getting rid of drugs in their game. Right now drugs are a PR annoyance and nothing more. People continue to buy seats, they continue to watch it on TV, and they continue to buy merchandise. Unless that changes then baseball will do nothing serious about their problem. Again, how do I know this? Because again, the NFL is doing this right this moment.

 

Drugs is a good investment for baseball. Fans have liked the “new” game and hace flocked to it in droves. Fans have liked the roided players and have invested heavily with them. It is far cheaper and less risky to allow an aging superstar to take steroids and stay at his peak for more years then to let him fade and then have to go and look for a new superstar. Let’s compare Michael Jordan and Barry Bonds. Jordan left the game at the age of 35 (yes I know he came back but by then he was no longer MICHAEL JORDAN). He probably had another season or two or being elite within him but he chose to leave instead. Then we have Barry Bonds who when he got to around that age started taking steroids. Bonds from that point on continued being the best player in the game until he was out 8 seasons later at the age of 43. Steroids allowed Bonds to be the preeminent player in the game for eight more seasons because of steroids. While during the same time Michael Jordan retired and the NBA took a walk in the wilderness in search of a new superstar. In terms of revenue the NBA would have been better off if Jordan and found wonder drugs like Bonds and had been able to continue playing at the level he was playing for 6 or so more seasons. That is why leagues will never care about drugs because drugs keep their marquee players in the game and those marquee players generate huge sums of money. Like I said above it is far safer and easier to milk a known superstar then to try and find a new one that the fans will connect with.

 

Baseball is a business and players are their commodity and they like all businesses would love to remove the risks within those commodities and make them much more consistent. It has been trend in business throughout the world and throughout modern history to try and remove the humanness out of their employees. If we could all be cogs that would be great for them and baseball is no different. They wish desperately that their commodities didn’t get old and worn down. They wish their cogs would not break down during the season and drugs helps them accomplish the prevention of their cogs breaking down.

 

As long as we continue to hand over our cash to these businesses they will continue to not care about drugs. They will only care enough to maximize their revenue. So if you continue to spend then they will continue to give drugs minimal attention. There is a direct correlation between them caring and your spending.

[E.J.]

Oswalt believes Arod's records should be stripped.

 

Link.

 

"A-Rod's numbers shouldn't count for anything," Oswalt said in a phone interview with MLB.com. "I feel like he cheated me out of the game."

 

Oswalt was a teammate of disgraced pitcher Roger Clemens between 2004-06, but allows Clemens the benefit of the doubt, calling the allegations against him "suspicion." The Astros two-time 20-game winner adds that if Clemens is indeed proven to have used performance-enhancing drugs, then his numbers, and all seven Cy Young Awards, need to be erased.

 

Oswalt is one of those little [expletive] who you want to just punch in the face. What an idiot.

[Derwood]

Hank Aaron thinks Bonds should keep the HR record, and I respect his opinion more than Oswalt or any of these other hypocrites

[Illini Iceman]

Oswalt believes Arod's records should be stripped.

 

Link.

 

"A-Rod's numbers shouldn't count for anything," Oswalt said in a phone interview with MLB.com. "I feel like he cheated me out of the game."

 

Oswalt was a teammate of disgraced pitcher Roger Clemens between 2004-06, but allows Clemens the benefit of the doubt, calling the allegations against him "suspicion." The Astros two-time 20-game winner adds that if Clemens is indeed proven to have used performance-enhancing drugs, then his numbers, and all seven Cy Young Awards, need to be erased.

 

I assume he also thinks the Astros should be stripped of their National League title that they won with Clemens as well if he is proven guilty, correct?

[SouthSideRyan]

Hank Aaron thinks Bonds should keep the HR record, and I respect his opinion more than Oswalt or any of these other hypocrites

 

He knows if they strip Bonds he'd have to be stripped of his #2 spot.

[Wheelimus]

Hank Aaron thinks Bonds should keep the HR record, and I respect his opinion more than Oswalt or any of these other hypocrites

 

He knows if they strip Bonds he'd have to be stripped of his #2 spot.

 

Or maybe he just knows how stupid it is to get so bent out of shape about records pertaining to a children's game....

 

I'm as Cub-addicted as anyone, but even I have to believe things are being taken far too seriously. Firstly, you cannot be sure whatsoever as to who did not cheat. If we just start throwing people onto the fire based on suspicions, how long before we erase Ruth's records for some freshly unearthed antique-PED scandal? How long before the all time home run list doesn't even have someone with 500+?

 

How about we just let the only people who should really care, that being true fans of baseball (and not just TV talking heads and seasonal bandwagon'ers), decide what is and isn't the record? For me, the all time home run hitter is Hank Aaron. For others who take a purist approach, maybe even his admitted greenie use is too much and your all time leader is Babe Ruth. Or maybe you're so into it that the only era you trust is the dead ball. And your leader is some dude who played before 1919 that I'm unwilling to look up.

 

The point is, it should be left to baseball fans to decide what to make of the steroid era. Those years happened, and arbitrarily cutting up the record books won't change that. As sad as it is, none of us here may live to see another player make a run at Bonds (or as it may be, A-Rod) who we can really say was 100% clean. Hell, until there's a reliable HGH test we can't say much.

 

If people are to be shamed, leave it to the Hall of Fame. So far Big Mac hasn't found much forgiveness. And it will sure be strange to explain to youngsters why the all time home run king fell off the HOF list on his first try.

[Jehrico]

Oswalt believes Arod's records should be stripped.

 

Link.

 

"A-Rod's numbers shouldn't count for anything," Oswalt said in a phone interview with MLB.com. "I feel like he cheated me out of the game."

 

Oswalt was a teammate of disgraced pitcher Roger Clemens between 2004-06, but allows Clemens the benefit of the doubt, calling the allegations against him "suspicion." The Astros two-time 20-game winner adds that if Clemens is indeed proven to have used performance-enhancing drugs, then his numbers, and all seven Cy Young Awards, need to be erased.

 

I assume he also thinks the Astros should be stripped of their National League title that they won with Clemens as well if he is proven guilty, correct?

You mean with Clemens AND Pettite?

[XZero771679666304]

Oswalt believes Arod's records should be stripped.

 

Link.

 

"A-Rod's numbers shouldn't count for anything," Oswalt said in a phone interview with MLB.com. "I feel like he cheated me out of the game."

 

Oswalt was a teammate of disgraced pitcher Roger Clemens between 2004-06, but allows Clemens the benefit of the doubt, calling the allegations against him "suspicion." The Astros two-time 20-game winner adds that if Clemens is indeed proven to have used performance-enhancing drugs, then his numbers, and all seven Cy Young Awards, need to be erased.

 

I assume he also thinks the Astros should be stripped of their National League title that they won with Clemens as well if he is proven guilty, correct?

You mean with Clemens AND Pettite?

 

I have a feeling players will be sanctimonious about this so long as the shoe is on the other foot.

 

Besides, Roy Oswalt is a primo dbag. Nothing he says should be taken seriously.

[Clem Fandango]

Top Row: Clemens (?), Palmeiro, Sheffield (?)

Middle Row: Pudge, McGwire

Bottom Row: Sosa, ????, Bonds

 

When I first saw it I thought the top right was Tejada

[Rusch33]

What are the odds that A-Rod won't get the fair shake that Pettitte got when he proclaimed that he used PEDs?

 

Pretty good, it looks like.

[17 Seconds]

God Arod is such a liar.

 

During the interview with Gammons he kept talking about how he felt so guilty when he was using PEDs and then talked about how good it feels to finally be honest and admit he was doing something wrong.

 

Then, today, he starts talking about how all these years he didn't know that he had done something wrong? WTF? Then whatdid you feel bad about all these years?

 

He needs to stop talking because he's making himself look worse and worse and is only going to get into more trouble.

[Soul]

yeah, you can't segment out this crap. you did it, just move on. people start to look at you cockeyed when you try to insulate yourself from some small part of it. everyone knows he did it now. time to move on. quit holding press conferences. time to play baseball.

[CubinNY]

God Arod is such a liar.

 

During the interview with Gammons he kept talking about how he felt so guilty when he was using PEDs and then talked about how good it feels to finally be honest and admit he was doing something wrong.

 

Then, today, he starts talking about how all these years he didn't know that he had done something wrong? WTF? Then whatdid you feel bad about all these years?

 

He needs to stop talking because he's making himself look worse and worse and is only going to get into more trouble.

What do you want him to say? What could he say that could make anyone happy?

 

This is A-Rod's mess, but the self-righteous indignation by some players, the public, and press is really annoying to me.

 

Most everyone would do the same thing if they were in his situation. It doesn't make what he did right, it makes what he did human. There were at least 100 other guys who tested positive and probably many others who were just lucky.

 

They should all (owners, managers, and players) get in a circle and shoot, because they are all in it together.

[wade]

Everybody's on him because he's vague and talking about a 'cousin'. What if he just doesn't want to rat out who he got the stuff from? That's about as human as you can get (for most people, anyway).

[17 Seconds]

God Arod is such a liar.

 

During the interview with Gammons he kept talking about how he felt so guilty when he was using PEDs and then talked about how good it feels to finally be honest and admit he was doing something wrong.

 

Then, today, he starts talking about how all these years he didn't know that he had done something wrong? WTF? Then whatdid you feel bad about all these years?

 

He needs to stop talking because he's making himself look worse and worse and is only going to get into more trouble.

What do you want him to say? What could he say that could make anyone happy?

 

This is A-Rod's mess, but the self-righteous indignation by some players, the public, and press is really annoying to me.

 

Most everyone would do the same thing if they were in his situation. It doesn't make what he did right, it makes what he did human. There were at least 100 other guys who tested positive and probably many others who were just lucky.

 

They should all (owners, managers, and players) get in a circle and shoot, because they are all in it together.

 

What do I want him to say? How about the truth? Either that, or stop talking. Pretty simple.

 

I'd rather have a guy flat out deny it than make a "confession" to try and save face, only to end up making excuse after excuse and pretend like he didn't know what he was doing was wrong. If you're going to confess, then confess.

[E.J.]

I honestly couldn't care less about this whole A-Rod situation. The only thing that really bothers me is that ARod is taking the fall while there are 103 other players out there who also tested positive. It's pretty obvious that steroids were rampant from the late 90's to about 2002. Time to stop worrying about things and start moving on from the past.

[wade]

Another great Joe Sheehan article at BP today, on A-Rod, his presser, and Bud.

 

I think Bob Costas is about the only big name broadcaster that I agree with on the steroid issue.

[jersey cubs fan]

I honestly couldn't care less about this whole A-Rod situation. The only thing that really bothers me is that ARod is taking the fall while there are 103 other players out there who also tested positive. It's pretty obvious that steroids were rampant from the late 90's to about 2002. Time to stop worrying about things and start moving on from the past.

 

Seriously, the hand wringing over this is incredible. I thought about it today while reading the free paper that had the chris brown story on its cover. The media and all the talking heads are completely blowing over the fact that he beat the crap out of his girlfriend, saying things like "we can't judge" and "we weren't there". That's a much bigger story than ARod doing roids, yet the blowhards are out in force on this one. It's even more amazing when you consider pop stars are so much more popular than athletes.

 

 

I'd also say steroids use has been rampant in sports since at least the 60's. Baseball may have been a little late to the game, but I guarantee they were popular in the 80's, if not earlier. I knew a guy who dealt them, and used to use them, who was a minor league pitcher in the late 80's.

[17 Seconds]

 

I think Bob Costas is about the only big name broadcaster that I agree with on the steroid issue.

 

What does he say about it?

[ConstableRabbit]

I honestly couldn't care less about this whole A-Rod situation. The only thing that really bothers me is that ARod is taking the fall while there are 103 other players out there who also tested positive. It's pretty obvious that steroids were rampant from the late 90's to about 2002. Time to stop worrying about things and start moving on from the past.

 

Seriously, the hand wringing over this is incredible. I thought about it today while reading the free paper that had the chris brown story on its cover. The media and all the talking heads are completely blowing over the fact that he beat the crap out of his girlfriend, saying things like "we can't judge" and "we weren't there". That's a much bigger story than ARod doing roids, yet the blowhards are out in force on this one. It's even more amazing when you consider pop stars are so much more popular than athletes.

 

 

I'd also say steroids use has been rampant in sports since at least the 60's. Baseball may have been a little late to the game, but I guarantee they were popular in the 80's, if not earlier. I knew a guy who dealt them, and used to use them, who was a minor league pitcher in the late 80's.

I agree for the most part, but I think "we weren't there" is pretty valid in the Chris Brown-Rihanna situation. I'm not defending Brown, but he probably just didn't beat up his girlfriend out of thin air. There are a limited set of circumstances where a man can punch a woman in the face. They're pretty limited, but they're there. We'll have to see what happens when the truth comes out.

 

For A-Rod, there were no absolutely extenuating circumstances whatsoever that led to him taking roids. (And yes, I don't even care about A-Rod or steriods anymore).

[Shyam]

I honestly couldn't care less about this whole A-Rod situation. The only thing that really bothers me is that ARod is taking the fall while there are 103 other players out there who also tested positive. It's pretty obvious that steroids were rampant from the late 90's to about 2002. Time to stop worrying about things and start moving on from the past.

 

Seriously, the hand wringing over this is incredible. I thought about it today while reading the free paper that had the chris brown story on its cover. The media and all the talking heads are completely blowing over the fact that he beat the crap out of his girlfriend, saying things like "we can't judge" and "we weren't there". That's a much bigger story than ARod doing roids, yet the blowhards are out in force on this one. It's even more amazing when you consider pop stars are so much more popular than athletes.

 

 

I'd also say steroids use has been rampant in sports since at least the 60's. Baseball may have been a little late to the game, but I guarantee they were popular in the 80's, if not earlier. I knew a guy who dealt them, and used to use them, who was a minor league pitcher in the late 80's.

I agree for the most part, but I think "we weren't there" is pretty valid in the Chris Brown-Rihanna situation. I'm not defending Brown, but he probably just didn't beat up his girlfriend out of thin air. There are a limited set of circumstances where a man can punch a woman in the face. They're pretty limited, but they're there. We'll have to see what happens when the truth comes out.

 

For A-Rod, there were no absolutely extenuating circumstances whatsoever that led to him taking roids. (And yes, I don't even care about A-Rod or steriods anymore).

 

Seriously? And what would those be?

 

"We weren't there" is valid in the sense that maybe a mugger beat the crap out of her while Chris Brown sat in the corner and soiled himself, so let's not rush to judgement. If you accept that it was Chris Brown delivering the beatdown, then I can't think of any situation in which it was acceptable to do so. There may have been a reason why, but that doesn't make it OK.