Steroid Nation

The San Francisco Chronicle says Ryan Braun not worth the sweat or tears

(thought we changed the headline the other day..atrocious grammar)

As we pointed out yesterday, the San Francisco Chronicle says Ryan Braun's 2011 was in-line with past numbers.  Therefore if he juiced the effects were either: 1.) not career altering or 2.) commensurate with past performance (or juicing).

Braun must now prove his worth over time, under the hot microscope of a skeptical public and press.

Braun's allegedly tainted season was profoundly typical of his career. Not a number out of place. He hit more homers in his rookie year, 2007, than he did last season (34 to 33) and had a higher slugging percentage (.634 to .597). To be a .300 hitter (.332) was common for him. He has essentially been the same player throughout a magnificent five-year run.

It is widely believed that steroids have vanished from the major-league scene and that players have turned to more subtle pursuits of the "edge." I wouldn't be shocked if Braun falls into this category, or if he's joined by hundreds of others. Players will be out to circumvent drug-testing systems for the rest of time, and even the more straitlaced players, those with legitimate concerns about putting their long-term health at risk, express lingering disappointment over the ban of amphetamines.

As the new season unfolds, I'm going to watch Braun with the same unbridled enthusiasm as before. I've spent too much time around big-league clubhouses - those havens of very adult behavior - to feel otherwise. But he's going to pay for this episode, in the form of relentless heckling whenever the Brewers hit the road. My biggest fear is that this engaging man becomes jaded, perhaps to the detriment of his game.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/24/SP2H1NC6GN.DTL#ixzz1nPgZyJPz

 

 

Ryan Braun challenges MLB's drug testing system, wins steroids appeal

Ryan Braun who reportedly showed evidence of anabolic steroids during an MLB steroids screen, defeated the league's testing on appeals citing an unsecured chain of custody.  There were plenty of missteps along the way no doubt.

1.  Results of the positive test leaked out to the public from ESPN.  Most accounts in the press accept leaked information, however why are reporters (and ESPN) held to some kind of ethical standards.  Can they leak any confidential medical information?   Ring them up on HIPPAA violations.

2.  Apparently the chain of custody for steroid samples was not well planned out.  Although the T:E ration was 20 in Braun's sample, the arbitrator ruled that chain of custody and the testing procedure was not 'state of the art'. (ESPN)

In his appeal, Braun didn't argue evidence of tampering and didn't dispute the science, but argued protocol had not been followed. Multiple sources confirmed to ESPN investigative reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn that Braun questioned the chain of custody and collection procedure.

MLB officials argued that there was no question about the chain of custody or the integrity of the sample, and that Braun's representatives did not argue that the test itself was faulty.

But multiple sources said the sample was not shipped for testing as soon as possible, as required by the drug testing policy, and instead was kept in a cool place in the sample collector's home.

I am not a lawyer, but defense attorneys will question procedure integrity from the outset.  And why not, if the consequences are severe, MLB should maintain a tight, professional, well-supervised chain of custody and maintain 'good clinical practice' for these biological samples.  There can be a ton of errors if good clinical secure procedure is violated.

Braun is claiming innocence, which is true in the strictly 'eligilbe to play' sense.  He beat the positive test on procedural grounds.  That means the needle moves more toward 'no evidence of anabolic steroids' than 'evidence of  anabolic steroids'.

You see, nothing in medicine or the laboratory is absolute, unless it is birth or death, and even then mistakes can be made.  It is 'preponderance of the evidence' (apologies to you with obsessive-compulsive disorder).

Braun said this:

"We provided complete cooperation throughout, despite the highly unusual circumstances. I have been an open book, willing to share details from every aspect of my life as part of this investigation, because I have nothing to hide. I have passed over 25 drug tests in my career, including at least three in the past year."

Passing 25 tests is unimpressive.  The logic is like "But officer your speed gun is wrong because I have driven this road 400 times and never once was clocked at 100 mph".  Well, yeah, but now you were.  Except the officer jiggled the speed gun, so the results are not considered 'good clinical practice'.

It is said MLB may appeal in federal court.  Forget it.  Don't waste time on juice under the bridge.  Tighten up the procedure and the collection protocol.  If a guy juices once, it is unlikely he can go cold turkey forever.  Sooner or later....

Other takes:

Jeff Bradley talks about Ken Caminti and Jose Canseco, and A-Rod.  What's the point?  Athletes will cheat for advantage.  Monitor them with legally sound good clinical practices.

As for Braun, nothing  about last year pops out as particularly unusual.  .332, 33, 111 are not career highs.  He was a 29 year-old 6-1, 210 pound slugger.  He doesn't really look like a 'roid abuser.  There is no Barry Bonds 175 pound lanky dude to 250 pound middle linebacker with huge-neck-muscles transformation.  If he keeps clean for a couple years, the memory will fade.

Does this mean that everyone else can challenge the system including Manny...?

Juicing in Japanese wrestling: Wrestler took 'girlfriends' tamoxifen

Japanese freestyle wrestler Takahiro Shimonaka tested positive for tamoxifen, a 'masking agent for anabolic steroids, as well as a counter drug for gyne.  His excuse is classic:

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese men's freestyle wrestler Takahiro Shimonaka has been suspended two years for a doping violation.

The Japan Anti-Doping Agency says traces of Tamoxifen were detected in Shimonaka. Athletes commonly use the drug to counter the side effects of steroids.

Kyodo news agency reported that Shimonaka told JADA he mistakenly took Tamoxifen, which belonged to a woman he lives with.

Shimonaka tested positive after Japan's national championships in December, when he won the silver medal in the men's 211-pound division.

Should be an an easy story to check out, simple look at her medical records.  The drug is anti-estrogen, used for cancer treatment, and in younger women infertility.

If you do the 'roids face up to the consequences and don't hide behind your girlfriend.  They should ban the guy for an unimaginative and nasty alibi.

Should Barry Bonds be immortalized outside of ATT Park? Holding a syringe?

From the Sacramento Bee, comes this item on the possibility of a Barry Bond statute outside of AT&T Park:

It's safe to say Roger Clemens won't have a statue of his likeness outside Fenway Park.

Not just because of his link to steroids and legal troubles, but because Clemens went on to win two championships with the New York Yankees. In Boston, that's unforgivable.

A statue of Sammy Sosa outside Wrigley Field? Not going to happen.

A statue of Mark McGwire outside Busch Stadium? We're not here to talk about the past, sorry.

A statue of Barry Bonds outside AT&T Park? Hold the phone a second.

Does Bonds deserve to be immortalized with a statue of his likeness – his arms raised as he watches home run No. 756 sail over the center-field wall? Should he join other Giants greats – Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal and Orlando Cepeda – who have statues?

Some Giants fans will say that while they cheered for Bonds before his arms, chest and head made him look like a cartoonish figure, he disgraced the game by using performance-enhancing drugs.

Others will say none of that matters; he provided them with memories that will last a lifetime. Besides, how can the Giants not honor a Bay Area son who is baseball's all-time home run king (wink, wink)?

Though the Giants benefited from Bonds' home run era, they are in no hurry to decide on a statue, and they will continue to keep a polite distance from their former star for now.

The Giants most likely will wait to see if Bonds is elected into the Hall of Fame in his first ballot later this year. If he is, it's just a matter of time before a statue is unveiled.

Why not put a bronze Bonds outside the park?  Maybe a statue of Bonds holding a syringe?  Or Bonds with gynecomastia from 'roiding?  How would you pose Bods to immortalize the career home-run leader?

Mega-Roider Manny Ramirez courted by the Oakland As; Should aging stars be allowed testosterone replacement?

Last year, multi-juiced offender Manny Ramirez retired from baseball rather that face up to the consequences of cheating the system multiple times.  However, Moneyball, Billy Beane, now pursues Manny as a low-cost, run-producing, veteran on the rebuilding As.  To CBS Sacramento:

The Oakland Athletics still have strong interest in signing slugger Manny Ramirez, who presents a low-risk investment for the rebuilding franchise.

If things come together, the 39-year-old would sign a deal for slightly more than the league minimum of $480,000.

He first must serve a 50-game suspension without pay for violating baseball’s drug policy for the second time. With no rainouts, the first game Ramirez would be eligible to play is June 2 at Kansas City.

The sides could reach agreement as soon as the next few days or sometime next week, and Ramirez then likely would travel from Florida to Arizona to undergo a physical before joining Oakland’s spring training camp for full-squad workouts starting Feb. 25. Pitchers and catchers report to camp Saturday.

The Athletes may be desperate for some run production, and Ramirez must be hungry to get back in the game.  He is getting to the age where perfomance at the higest level will deteriorate rapidly, to a point where the fountain of steroid youth gave him an opportunity, expect the steroid testing outed that plan.

Interesting debate: Should aging athletes be given testosterone replacements?  There are a ton of aging men who line up for testosterone shots from their friendly GP.  While not endorsing that, it is an interesting question.  Manny, if not allowed a steroid boost, will find his performance significantly degraded from even last year.