From the Altoona News comes the story of Randy Ruiz, minor league player in now the Philly system. Dude can hit, but suspended twice for violation of the steroid policy.
BRADENTON, Fla. — Randy Ruiz will have to answer the questions for the rest of his career.
Questions concerning steroids and suspensions...There’s no question Ruiz can hit. He’s a monster at the plate who can carry an offense, and he’s been one of the most feared sluggers in the Eastern League the past two seasons.
The steroid suspensions hold him back from advancing up the baseball ranks. That and maybe honesty.
The 29-year-old Ruiz also may be the most accomplished hitter in all of baseball who has never played above Double-A. The reason almost certainly has something to do with the stigma surrounding his past.
What Ruiz hopes to leave in the past are his two suspensions for violating baseball’s drug policy.
The first baseman was caught using a banned substance late in the 2004 season at Single-A Lakewood and sat out the first 15 games of 2005 with Reading.
When Ruiz joined the R-Phils, he put together a massive season. He was contending for the EL’s triple crown — leading the circuit in hitting (.356) and RBIs (84) and tying for the top spot in homers (25) — when a second failed steroids test cost him a 30-game suspension in late July of 2005.
‘‘I’m innocent,’’ he told readingphillies.com at the time.
Ruiz’s agent confirmed to the Reading Eagle that his client had tested positive for the steroid Stanozolol, the same substance that sprinter Ben Johnson was caught using when he won — and was later stripped of — a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics...
There’s every reason to believe Ruiz could be very good for the Curve this season. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is a .301 career hitter who has belted 55 homers and driven in 179 runs in 214 games over the past two years.
This guy has great numbers. If he can stay off the juice he might be able to move up toe AAA baseball. He returned to Reading this year for more.
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