A-Rod A-Bomb! Slugger Alex Rodriguez tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003

Baseball nuclear Armageddon exploded at Sports Illustrated today when the magazine/web site dropped an A-Bomb on R-Rod.  The website reports that Yankee slugger Alex Rodriquez tested positive in 2003 for two steroids: testosterone and primobolan (not legal in the US).

As background, A-Rod delivered fantastic 2001-2-3 seasons for the Texas Rangers.  The steroid slugging era was chugging on full-steam with accusations flying everywhere.  The MLB Players Association agreed to PED testing with the MLB;  if a certain percent of players tested positive, then a full blow elaborate PED testing system would be set up for MLB players.  As we all know now, the minimum criteria (5%) of positive tests was met which meant steroid testing for steroid sluggers.

Steroid testing started in spring training 2003, and apparently continued throughout the year.  Wonder when A-Rod dropped his positive urine?  Wonder how long Rodriguez juiced?

In 2001 for the Ranger A-Rod put up monstrous numbers: 52, 135, .318.  A-Rod's 2002 was even better:  57, 142, .300.  Slugging was .622 and .623 respectively. 

In 2003, A-Rod launched a 47, 118, .298 year, which was good for the MVP, even though the numbers were down from previous years.  Considering A-Rod's positive tests, one wonders why production decreased in 2003.  To Sports Illustrated:

In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.

When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. "You'll have to talk to the union," said Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, "I'm not saying anything."

Test results were obtained when federal agents raided CDT labs as part of the BALCO investigation.

Though MLB's drug policy has expressly prohibited the use of steroids without a valid prescription since 1991, there were no penalties for a positive test in 2003. The results of that year's survey testing of 1,198 players were meant to be anonymous under the agreement between the commissioner's office and the players association. Rodriguez's testing information was found, however, after federal agents, armed with search warrants, seized the '03 test results from Comprehensive Drug Testing, Inc., of Long Beach, Calif., one of two labs used by MLB in connection with that year's survey testing. The seizure took place in April 2004 as part of the government's investigation into 10 major league players linked to the BALCO scandal -- though Rodriguez himself has never been connected to BALCO.

The testing procedure itself appears to be corrupt:

Because more than 5% of big leaguers had tested positive in 2003, baseball instituted a mandatory random-testing program, with penalties, in '04. According to the 2007 Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball, in September 2004, Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the players' union, violated an agreement with MLB by tipping off a player (not named in the report) about an upcoming, supposedly unannounced drug test. Three major league players who spoke to SI said that Rodriguez was also tipped by Orza in early September 2004 that he would be tested later that month. Rodriguez declined to respond on Thursday when asked about the warning Orza provided him.

An incredibly embarrassing situation exists in baseball now as corruption dogs the top sluggers and record holders.

Baseball's career and single season home run record holder, Barry Bonds, will be on trial soon for lying about his steroid use. The man pegged as having the best chance to overtake Bonds was A-Rod, who now appears to be a big time juicer.  Mark McGwire, who broke Roger Maris's single season HR record was exposed last month as a huge 'roider.

Baseball, like track, needs to dump the records of the lost steroids and PEDs decades.  Most performance records from the steroid decades appear to be tainted.

Comments

[FromLancetoLandis]

When you say, toss out the records, I wince,

It's like when the Mick played, we know alcohol problems but still, when they played, Killebrew, Brock, Yaz, Clemente, Stargell and even Charlie Hustle for a lot of the time, these guys were venerated and I guess that's why in the Graduate a line is "where have you gone Joe Dimaggio": i may be wrong and Joltin' Joe obviously is before these others but that line carries the same sentiment.... and then, fast-forward, I see that Brett non-home-run and things just changed, they changed around the time Mr. October became dominant, fine player he was without any questions on him.

[kmd]

I'll bet he "cheated" from 1996 to 2003 too! 'Cause those numbers he put up when he was twenty were surely tainted and, you know, 'cause he's clearly a horrible player and all. Please grant this issue the depth and explanation/analysis that it merits.

Since this website seems to surround itself in the whole steroid mantra, I'd like to ask how you define "cheating"? And who are the "cheaters"? Seriously, is Mickey Mantle a cheater for being doped up on speed for who-knows-how-long during his career? Gaylord Perry gloating about his spitballs and ball manipulation? Or, is the cheater the player who took something defined as a steroid prior to 2004?

[BobsBlitz.com]

Primobolan. That going to be your choice?

[Jon]

Gary,

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe that steroids, speed and other illegal drugs were banned in baseball by either Fay V. or Bart G. long before testing and defined penalties were introduced. I seem to remember this from a letter that was included in the Mitchell report.

[Steve]

The 1996 and 1999 Yankees were on roids. That's how they beat the Braves,who were not.

[John Foley]

"The 1996 and 1999 Yankees were on roids. That's how they beat the Braves,who were not."

Oh my god, that's hilarious. Yes, I'm sure Ryan Klesko and John Rocker never touched the stuff.

[Hunter Medine]

i undrstand that everyone is kind of upset that A-rod did steroids hell even me i look up to him, but we gotta go in further details about steroids and policy of it being used. Alot more players are usng them and they are not getting caught, A-rod made a mistake in his life just like everyone else does so why dont you give the man a break. He is still a very good athlete whether he used steroids or not because you got to have good technique to be as great of a player as him.

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Rocker said a doctor hired by the Players' Association pulled aside himself, A-Rod, Ivan Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro following a spring training lecture and candidly told them how to use steroids.

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