News out today that both David Ortiz and Manny Ramirex tested positive in 2003.
Is anyone surprised?
And, more importantly, does anyone really hold it against them, or especially the lesser lights?
I mean, if you are on the fence, are you satisfied with buses and negligible money for the Kalamazoo Mudhens with a regular 9-5 right around the corner, or are you gonna do some cycles for The Show, Limos and Millions?
To me, it's an absolute no-brainer, and I think anyone who says otherwise is either way too principled or, more likely, a liar.
It pains me to say it, but... they weren't illegal at the time. They were not against the rules in Major League Baseball; Bud Selig knew it, Don Fehr knew it, and all the players knew it.
(I think Jeter's probably clean, though -- he didn't have any weird changes in either his stats or his physique, unlike a lot of others... remember when Brady Anderson suddenly grew sideburns and started hitting homers by the bushel. If memory serves, he credited his unusual homer-surge to the fact that he'd started eating Froot Loops for breakfast. Sure, pal, sugary cereal. That's why.)
Posted by: H.E. Pennypacker | July 30, 2009 at 11:49 PM
I mean, if you are on the fence, are you satisfied with buses and negligible money for the Kalamazoo Mudhens with a regular 9-5 right around the corner, or are you gonna do some cycles for The Show, Limos and Millions?
Your goddamn right I would have. In retrospect, I should have, since I had a cup of coffee with the Kalamazoo Mudhens back in the day.
Posted by: Dr. Whatley | July 31, 2009 at 08:13 AM
Is heroin against the rules of baseball? What about murder? Are you allowed to kill your opponents?
Or should the fact that something is illegal in the country be enough to consider it against the rules of baseball?
Posted by: Newman | July 31, 2009 at 09:01 AM
Is heroin against the rules of baseball? What about murder? Are you allowed to kill your opponents?
Or should the fact that something is illegal in the country be enough to consider it against the rules of baseball?
You are the last person I expected to come out on that side of the argument, though it is a solid argument.
Posted by: Jeff | July 31, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Yeah, anything illegal in the nation where you are playing should be considered implicitly illegal in the sport you are playing. I'm surprised so many people use that defense.
But fuck this...I blame media. They knew. They had to know!
Posted by: puddy | July 31, 2009 at 12:50 PM
If memory serves, he credited his unusual homer-surge to the fact that he'd started eating Froot Loops for breakfast. Sure, pal, sugary cereal. That's why.
This is precisely why I hit 50 homers per season in Little League.
Yeah, anything illegal in the nation where you are playing should be considered implicitly illegal in the sport you are playing. I'm surprised so many people use that defense.
What if they had a legal prescription?
Posted by: Jackie | July 31, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Well a true legal prescription is one thing. A prescription you got from an unscrupulous dr is something else.
Posted by: puddy | July 31, 2009 at 03:54 PM
Yeah, but heroin doesn't make you a better anything except musician. Plus heroin is just awesome.
Wasn't there some thing about pot making people better at pool? I probably heard that when I was high. Where the fuck am I? Oh yeah... Drugs are great or something.
Posted by: Kenny Bania | July 31, 2009 at 04:01 PM
You can't hold the use of PDEs against anyone in MLB. They all f'ing knew it, from management right down to the equipment guys. One of my law school classmates worked for MLB and told me that EVERYONE knew players were taking PEDs, but ratings were high and attendance was up, so no one gave a shit. Notice attendance is still up (except at the new Taj Maj Bronx)and ratings are still high. Most fans don't seem to care.
The only people I blame are the guys who didn't do it. You can't tell me it wasn't fun watching a head-hunting Clemmens throwing a splintered bat at Piazza because he was so juiced-crazed. Or watching Bonds morph into some cartoonish muscle in a Giants uniform, mashing pitcher's offerings into Sasalito.
As for Bania's question, at the time period in questionm the MLB collective bargaining agreement did not require testing for PEDs (and therefore did not ban them) but did ban cocaine, opiates and marijuana.
Posted by: TMan | July 31, 2009 at 04:55 PM
Yeah, but heroin doesn't make you a better anything except musician.
You obviously lack familiarity with The Scratching Contest.
Posted by: Jackie | July 31, 2009 at 06:28 PM
"Is heroin against the rules of baseball? What about murder? Are you allowed to kill your opponents?
Or should the fact that something is illegal in the country be enough to consider it against the rules of baseball?
You are the last person I expected to come out on that side of the argument, though it is a solid argument."
Don't get me wrong, I'd do steroids if I were in the MLB. But I'd realize the entire time that I was cheating. And I wouldn't really care.
Posted by: Newman | August 01, 2009 at 08:33 AM
True, but I don't necessarily use the cheesy bullshit moves on video games that are exploits (essentially cheating). On the other side of the argument is that if I got paid to play Fifa 09 for a living, I would use every little weasel dickhead trick/cheat to win.
I can't blame the guys. They're 99% hitmen willing to change their loyalty for the highest bidder. Boats and hoes.
Posted by: Kenny Bania | August 04, 2009 at 11:53 AM