Sources tell SI Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003

[eckseid]

McGuire and Sosa had something to do with saving the game.

I'm in the minority in not caring. If I'm paying good money to see a game, I want to see the best athletes in the world; if they destroy their bodies doing it, its their choice.

So you don't care that a HR that could be the game winner should have been an out because someones got that extra power from juicing in there body? Gotcha.

If you have to cheat, you should GTFO of baseball or any sport for that matter.

[natsfan4evr]

What a shame. His HOF aspirations are probably done for now.

[CALSGR8]

You know, being devil's advocate here   ; the fact that random testing is supposed to be just that, random and CONFIDENTIAL!  So, how does the press get a hold of what's supposed to be confidential information.  If its supposed to be randome and confidential, then how is a name connected to the sample.

If there was no penalty back then for testing positive, how can you charge someone with something now for something that there was no penalty for back then.

How has he tested since is the big question.  Now that there are penalties!

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I continue to say I am in the wrong business. Why work your ass off for an honest living when you can cheat (A-Roid) and do close to absolutely nothing (Shawn Hill) and still get an incredible pay day in the MLB?

I'm giving up my aspirations of being a fire fighter, police officer, or teacher. I'm going into the MLB BABY!

[soxfan59]

You know, being devil's advocate here   ; the fact that random testing is supposed to be just that, random and CONFIDENTIAL!  So, how does the press get a hold of what's supposed to be confidential information.  If its supposed to be randome and confidential, then how is a name connected to the sample.

If there was no penalty back then for testing positive, how can you charge someone with something now for something that there was no penalty for back then.

How has he tested since is the big question.  Now that there are penalties!

I heard during a discussion on XM 175 that there was an MLB insider who was feeding A-Rod inside confidential information about this and other steroid testing issues -- i.e. warning him when the "random" tests would occur.  This purportedly was discovered, and led to the leaking of the info.  There are "bad guys" on all sides of this question.

[UMDNats]

I continue to say I am in the wrong business. Why work your ass off for an honest living when you can cheat (A-Roid) and do close to absolutely nothing (Shawn Hill) and still get an incredible pay day in the MLB?

I'm giving up my aspirations of being a fire fighter, police officer, or teacher. I'm going into the MLB BABY!

That's professional sports for you. You can make 20 million dollars in the NFL without even playing a goddamn snap.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

That's professional sports for you. You can make 20 million dollars in the NFL without even playing a goddamn snap.

I'm going to pop a fish oil pill and go jogging right now!

[HalfSmokes]

So you don't care that a HR that could be the game winner should have been an out because someones got that extra power from juicing in there body? Gotcha.

If you have to cheat, you should GTFO of baseball or any sport for that matter.

Can you tell what is natural about Tommy John? Or does the guy pitching the last out not count?

[PANatsFan]

Can you tell what is natural about Tommy John? Or does the guy pitching the last out not count?

Ligament repair surgery always leaves you stronger than you were before. Do you think that guys with Tommy John need to wear a weighted backpack or something to even the playing field?

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I wouldn't be too confident about that.

Elijah Dukes could totally be juicing.

[sportsfan882]

Elijah Dukes could totally be juicing.

Why?

[ronnynat]

Why?

Because he has muskles. Muskles aren't allowed in baseball.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Why?

I said COULD.  Look at his sudden improvement in June last year.  He goes from being a career sub-.200 hitter to being the Nats' version of Josh Hamilton overnight.

If someone told me that were the result of PED's, I would not be stunned.  I don't assume anything any more, either way.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Truly, I wouldn't be surprised by anyone. You really can't trust anyone in the sport today, it's quite sad. How many here really guessed ole' Nook Logan was on the juice?

[HalfSmokes]

Ligament repair surgery always leaves you stronger than you were before. Do you think that guys with Tommy John need to wear a weighted backpack or something to even the playing field?

I;m just asking what the moral difference is between Cortisone shots, Tommy John, and HGH. I personally don't see one nor to I care if someone juices.

[houston-nat]

I said COULD.  Look at his sudden improvement in June last year.  He goes from being a career sub-.200 hitter to being the Nats' version of Josh Hamilton overnight.

Yeah, but he always had that potential. Everyone knew Dukes could someday turn into a beast of a hitter. And moreover, I think Dukes would be the first case ever of drugs and performance-enhancing substances actually making a substantial and immediate impact on anybody's hitting ability. People all seem to go to utter crap after they stop doing the drugs, but if Elijah Dukes started taking PEDs and went from .180 to .300 in a week, that defies my imagination.

[ronnynat]

I said COULD.  Look at his sudden improvement in June last year.  He goes from being a career sub-.200 hitter to being the Nats' version of Josh Hamilton overnight.

If someone told me that were the result of PED's, I would not be stunned.  I don't assume anything any more, either way.

I'm surprised you didn't mention his "anger problems."

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I'm surprised you didn't mention his "anger problems."

Maybe we would should ask AZ if Dukes has an abundance of pimples on his ass and thighs. 

[spidernat]

I said COULD.  Look at his sudden improvement in June last year.  He goes from being a career sub-.200 hitter to being the Nats' version of Josh Hamilton overnight.

In fairness, it's not like he had a long history of being a sub .200 hitter. It was fewer than 200 AB's and he actually hit 10 bombs in that short span. Maybe a better signal would be how quickly he managed to recover from injuries.

[HalfSmokes]

Found an interview with Dr. Frank Jobe and found something that might answer your question:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1431308&type=columnist

That still doesn't make it 'natural', what about cortisone shots? What is the difference between steroids and a surgeon harvesting a tendon to repair a damaged arm? It can't be purity of the numbers because earlier pitchers didn't have the option, what is the difference?


For those of you who want a description:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3486

[spidernat]

I'm pretty sure one is legal.

[HalfSmokes]

I'm pretty sure one is legal.

HGH by prescription is too, as are steroids

[spidernat]

HGH by prescription is too, as are steroids

And for what purpose? To enhance hitting and pitching performance or for some medical reason? There is a reason why they are not legal without a prescription and why there are penalties for their misuse.

[eckseid]

I decided to delete my post because I understood what you were saying after I had posted it, but I just don't see the comparison to repairing something to juicing for extra power.

Btw, if you have kid's, what do you tell them about cheating on test? If you're ok with someone cheating in baseball, you should be fine with your son/daughter knowing the answers to the test beforehand. Right?

I know it's a stupid comparison, but you get the idea. You can cheat in one thing, but not the other? Aren't both wrong?

[HalfSmokes]

And for what purpose? To enhance hitting and pitching performance or for some medical reason? There is a reason why they are not legal without a prescription and why there are penalties for their misuse.

surgery without a prescription is illegal too

You'll notice that growth hormones are medically indicated for exercise and athletic performance

http://www.aace.com/pub/pdf/guidelines/hgh.pdf

If you want to talk about the ends of the use, i.e. better performance, what about cortisone shots?