"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Nuther One Bites the Dust

According to a report in SI.com, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003.

Well, this takes care of Rodriguez having to worry about answering questions about the Torre book.

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81 comments

1 Simone   ~  Feb 7, 2009 11:51 am

I'm not surprised. Spring Training is going to be a circus. It is too bad that he Union didn't have the lab destroy the results of these tests. It is incredible that 104 players tested positive. These guys are so arrogant.

2 Rich   ~  Feb 7, 2009 11:54 am

There is the possibility that A-Rod didn't take PEDs and that the report contains inaccurate information. Yet he will be treated as guilty no matter what.

3 Diane Firstman   ~  Feb 7, 2009 11:55 am

Sigh ...

To paraphrase Stengel "Can't anyone here play this game ... naturally?"

4 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 11:55 am

ITs not too surprising, and its also not surprising that 1) ARod is the sole name leaked and 2) Selena Roberts is running with the story (just look at her NY Times archive).

I do have a hard time believing the second half of the story, about the tip off. Not only do most steroids take at least a month to clear, but 3 baseball players are hardly what I would call a reliable source.

5 Alex Belth   ~  Feb 7, 2009 11:56 am

The idea that Rodriguez, or virtually any other player, used PEDs is not a shock, especially at this point. But there is something very seedy about the story coming out now. Four sources, none of whom has the balls to put their name out there, are revealing information that is supposed to be confidential. Why not just reveal all of the 104 people on that list?

Oh, p.s., Selena Roberts has a book coming out this summer on...Alex Rodriguez. Color me cynical but I guess she's just put herself on the best seller list.

6 Dimelo   ~  Feb 7, 2009 11:58 am

And this 158+ VORP is powered by PEDs. I doubt anyone is shocked, but the guy definitely didn't need this.

Oh well, this is the time ARod's biggest defenders need him most. That family can't allow a wedge like this to break them up. Stay strong, stay strong!

What I still find fascinating about the whole Jeter - ARod discussion is, the extent of bad things that are said about Jeter are baseball related - i.e defensive liablity - and the stuff said about ARod is about baseball (clutch vs. unclutch) and his shortcomings as a person/teammate, but all people look to do is trash Jeter throughout this process. Why does Jeter need to conform to ARod's flawed personality, I just don't get it but I don't get a lot of things.

Wow...is this going to be a nutty Yankee year or what? Holy shiznits!!! Torre's book, all the money spent on FA, the new stadium, now this about ARod, Girardi's 2nd year, etc, if anything...we have a lot of stories that will make this year entertaining.

7 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 11:59 am

[5] Exactly my thoughts. I have vowed never to trust stories that base really damning accusations off of “people familiar” with something or “with knowledge” of something, as about half the time they are dead wrong. On the other hand, you would think Roberts would be pretty sure of her sources to run with this.

But she has certainly made her name bashing A-Rod, and finding out she has a book coming out soon doesn't exactly help.

8 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:00 pm

[5] And furthermore, that it is A-Rod's name only that has been leaked from that list is really troubling/typical. What, there really weren't any other stars on the list? I somehow doubt that.

9 Mattpat11   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:05 pm

Well, this isn't exactly a shock or anything. I just hope we don't have to hear all year how all this attention (that he once again brought on himself) is negatively impacting him.

Just fucking hit the ball and I really don't care all that much. We'll cross the records bridge when we get to that hornets nest.

10 ms october   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:10 pm

[5] agreed on both counts alex.
though there should not be a rush to presume guilt in the court of public opinion , if true, this is not that surprising.

the seediness following bond's trial has just come over to this story - that of the 104, only arod's name is leaked, none of four sources are not under the veil of secrecy - hmmm.

the entire manner this whole "steroid issue" has been handled is ridiculous at every turn.

nevertheless, fucity fuck fuck - i just want to enjoy a yankee season that should have a lot of promise.

11 The Hawk   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:13 pm

I actually think it is a big deal. A Rod was supposed to be the standard-bearer for "clean" baseball in the wake of McGuire and Bonds, and hopefully get the HR record back into non-PED-using hands.

No it's not shocking, but I am surprised. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part ...

I really don't give a shit about the people who leaked it and what scumbags they are or aren't. I am disappointed now that the guy who is trying to be the best player ever is just another cheater. I already thought he was more trouble than he's worth, but now there is no doubt. The one thing he had going for him beyond a doubt was ability and individual stats ... Now those are worthless.

12 williamnyy23   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:13 pm

[5] Dead on...it might not be the wisest thing to do, especially if he did take steroids in 2003, but if I was Arod, I would aggressively seek legal action against everyone involved in the release of what was supposed to confidential information. Plain and simple it is illegal to obtain confidential information...whether it's the government, SI or whomever, someone committed a crime and they should be punished.

Unfortunately, Arod is going to be swamped by the media on this issue and by people who will now claim his whole career is tainted. Of course, they'll fail to consider the extent of the use, baseball's lack of rules at the time as well as the research that shows most of the substances being alleged have no performance effect.

So, it will be fashionable to say that Arod was a cheat, when the reality is he didn't do anything else that most others did...and what he did likely had minimal to no impact anyway.

A while from now, I think most will laugh at how silly everyone reacted to steroids, but for now Arod's high profile means we have to listen to a litany from the uninformed.

13 williamnyy23   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:14 pm

[5] Also, Roberts didn't break the story...she was piggy backing off an SI story. Even ESPN gave SI credit in its scroll.

14 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:16 pm

[13] She co-authored the si article

15 williamnyy23   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:18 pm

[14] She jumped ship to SI? I wasn't aware of that...thanks for the correction. I guess SI writers are using Arod to beat a slumping economy.

16 Mattpat11   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:18 pm

I will say one thing. The name's "Varitek" and "Garciaparra" better be coming out the shoot soon.

17 williamnyy23   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:22 pm

Personally, I wish one player would step up and say, "Yes, I used steroids. You don't like it....tough! Everyone in my industry was doing it, so I gave it a shot. After all, my boss didn't even have a penalty for it, so why shouldn't I have given it a try. I could careless who judges me because under similar circumstances, most of them would have done the same."

Also, didn't Selena Roberts "cheat" to get this story by relying on illegally leaked information? After all, I'm sure ESPN, CNN, NBC, etc. would have loved this exclusive. Does this mean that in order to get scoops other reporters will be encouraged to obtain information illegally? Does anyone care about this...or is it just fun to play gotcha with famous baseball players?

18 Simone   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:25 pm

Why is the messenger is always attacked? Selena Roberts.has every right to make buck and write her books and articles. This is on Alex. He is the liar and cheat.

I'm also interested in Orza's role in this debacle. He warns the players and the dumbasses still use PEDs.

[6] It will be interesting to see the tone of those Jeter/Rodriguez discussions from now on.

19 RagingTartabull   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:25 pm

it just never ends does it? He has to do a straight Mea Culpa, its his only choice from a PR standpoint

20 Mattpat11   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:28 pm

Simone,

It furthers the "A-Rod the perpetual victim" narrative that some people have for him. If people are going to blame the media when Alex himself accuses the fans of being racists, it stood to reason that this would be someone else's fault as well.

21 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:32 pm

[18] Well, when the author has a LOOOONG history of bashing that specific player, has a book forthcoming on him, and is using shady unnamed sources with illegally obtained information, that messenger has to be at least questioned. And before you go throwing Arod on the fire, I would suggest giving it at least a few days. I am pretty confident that the story is true, but its not like false reports haven't been extremely common or anything

22 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:34 pm

[20] No. Nobody here is defending A-Rod. But are trying to say that the timing, source, and history aren't at least questionable/somewhat sleazy?

23 Mattpat11   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:40 pm

I'm saying I don't buy into the grand media conspiracy against Alex Rodriguez, no.

24 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:48 pm

[23] There is a difference between a grand media conspiracy and making sure the source is believable. You can believe the story and still take issue with the timing, the author's agenda, the legality of the information, and the reliability of the unnamed sources. Its not a black and white issue as you seem to want to make it.

25 Alex Belth   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:51 pm

Roberts moved to SI a year or two ago, and she doesn't do much for them but an occasional back page column. She has been a journalist for a long time and has paid her dues. But I've never been a fan of her work.

It will be interesting to see how Rodriguez reacts. Because in the court of public opinion all you need to do is have one report like this out there and you are all but guilty. I'm not surprised that Rodriguez would have used, especially in that era, but will be deny this or will he cop to it?

He's made so many "off" moves publicly, it'd be interesting to see what the reaction to this would be if he came out and said "you know, I did it, it was wrong, I've moved on and learned from it."

Some fans and writers almost demand that a player be honest like this, so WE can feel better about this mess. I'm not saying what a guy should or should not do. That is their business.

Dag...so much for a slow weekend.

26 Simone   ~  Feb 7, 2009 12:57 pm

[20] Mattpat11, thanks. I get it now.

[25] Well, Alex didn't deny it and referred them to the union so that is his initial reaction.

We...er okay, I need a edit button.

27 Mattpat11   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:02 pm

Zack, Other than the fact that she worked for the New York Times, (which granted, is a point in your favor) I have no reason to think that this woman would just make up a story of this magnitude about a major national celebrity, so I have very little reason to find the article unbelievable.

The timing doesn't affect me on way or the other. if this happened on November 1st I'm sure people would find a way to tell us that this will destroy A-Rod's fragile psyche. The legalities of the issue are only relevant to me if they try to take legal action against him. In the court of public opinion, the idea that we're not *supposed to know* that he didn't doesn't cut it for me.

28 Alex Belth   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:06 pm

SI wouldn't have printed the story unless they felt sure about it.

29 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:21 pm

[27] As I said, I would tend to believe it to. But its not just that she worked for the NY Times, but she basically made her name through attacking Arod. Seriously, go look at her NY Times archive. And as for the timing, well, as Alex said, she has a book coming out. These test results were from '03, and just now, a few months before her book, right before spring training, A-Rod's named happens to get leaked, illegally mind you, to someone who has not only gone after him before, but has a book coming out on him? Nobody else's name was leaked, just his. That means that a) Roberts must have specifically been targeting A-Rod, or else she would have either gotten the entire list or at least more names, and/or b) She is specifically using this to pump her book (duh).

All of those things are highly questionable to me, and while it doesn't excuse what A-Rod did or make me believe it less, it most certainly sheds some light on Roberts

30 OldYanksFan   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:25 pm

Way, way, WAY too much to talk about. For starters....
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why not just reveal all of the 104 people on that list? "

Not only that, it is time to release ALL test results from ALL years.
It is time to clean this up, at least for the sake of Bonds, Clemens, Mac, Sosa, now ARod, and all others named. It is time to learn the length of breath of this problem, so the public has some context on how to feel about those already named, as well as all the other names that will come out.

Maybe more importantly, it is time for MLB to come clean. Bud and Don lied before congress (the first time) when they both played
"...problem.... what problem?" when directly asked about steroids. It is time for the officers to take some heat and accountability.

Now some specifics:
"The results of that year's survey testing of 1,198 players"
Lets see. 30 teams, 25 on the roster = 750 players. OK, subs, callups, injuries, etc inflate that number. But still, 1,198 would seem to imply EVERY PLAYER in the majors. Is this correct?

"104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs". Lets see. 104/1198 = 8.5%. Is that 1198 truly the number of unique players (hard to believe) or the number of tests? 8.5% ain't 'bad'. I expected more.

"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. "

Why would we be surprised if this is true? Haven't we heard this before? It seems obvious to me that MLB was very much an accomplis (sp?). While PEDs were 'illegal' since 1991, with no punishment, players had little to fear. With dealers in the clubhouses, it seems MLB was quite happy with the status quo.

This whole thing sucks.

And what about the leaking? In reality, isn't all the breaching of confidential information much more serious then adults who make a choice to use certain drugs. How can we have faith is these sealed testimonies?

This whole thing sucks.

Lastly... in terms of the record books, I want to know for how long, how many years Bond, ARod and the other famous name players used. It's important for the fans. If some guys juiced for 5 or more years, that's one level. If guys tried it, but didn't go on a 'prolonged period' of use, that a different thing.

This whole thing sucks.

31 rbj   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:26 pm

What's shocking to me is that I'm not shocked, just disappointed. The thing is, it was part of baseball culture at the time, which doesn't excuse anyone for breaking the law but does spread the blame around, from Selig on down. And while baseball seems to be in the spotlight, I'd like to see some investigative journalism on steroids in football. You can't tell me all those huge linebackers are 100% natural.

I am bothered that something that was supposed to be anonymous, in order to help clean up the game, has been seized by the federal government and is now getting leaked out. Anyone think the players are ever going to agree to anything like that again?

And Henry Aaron is back to being the all time home run king, natural division.

32 Mattpat11   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:34 pm

Unless she's flat out making something up about him, her motives really don't matter to me.

33 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:37 pm

[32] Well, when something as illegal as disclosing confidential information is used specifically for profit, as it clearly is here, it SHOULD bother you. That is a far more serious crime than taking steroids.

34 Chyll Will   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:43 pm

I just don't care anymore either way. Maybe I'll just stop watching baseball altogether and get a third job for entertainment.

35 Dimelo   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:49 pm

I agree with, Simone. Why is it that person who wrote the article is called all sorts of names and their motives are put into question, I don't think she did anything outside the norm of what a person in her job is suppose to do.

ARod signed the biggest contract in all of sports, part of signing such a lucrative contract means the bulls-eye is on your back. We aren't talking about Melky Cabrera here, if it were some fringe player we probably wouldn't even have a post dedicated to the poor bastard.

This is ARod, who was AFraud yesterday, and is now ARoid today. I don't care about the steroids thing anymore than I care about Sarah Palin's knocked up daughter, but the point is if you are put in the spotlight, be prepared for the shitstorm.

36 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 1:53 pm

[35] Nobody is calling her names. Nobody is defending A-Rod. But part of any controversial news story based on unnamed sources is looking at both sides.

She is not just "the messenger" here. She is somebody with a long history tied to Arod who reported on confidential information that specifically targeted that same player out of a list of 104.

37 Dimelo   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:00 pm

[36] Zack, Sam Borden over at LoHud has a good post about this. I agree with what he wrote there, we may be pissed at unnamed sources but that's how the media works. Don't you think "targeted" is a strong word?

I think ARod put the target on himself a long time ago.

It sucks cause he's on the Yanks.

38 Shaun P.   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:01 pm

[31] Except that its more than likely that Aaron, and everyone else who played since the mid to late 60s, used amphetamines.

I, for one, am done with the idea of athletes being "natural". There is no such thing. They ALL use drugs to manage pain, heal faster, get bigger, do more - whether its steroids or Advil or uppers or insulin or HGH or espresso (caffeine, after all, is a drug) or something we've never heard of, there is no such thing as an athlete that doesn't use SOMETHING "unnatural". I don't think there ever was, or if there was, it was an awfully long time ago.

And disappointed is the right word, rbj. That's exactly how I feel.

I'm not surprised at all about A-Rod being associated with that list. To me, the entire Barry Bonds investigation and trial has been about nothing more than an overzealous IRS investigator (Jeff Nowitzki) trying to get somewhere by going after a big name. If Barry Bonds was, say, an unknown accountant from the Bay Area whose personal trainer got the clear and the cream from BALCO, there'd be no trial and no controversy.

39 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:07 pm

[37] Like I said, I believe the report. I'm sure A-Rod did roids. Just as I am, at this point, sure that pretty much everyone did prior to 2004. I mean, why the hell not, right?

I'm not pissed at the unnamed sources, but I am annoyed with how this came out. Shoot, if it had been anyone else, it would not have smelled so foul to me. But Roberts is the one reporter who has made her name questioning every aspect of A-Rod. And then she has a book coming out. So when I say target, what I mean is, what likely happened was that Roberts was doing research on A-Rod and was able to get these "sources" to give up his name illegally. All of this to help sell her book. Nobody else's name came out, adn we are talking about a 6 year old drug test here.

So it took 6 years for this information to come out, and when it does come out, it just happens to be through the one person who is trying to sell her book on that same player and who has made her name on questioning his character? That smells like poop to me.

The funny thing is, A-Rod has been hated by pretty much every baseball fan already, most significantly by many Yankee fans. He will be even more hated now. This despite the fact that the roids clearly didn't really make any difference in his production.

40 Dimelo   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:14 pm

[38] I'm not disappointed, I don't particularly care about PED usage, and I agree with you that there's no such a thing as a natural athlete. I root for the uniform, the body and makeup of the characters in the uniform is important but when it comes down to it, they are all human beings like us and they do things that they probably don't want the Joe Blow viewing public to know about them.

Why this is a story is because he's highest paid player in the game and he's on the Yankees, this comes with the territory because of the team we root for.

41 Mattpat11   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:15 pm

I also think that regardless of whether or not the steroid had an affect on his performance, part of the issue is that Alex Rodriguez thought they would. He took them with the intent of becoming artificially better. If he knew they wouldn't make a difference one way or the other, he wouldn't have even bothered.

Frankly, I apply that to Andy Pettitte as well. I don't buy his "aw shucks" excuse for a second. Pettitte did something under the impression that it was going to make him better.

42 Dimelo   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:19 pm

[39] Don't you think the player's union shares some/most of the responsibility here? They could have got rid of all the samples and names of people who tested positive, there's also word of a conspiracy too.

Why does the process matter so much with how Roberts got the information? The bottom line is this, if ARod hadn't done anything then she has nothing to report and some other player gets named first. It's simple in my book, ARod did it, he tested positive for it, and these are the consequences of his actions.

There's no one to blame here, her motives are driven by SI and the people she represents, she has an obligation to them too. That's just noise if we start to question that.

43 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:21 pm

God I really wish baseball wasn't run by such a bunch of monkeys. Can't we really just have come clean on all of this by now, and therefore not have to be talking about it anymore?

There is really no excuse, none, that tests from 2003 should be getting leaked now. Even ignoring the illegal part of the breach, if baseball had just come out, cleaned some house, and fessed up, none of this would be a story at all. Instead, they tried to hem and haw and cover up as much as they could, protecting themselves and players and pretend that it was just a few people, meanwhile feeding a few sacrificial victims to the blood thirsty media and mobs.

So now baseball still can't get away from this cloud, 6 years later. We're still talking about it. And we will continue to talk about it as names continue to pop up as reporters write their books and get people to point fingers. Every single time people will be outraged, disappointed, disillusioned, and ultimately resigned and move on. But it will continue to dominate the news, haunt baseball, and further condemn Bud Selig.

Seriously, would anyone even be talking about steroids anymore if all these names came out in 2004 and baseball really cleaned itself up and went to the root of the problem, instead of doing things half assed?

44 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:26 pm

[42] I don't care if it was A-Rod, Ortiz, or anyone else being named. The process bothers me because it seems just as disingenuous. Of course the union shares a ton of blame. Baseball and the players union have handled this has badly as humanly possible every step of the way, and have shown themselves to be entirely self-focused and not above breaking laws whenever possible.

But Selena Roberts is not driven by SI. This goes back to the NY Times. It goes back to her opinion pieces on the Duke rape case and her blatant subsequent misrepresentation of her own writing. She has shown that 1) she is really good at going after a-rod, and 2) She is quick to jump on a story, condemn the involved, and blame everyone else even before all the facts are out. She is not a reliable or ethical journalist.

That doesn't take away from what A-Rod did. It doesn't make me question the veracity of the claim. But it does rub me the wrong way.

45 Dimelo   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:30 pm

[44] So if this came from Tyler Kepner then it wouldn't bug you? It could have come from Gandhi and people would have questioned his motives.

46 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:38 pm

[45] It would still bug me that it was only A-Rod, but can you really say that there is far more involved when we are talking about Roberts vs. Kepner? Would it bug people less if the Verducci/Joe Torre book was written by Pete Abraham and Lee Mazzilli? The source of testimony is extremely important in court and is always investigated for exactly those types of histories.

Does it make the content less truthful? In this case, I think not. But it sure can

47 Simone   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:38 pm

[41] Agreed. All these guys cheated and lied about using steroids.

Costas is interviewing Selena Roberts on MLBN. She had 4 different sources and she did not identify them and is confident that they did due diligence. It is funny that she tried to make excuses for Alex by saying that he was young and surrounded by a culture of steroids in the Rangers clubhouse and that he is a pleaser. She also suggests that Boras knew and said that maybe he told his clients that using steroids is okay. So while she is being attacked, there she is buying into “A-Rod the perpetual victim” narrative. Hilarious.

48 Rich   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:44 pm

Selena Roberts has a history of writing agenda-ridden stories, but I have little doubt that she and David Epstein have bona fide sources. The person with the primary agenda is the leaker, not the recipient of the leak, although they clearly are a primary beneficiary of it.

49 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 2:51 pm

[48] That about sums up what I have been trying to say. Its pretty hard to doubt the actual story, as sleazy as its history may seem (apparently just to me).

50 Diane Firstman   ~  Feb 7, 2009 3:12 pm

49 comments on this .... none on today's News of the Day ....

Yup, we know the straw that stirs the drink on this team :-)

51 The Hawk   ~  Feb 7, 2009 3:12 pm

"And what about the leaking? In reality, isn’t all the breaching of confidential information much more serious then adults who make a choice to use certain drugs."

It might be to journalism fans, but since I'm a baseball fan, the cheating thing is more serious to me, as far as baseball goes anyway. This being a Yankees blog, I think it's self-deluding to make this about how the story came out, as interesting as that may be. The "best player in baseball" whose gaudy stats are fetishized by so many - well, you just gotta suck it up, folks. THAT'S the story.

52 The Hawk   ~  Feb 7, 2009 3:17 pm

[50] I'll comment on the Jeter piece from News of the Day:

Get rid of A-Rod then move Jeter to 3rd base. Done and done.

53 Rich   ~  Feb 7, 2009 3:26 pm

An interesting note from Davidoff:

[...]

UPDATE, 1:58 p.m.: I now understand better what happened. There had to be some tracking of whose urine sample was whose; otherwise, they could've had Frank Thomas, for instance, urinate in 700 different cups. The union had the legal right to destroy that list after a certain amount of time, however, and it didn't. Which is why A-Rod is now foerver scarred.

54 ms october   ~  Feb 7, 2009 3:39 pm

i agree with you in [43] zack.
i was trying to intimate this point way back in 10, but you hit in on the head - the entire time the steroid situation has been mishandled and repeatedly by seemingly everyone.

55 Simone   ~  Feb 7, 2009 3:49 pm

I have been thinking about Canseco. Boy, has he got to feel "Vindicated." He has been killed by the media and fans. Yet when I read his book, it all had the ring of truth. I could never understand how so many media members and fans could not see the obvious. The desperate defense of everyone not named Bonds has been ridiculous. Even Peter Gammons a few weeks ago was on ESPN claiming that Canseco had been discredited. Now just about everyone Canseco named has been revealed or smeared by PEDs from other sources.

56 PJ   ~  Feb 7, 2009 4:06 pm

All I know is that a 23 year old at a party on or near a college campus in South Carolina "letting off some steam" with a few bong hits in the months shortly after cleanly making sports and Olympic history before embarking on another ridiculously difficult four-year clean world class training regimen is one thing. Using illegal steroids to enhance performances netting contracts in the hundreds of millions is entirely another. MLB is not Professional Wrestling. Orza violating the terms of the CBA is still another. And Rodriguez's Constitutional rights may have been violated to boot! Clearly the Yankees are in the same boat they were in with Giambi. Are we to expect nine more years of substandard play from A-Rod, a slow bat and terrible reaction times at the hot corner from being too bulked up, because he's clean and/or trying to deal with this, as well as the debacle of his divorce and relationship with Madonna, mentally? Whoopie! What about the milestone incentives in his deal? This is all a legal nightmare that may take years to resolve!

Undoubtedly, this CBA will be over very soon. Considering Selig's unbelievable salary through all this (see also most other profitable corporate entities' leaders in recent years), there will be a fundamental shift in the way the MLB conducts its business going into the next CBA. I would argue we're seeing the beginning of that shift with all the remaining unsigned free agents left hanging on the market.

Maybe this will finally fix all that's wrong with MLB. I can dream, can't I?

57 Rich   ~  Feb 7, 2009 4:10 pm

With all the talk of clawback provisions to get back some of the exorbitant compensation of Wall Street CEOs who mismanaged their firms, maybe it's time some of Selig's $17 million per year was clawed back.

58 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 4:14 pm

[52] How do you know Jeter hasn't used? Because he says he hasn't? Because nobody has yet accused him? I mean, his #s did decline from 2002 on for the most part!

I kid, but only partially. If this has taught us anything, it is to trust absolutely nobody from the post strike-2005 era. No matter how clear they seem. I wonder, though, Would everyone be so quick to throw Jeter under the bus if this report was about him?

59 Rich   ~  Feb 7, 2009 4:23 pm

[58] Would everyone be so quick to throw Jeter under the bus if this report was about him?

Um, Sox fans would...

60 Mattpat11   ~  Feb 7, 2009 4:28 pm

I think the reaction to Jeter would be much different, but for more than just the reasons you suggest. This wouldn't be controversy number 4384746743 for Derek Jeter. Alex Rodriguez is exhausting to follow. If its not one thing, its another with him, and he always makes things worse. .

61 Just Fair   ~  Feb 7, 2009 5:09 pm

Wake me when it's opening day. : /

62 Alan with the 45s   ~  Feb 7, 2009 5:16 pm

Has anyone referred to him as A-Roid yet? If not, let me be the first.

63 ms october   ~  Feb 7, 2009 5:16 pm

i really wish there was not this endless jeter / arod duelling camps.

of course a lot of the reaction to arod is becuase he is not well-liked. but a large part of the reaction to arod is he advanced himself, largely through the last contract, as someone who could get the hr record clean and re-legitimize these numbers.

64 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 5:54 pm

So as Sam Bored over at lohud writes, "Roberts just said there are no other names of players in the upcoming magazine story. She said she uncovered this information while working on a profile/feature on Rodriguez." So my point from before stands. Roberts was specifically going after A-Rod. I somehow doubt this information just fell into her lap, or that the 4 independent sources all just came forth out of the blue and willingly risked criminal accusations.

Considering how both MLb and MLBPA have both gone with the "the breach is illegal" line, it really does make me wonder about how Roberts gained this information. I know most of you don't seem to share this with me, and for the 1 millionth time I don't doubt the veracity of the accusation, but we ARE talking about illegal activities that lead to the accusation as well.

As Borden also writes, the MLBPA is of course denying any tipping. So are we to believe them or three baseball players? sadly, I don't think I would trust EITHER source. Sigh.

65 The Hawk   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:06 pm

[58] Of course I don't know if Jeter didn't use, nor would I claim to. But I wouldn't assume he did, just like I didn't assume A Rod did - just the opposite in fact, I always figured he was clean.

Also if Jeter used PEDs, then they didn't work very well.

As far as throwing someone under the bus, I mean criminy, it's not throwing them under the bus if they are wholly responsible for what they did. Unless someone spiked A Rod's Pepsi, then he threw himself under the bus.

66 The Hawk   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:10 pm

[64] Again though, what is the more compelling story - that someone leaked sensitive information or that the great white hope for a "clean" home run record, the "best player alive" one of the best EVER (not to mention an already controversial figure) apparently is not clean at all? Leaks happen all the time, and sometimes - like with Valerie Plame - it's a sexy story. But in this case the information leaked is much more interesting than the leak itself.

67 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:10 pm

Just heard this on npr an hour ago.

Let the Games Begin.

68 The Hawk   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:11 pm

I'm hoping this somehow comes out as untrue, btw.

69 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:15 pm

For the sake of the team, I'd ask anyone reading this who has direct or indirect access to Alex to convey the following message: FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY AND THE GOOD OF THE TEAM, PLEASE, DON'T FORGET TO WEAR YOUR HEADPHONES!

70 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:25 pm

[69] Hahaha..no interest at all in who used used steroids at this point..just want to watch some games..50 years from now we'll look back at the "Steroid" era when comparing stats. A-Rod, Bonds, Clemens are still all-time greats, they just played at a time when many (a majority?) of guys juiced.

Oh yeah, and Canseco, for all his antics..no one has sued this guy yet for slander..

71 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:31 pm

[66] I think its definitely the bigger story. Doesn't mean thats right, just what is sexier. Which is the greater crime?
However, I also think that clearly steroids didn't really help A-Rod in any way. I think that is almost more of a story.

72 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:32 pm

[71] Let me rephrase that. Clearly they didn't help his #s at all, as #s since testing began, when he is accused, and before he likely used them are all amazingly consistent.

73 Ricardo.jp   ~  Feb 7, 2009 6:52 pm

Signing Manny wouldn't look too bad now.

74 Yankee Mama   ~  Feb 7, 2009 7:03 pm

Zack, I think his '93 season helped Alex get his ginormous Yankee contract in '94. Such chaos surrounds that guy. Exhausting.

75 Yankee Mama   ~  Feb 7, 2009 7:04 pm

Scratch that. 2003, I mean.

76 zack   ~  Feb 7, 2009 7:18 pm

[74] But Arod was already under contract. It was only in '07 that he opted out. Obviously his '07 season helped him land his new contract, but his '03 season didn't have any contract value at all.

77 Yankee Mama   ~  Feb 7, 2009 7:24 pm

Yes, but let's say he underperformed in 2003, then his value would have diminished. Instead, he put up silly numbers that we will never truly know to what extent they were enhanced with peds. He was highly attractive to both the Red Sox and the Yankees, who were willing to jump through hoops to get him (as was he to leave Texas).

Jose Canseco said that one day he would be vindicated where A-rod was concerned. That's just so wrong.

78 Joel   ~  Feb 7, 2009 7:31 pm

He's finished. He lives in Giambi world now. His numbers are utterly meaningless.

The Captain is going to get whatever he wants when he resigns. He's going to tell Hal and Cash that they can take their VORP, OPS, BABIP, etc... and stick them in a syringe somewhere.

79 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Feb 7, 2009 7:45 pm

[78] That's a bit of an overstatement, isn't it?

"Utterly meaningless?"

Even Bonds' numbers are nothing of the kind.

80 Shaun P.   ~  Feb 7, 2009 8:59 pm

[50] I did not comment, Diane, but I loved the clip from the powerpuff girls.

[56] Constitutional rights? Legal rights? No one cares about those! As an attorney, if I've learned anything from watching all this PED stuff over the years, its that people's rights are irrelevant if they are a big name. I went off on a rant about this back at the Toaster version of the Banter a couple of years ago, but the info about Giambi (and some of the others connected with BALCO, and a ton of the stuff on which Game of Shadows was based) came from leaked, sealed grand jury testimony. The leaker of that stuff was the person who should have been hunted down mercilessly, more so than anyone else. I was THRILLED when the caught the $#%$er. That was the biggest crime of them all, as far as I was concerned.

But you almost never heard that aspect of things discussed by the traditional media. Now this was a supposed to be confidential list, and maintaining that is nowhere near as important as maintaining sealed grand jury testimony, so I'm not nearly as upset over whoever leaked it. But I still want to know who leaked it. And if its someone who works for the government, or MLB, or the MLBPA - the three entities that absolutely should have respected the confidentiality of the list - they should be fired immediately.

One last thing, which I don't think anyone has mentioned here. This is piece of evidence #436 why the Mitchell Report was one huge waste of money and time.

81 Raf   ~  Feb 7, 2009 10:59 pm

[78] I'd be more preoccupied with his defensive abilities than his offensive abilities.

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