No Soup for You for 50 Games!

jc-romero Baseball’s drug policy is ridiculous. J.C. Romero is the latest victim, suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 season and he’ll lose $1.25 million dollars. Romero was the winning pitcher in game three & game five (the clincher) for the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

Now the lefty relief specialist has been found guilty of negligence, even though the over the counter supplement he purchased at GNC in Cherry Hill, NJ contained no warning label. He had it checked by his personal nutritionist, who said there was nothing in the supplement that was illegal. Phillies strength and conditioning coach Dong Lien told him to get a second opinion; Romero took the supplement to a second nutritionist, who cleared it. In the hearing, Lien testified to that fact, but at another time he said he suggested Romero not take it.

On Aug. 26 and Sept. 19, Romero was tested, as all players are, randomly. On Sept. 23, players’ association counsel Bob Lenaghan informed Romero he had tested positive. He immediately stopped taking all supplements, even though he had no idea it was the cause of the positive test. He spoke to Michael Weiner at the MLBPA and told him he did not know the cause of the positive test. On Oct. 1, Weiner told Romero that the specific supplement was indeed the cause of the failed test and that because it was purchased over the counter in the U.S., he believed the case would be dropped. That same day, Oct. 1, Romero was tested again. The results were negative. So for the NLDS, NLCS and World Series, Romero says the supplement was no longer in his system.

Two days later, Romero was informed that MLB would be willing to reduce his suspension to 25 games, starting at the beginning of the 2009 season, on the condition that he admitted guilt. Romero said he couldn’t because he did not believe he did anything wrong. On Oct. 12, the second set of test results came back — from the Sept. 19 test conducted four days before Romero learned he had tested positive the first time — and was positive. MLB then changed its offer: The suspension would still be reduced to 25 games, but it had to start immediately and he had to admit guilt. Again, Romero declined, because he did not believe he was in the wrong and because he did not want to miss his first World Series. The arbitration hearing was held Oct. 22 in Tampa, the first day of the World Series. Curiously, the bottle of the supplement MLB had purchased contained the label warning: “Use of this product may be banned by some athletic or government associations.” However, the bottle Romero had purchased and brought to the hearing contained no warning. In December, the players’ association informed Romero that the arbitrator had had a change of heart and was ruling against him. On Sunday, that was confirmed, and Tuesday afternoon, MLB will announce the suspension. There seems to be little question that the players’ association unwittingly misled Romero — and other players — about over-the-counter supplements purchased in the United States. Somehow, after MLB was warned in early July, those concerns about three supplements available at every GNC store did not reach the players’ association.

If you were like me, you might have skimmed the story of J.C. and thought, oh well another druggie caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but this seems far from the case in Romero’s case. He had it checked by his personal nutritionist, the Phillies strength coach, a second nutritionist, nothing was on the label, it was purchased over the counter in the United States, and the union had misled its members into believing supplements purchased over the counter in America were not banned. It seems like Romero did everything he could to find out if the supplement was banned. Now he’s paying the price, it’s a raw deal.

Today following a positive test under MLB’s minor league drug testing program, NY Mets organization secondbaseman, Kyle Suire, will be suspended fifty games. Suire tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance, the commissioner’s office said. His penalty will take effect at the start of this season. He batted .297 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs last season for Kingsport of the rookie-level Appalachian League. Kyle was the fourth minor leaguer suspended this year under the program, the third for performance-enhancing drugs. One was banned after a positive test for a drug of abuse.

This also seems insane, is this what everybody was getting worked up about when talking about getting drugs out of baseball? Somehow Hispanic minor leaguers seem to get caught in this dragnet, more often than not, seems to me the message is not getting out to the players. It hardly seems worth the risk, getting caught means 50 games, Delmon Young was suspended fifty games for hitting a minor league umpire with a bat, that’s a big fine for somebody taking a banned substance, maybe the supplements outside of this country aren’t labeled properly. The players union needs to get the word out, maybe even test supplements in question, and either give a yes or no, before the player takes the substance in question.

MLB SNARES TWO IN DRUG NET

You might have thought the drug problem in baseball is behind us, but it’s good to see the powers that be are still on the job, catching those who violate the rules, and making them pay. The latest two villains are Damian Tavares & Ambiorix Suero, both will receive 50 game suspensions for taking performance enhancers.

Taveras is a catcher in the Yankees minor league system, who played in the Rookie Dominican Summer League, where the then 19 year old, batted .229, with one home run, in 166 at bats. In 2007 he batted .207, with one homer, in 193 at bats, in the same league. So you can see the progress he’s making and the impact taking steroids has had on his career. Stanozolol is the steroid in his system.

In 2005 Rafael Palmeiro was suspended 10 days after Stanozolol was found in his system, this came months after he testified before the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on steroid usage in baseball, and he denied using steroids.

Barry Bonds has been accused of using Stanozolol in the book, Game of Shadows. Strength coach, Brian McNamee alleged Roger Clemens was injected with Stanozolol during the 1998 baseball season.

Ambiorix Suero was found to have Boldenone in his system, it can stay in one’s system for 1 1/2 years after taking it. The 17 year old pitcher, from the Baltimore Orioles organization, appeared in six games in the Rookie Dominican Summer League in 2008, where he posted a 9.53 ERA, with eleven walks in 5 2/3 innings of work, imagine if he hadn’t taken roids.

Now I’m not saying take down the walls and let everyone take whatever they want to tack, nor am I suggesting steroid use doesn’t help athletes achieve better results. I am just not naive enough to believe, marginally talented Hispanic minor leaguers are the only ones guilty of steroid use. It seems as though the law is being disproportionately applied.

MLB picked the wrong name for their anti-steroid project

MLB says it’s trying to fight the steroid issue by going to where young athletes are finding out about it… the Internet.

With help from the Partnership for a Drug-free America, the project will essentially artificially raise the Google ranking of an article which is slated to be entitled "The Truth About Steroids" which will link to a website produced by the PDFA.  In return for the high index ranking, Google will receive payment. The PDFA receives about $2 million in annual funding from major league baseball.

MLB may want to rethink that title name.  As of this writing, someone else seems to have the domain name thetruthaboutsteroids.com and it definitely does NOT have the kind of message the MLB wants young athletes to see.

See for yourself while you can.

Looks like PDFA and/or MLB didn’t do their homework and didn’t Google their prospective title name.  For their sake, maybe it’s not too late.

9/22 Update:  News about MLB unveiling their anti-performance enhancing substance website

 You can find it here.

Another ex-Mariner caught

Isn’t it ironic that on the day that Ken Griffey Jr ties Sammy Sosa for fifth on the all-time home run list that MLB punishes another former major leaguer named Sosa for performance enhancing drugs?   This one Jorge Sosa, the righthanded pitcher who currently is in the Mariner organization was found positive for amphetamines.

Ok, off on a tangent here… I’ve said this before but unlike many Cub fans, I’ve never had a grudge against Sammy.  Despite the fact that he could have handled a lot of things a whole lot better in his latter days with the Cubs, to me his legacy includes his 545 homeruns and 1414 rbis. 

As for Jorge Sosa, what is it with all the former Seattle Mariners getting caught with PEDs?  First it was Ryan Franklin back in 2005 then Jose Guillen last year.  Now Jorge Sosa. 

It’s not rocket science.  They are testing the players.  If it’s in their system like it or not, they will notice. 

Oh, congrats to you, Junior.  I still like you even if you went to the Sox.

MLB GETS TOUGH (?) ON ROIDS

This sounds like a story out of the Heckler.  Ozzie Guillen nailed it when he asked, "Are marginally talented hispanic ballplayers the only ones taking performance enhancing drug?"  GET REAL BASEBALL!!!  No stars have ever been slammed, they just seem to disappear (Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell, Bret Boone).  There are still roids guys in the game, but so far they’ve somehow managed to escape the dragnet that’s only gotten minor league hispanic players thus far.

7/24/08 NEW YORK (TICKER) –

Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguer Angel Salome was suspended 50 games on Tuesday for violating the drug prevention and treatment program.

Salome is the 18th player in the minors to be assessed the minimum penalty since the start of December.

The 21-year-old catcher was hitting .318 with six homers and 53 RBI in 68 games with Brevard County of the Class A Florida State League.

7/29/08  NEW YORK (Ticker)

Tampa Bay Rays minor league outfielder Jonathan Quinonez and New York Mets pitching prospect Yeiger Sanchez both were suspended 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enchancing drug, Major League Baseball announced Saturday.

Both players, who were with their organization’s Venezuelan Summer League teams, tested positive for metabolites of Nandrolene.

The suspensions are effective immediately.

Post Asterisk Baseball

DonS plopped a rather thought-provoking article by Kevin Modesti in my inbox today.  He addresses the new generation of ballplayers coming into their own in the majors (as well as those who will be in the coming years) and their responsibility to their sport.

A snippet from the LA Daily News:

The top three things we want from the young players who will define the sport for the next 10 to 20 years:

No needles. No drugs. No cheating. No need to elaborate. You’ll feel pressure to juice yourself up. Don’t.

Play the game right. Home-run rates are down nearly 10 percent this season. That goes hand in hand with the previous wish, and it’s a step in the right direction. Let’s get away from Home Run Derby and back to baseball.

Straighten out the players’ union. Make it a force for good in the game. That role is wide open, since the baseball (MLB) commissioner turned into a CEO, willing to do anything for corporate profit. Next time Bud Selig comes knocking, asking if it’s OK to schedule a season-opener in Scandinavia on Christmas Day so he can sell more Diamondbacks-logo earmuffs, tell him it’s beneath the dignity of the players and to get lost.

I think most people would agree with points one and three.  I personally agree with the second but quite honestly, you would be hard pressed to change the mindset of the majority of the fanbase who do love the “Home Run Derby’.  But that’s probably a subject for another post. 

Read the article.  It’s a good one.

 

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THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HUMMMBERTO

On May 28, 2008, Humberto Cota was suspended 50 games for failing a drug test. Humberto Cota!!! For crying out loud, MLB should be screaming from the rooftops that this is what happens when you take roids, not suspending this bum for taking them. Can you imagine how bad Cota would be without taking preformance enhancing drugs?

Cota has a .233 batting average with twelve home runs in 519 at bats, over seven years. Oh yeah, MLB, Cota is the problem! Catching him, no pun intended, will clean up the sport. Hate to see Humberto get away with this. Need to make an example of him! Ozzie Guillen was right when he asked, how come the only players suspended for roids were marginally talented hispanic ballplayers?

Note: Roid Poster Boy, Barry Bonds, hit exactly 750 more career home runs than Humberto Cota. But baseball is showing it’s serious about PED’s, you’re doing a helluva job, MLB!

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Herges grateful

Matt Herges, who is from my neighbor town Champaign, Illinois, says he’s grateful to commissioner Bud Selig for not being suspended despite his use of performance enhancing drugs. 

“I don’t even know if he’d want me to thank him, but I would just let him know I appreciate it…  It was in the back of my mind, sure. The fact they’re not [suspending me], I’m elated and I’m very grateful.”

Herges was identified as using PEDs during his time with the Dodgers. 

Flood of denials, one takes responsibility

In light of the George Mitchell Report and in the midst of all the other denials, Andy Pettitte is coming clean, as it were.

"If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize," Pettitte said Saturday in a statement released by his agent. "I accept responsibility for those two days."

Pettitte is admitting to taking HGH in 2002.  He claims he took it to "heal faster" and not for an athletic advantage.

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