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.