“Pretty accurate”
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- February
- 9
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ESPN’s Peter Gammons asked Alex Rodriguez directly whether he used PEDs from 2001-03.
“That’s pretty accurate, yes,” he said.
What does that mean? Does that mean more than three years or less? The Yankees will want to know the exact timing given that Rodriguez came to New York in 2004. I don’t believe they have grounds to void his contract, but the club will want to know whether Rodriguez used PEDs while he was in their employ.
The Yankees have not yet commented on Rodriguez’s admission. There is likely to be something later on today.
Rodriguez also denied knowing what substances he took. This is the same player who literally brings his own food to the clubhouse every day. So for three years, he injected drugs into his body without knowing what they were?
There are still some holes in this story. How did Rodriguez get the drugs? How long exactly did he use them and was he tipped off about upcoming tests by the MLBPA?
If what he said is true this time, Rodriguez stopped using right around the time MLB instituted drug testing. He has not tested positive since and was subjected to Olympic-style testing in 2006 when he participated in the World Baseball Classic. That same level of testing is in place for the upcoming WBC.
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Shameless plugs: I’ll be on SNY’s The Wheelhouse at 5:30 p.m. today My segment will be around 5:45 p.m. I’m also scheduled for ESPN’s First Take tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
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on Monday, February 9th, 2009 at 4:52 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
first!
“Let’s see how many of his words we can parse, and let’s also see how long we can drag this controversy out for now that A-Rod has actually admitted something.”
-Every journalist covering this story.
I think Alex’s answer re: what he took sounds suspicious.
I would’ve said, “I’d rather not answer that now.”
The less said the better. Because if he ever gets called before a congressional committe or grand jury they’ll use it to corner him.
I understand being upset and all, but I think Pete is being a little harsh on ARod. He’s certainly not the only player to have used any sort of PED. At least he’s fessing up to using them at all.
And let’s at least see the entire Gammons interview before we ask him to explain anything further. Because for all we know…they DID talk about exactly when he did or didn’t use.
He admitted it, and that’s what he needed to do. Thank goodness he didn’t go the Clemen’s route.
For the good of baseball and for the good of the country, Alex should sit out the entire year.
You come off really bad in this post…. like you really dislike A-Rod in my opinion.
is it just me or is ESPN server down?
His contract isn’t getting voided. It will be interesting to see if the bonuses based on breaking records are affected. Will it generate as much revenue as originally expected now that the fans will look at him as a cheater rather than the guy making the home run record clean again?
All I can say is that no matter what A-Rod does, if you do not like him…you will find a way to rip him.
If he had said he used it once or twice they would not believe him. If he said he did it for a short period of time they would not believe him.
A-Rod is in a no win situation with the people who hold the keys to the HOF and what the normal lay fan reads in the papers.
I never thought I would ever say this…but why can’t there be more people like Schilling asking for the other 103 names to be released…I mean leaked.
I say pitchers and catchers can’t report soon enough…Play Ball!!!!
i’m glad arod came clean and also got rid of his frosted tips/
Could the reason he doesn’t name the exact drugs he used be somehow due to legal issues?
Don’t know, just something I thought of.
Am I wrong, or is this not one of the most upfront apologies we have seen in this whole unfortunate steroid saga?
Pete, I think you are right that there are still a lot of holes and questions left in this story. Do I think we have gotten the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth here? Likely not. And certainly, A-Rod has lied to us through his teeth in the recent past. He’s rep can, should, and will take a huge hit because of this. But I think we need to put this in perspective.
Sammy Sosa totally forgot English.
Mark McGwire is only capable of talking about the present and future.
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens not only lied, but are STILL lying. Moreover, they both lied under oath.
Jason Giambi is still, to this day, only sorry about some amporphous “past behavior.”
Andy Pettite slow rolled his admission for so long that I think it is still going on.
Again, Im not trying to say Arod is right here. He’s not. Period.
But I think it should be noted that what he did today is leaps, bounds, nay, MILES ahead of what any other of his PED cheat brethren have done to date. And Pete, as suggested by your post this morning, its miles ahead of what you expected him to do.
I will care more about this story when the other 103 names are released…
Call me paranoid but why did only 1 name get leaked??
104 tested positive out of about 650 players you think that was it???
espn loves this crap, why don’t they have a primetime special on this? maybe we can have more congressional hearings!!!!! Is this suppose to be important news??
Yeah BIg Papi did not take either or some of my other favorites such as brady anderson, jay gibbons,gagne, Nomar, trot nixon, varitek, IROD, Juan GOne, Loduca, and about 250 other players but it always comes back to Arod who I do not even like but know this treatment is totally unfair.
Pete,
Sorry, with due respect, you need to show some class and not be so tranparent in your hatred for A-Rod.
For some of the questions you are posing above, please go and see the Gammons interview again and you will find the answers.
Before it was all he has to admit.
Now that he has admitted more than any one thought (three years), that is not enough.
Previously, many of you guys in the media did every thing you can to bury him. But now, as SJ mentioned and me too in a post on Saturday, the guy has nothing more to lose and you guys can not get under his skin.
In fact, he will be so loose, he will have a great year and help the Yanks win the WS this year.
Brian V, i agree with you… Gammons said he was shocked by how emotional arod was and that he seemed very relieved to finally get this off his chest like it had been bothering him for the past 4 years alot. i think pete is being way to harsh, he never really seemed to like arod in the first place.. its kind of disapointing to me that he is being like this
Can I have a link to Sam’s blog
I think Reynolds and Leiter are being sincere, but Verducci seems like a snake. He’s just enjoying this too much.
com’n Pete, you’re splitting hairs now. the guy admitted to using roids for 3 years. enough! what more do you want, blood? geez…
and how do you know he injected himself? he could have taken them orally. who knows. frankly, i don’t care where he got it from, he got them didn’t he? geez…
give the guy his dignity, i think that most fans don’t care much beyond his admission no matter how half @$$ it might have been. most fans want to get to baseball. You guys in the media need this to milk it and write your due stories to your bosses. we fans like to move on with our lives. sometimes you guys can really beat a horse to a bloody pulp by stretching those legs out on these stories. its never enough for you guys. i can understand that since everyone has a job but geez…let the guy live. everyone here has made mistakes. my goodness. everything is due or die with you guys. i’m worried about my pocket in this terrible economy and can’t wait for baseball to get my head out of how bad things are out there. I don’t want to play inspector gadget ok. enough is enough.
Alex said that Andy was texting him all weekend.
I don’t think I won’t those texts to be made public.
I have read accounts of people who have used steroids, and some have taken anything they were handed. They had no idea what it may have been called. You would think that multi-million dollar athletes would know precisely, but that is not always the case. Also, was Arod saying he didn’t know what he took, or he didn’t know what he tested positive for? If he was stacking multiple types, and trying anything he could get his hands on, he wouldn’t have a way of knowing unless he had his old cycle schedules, and the actual test date to match them up. With the environment today, anybody who hasn’t burned those schedules is beyond stupid.
I think also, we all need to sit back and think of how we have dealt with things in ou past we didn’t want people to know about.
Like him or not, A-Rod is a human being.
Pete, not sure what the story is, but you are not coming off as an objective journalist in regards to this story and A-Rod. It’s one thing to have an issue with Girardi’s lack of honesty. However, it’s another thing to be so blatantly against a player, whom from what I can tell, hasn’t done anything to you. Or has he? Do you care to share a story with us that may shed some light on the hostility in your A-Rod posts?
My last comment on this, or on here:
Pete, you’re flogging this thing.
Wow – I agree with Michael Kay…publish the list – it is unfair that one guy needs to take all the heat.
so who saves the MLB HR Record now???
Ryan Howard?
Jesus Montero?
“I think pete is being way to harsh…”
hmm, you think?
m February 9th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Alex said that Andy was texting him all weekend.
**************************************************
I’m shocked that Andy knows how to text.
Perfecty out of the Andy Pettitte bible for caught PED cheats
Step 1)(signal you understood it was wrong) I’m sorry and I’ve been stupid
Step 2)(present a honorable reason) But I had some noble cause (insert recovery from injuries/”huge pressure”/…)
Step 3)(avoid MLB consequences) and ummm I just stopped using it when it became illegal
Step 4)(make sure no one suspects you use PEDs now) and guess what – PEDs don’t help at all and I don’t need ‘em.
Yep. There’s probably truth in what he said in the Gammons interview, but I don’t believe it is the whole story. I surely don’t believe he didn’t know what he was taking, and the way he answered that question it seemed to me that perhaps he was taking other things too, and wanted to hide that fact. He seemed very shifty when that question was asked.
Obviously the deal with ESPN was that they got an exclusive in return for friendly questioning. It will be interesting to see what happens when he shows up at ST and is throw to the wolves.
Gammons certainly didn’t probe him, and there’s obvious questions like what happened in 2004 — was he tipped off? Why was he tipped off? etc, yet to be answered.
Nevertheless, as disingenuous as his apology seemed, I guess it was a step in the right direction. (Though, I note he didn’t apologize to the Yankees. Yes it was 2003, but it affects the Yankees more right now than it does Texas.)
Next thing Arod should do is to offer to the Yankees to void the HR record incentives in his contract. That would earn him some big-time goodwill with the fans. Also, if Cynthia was at his house, maybe they are getting back together and Arod won’t need that money to cover his divorce costs! J/K
Mark in Tampa,
So A-rod took whatever his trainer gave him? Who paid for this stuff. Supposedly he was taking very expensive stuff, some of it was from other countries. Top drawer stuff. Probably hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stuff. A-rod knew what he was taking. He such a student of the game, he would want to tailor his PED regimen to what he wanted. Power, speed, recovery time? He knew what he was taking.
You don’t take ish over a 3 year period without knowing the side effects.
Have to admit, I’ve been sitting back and not really posting much about this until I can get as much info as possible, but given that post you made, there does seem to be some degree of disfavorable bias in that post. I know you hate what is going to happen this season now that arod has admitted guilt and it will probably follow him this entire season, but quite frankly, I don’t remember this much vitriol when Pettitte admitted guilt last year.
If A-Rod breaks Hank Aaron’s home run record by 157, won’t he be the legitimate home run king? Oh, right, I guess I’m supposed to believe that EVERY home run he hit was aided by steroids because I don’t know exactly what he took, on what day he took it, what clothes he was wearing, and whether or not his chauffeur asked him how his day was going when he was juicing.
Once again, Pete’s bias against ARod showing through. At least man up and admit it Pete. You’ve been ridiculous through out this entire ordeal.
My guess is that Pete is angry that this sort of cheating took place for so long and by so many. However, Pete should also be angry at himself and his colleagues who knew that it was going on and did absolutely nothing to bring it to the forefront. They all want to report on steroids now. How about reporting on it when it was in its hey day? There are so many people that dropped the ball on this. MLB, the players, the media. They all have to take the blame. That includes the media as well, Pete.
sunny,
I think Peter was pretty hard on Pettitte.
But Alex might be like Bonds, just hates the press. If they had any smarts, they’d suck up because they’re the gatekeepers.
“104 tested positive out of about 650 players you think that was it???”
Stuart, my guess is there could have been just as many who got away with it. Always thought so. And if you tested everyone 3-5 years before that test it may have been even worse.
Still, I’m having a hard time with information being leaked after there was a court order to seal it, and the source is being protected. That’s potentially a lot bigger than whether A-Rod did ‘roids or not.
Pete you are better than 95% of sports journalists out there but when it comes to A-rod your bias becomes very apparent.
according to the Michael Kay show –
Jose Canseco speaks -
to sum it up….
he says people are looking in the wrong places. He says the people who need to be investigated are Bud Selig, Gene Orza, and MLB management
The hate against Arod is sickening..Everyone says he needs to be honest…He is honest. And he still gets ripped. So 1 or 2 of his words weren’t up to the media’s standards, give me a break. The way that he is taken apart by the media is alittle psycho, how obsessed some people are with him. Leave the guy alone already.
Pete:
Normally you are pretty balanced in your postings and you are to be commended for the consistency and frequency of your blogs but on this one you have in my view lost your objectivity. Earlier today you predicted that A-Rod would take the weasely way out and not the preferred pettite approach. Instead he went far better than Pettitte’s (two glasses of wine and I only did it to get healthy admission)- in fact A-Rod’s statement is by far the most candid any athlete to date has given about PED use. And don’t seek refuge in that he only came clean because he got caught gambit- how does that explain Bonds, Clemens, Landis etc. Moreover A-Rod did not comment on the patent unfairness of both the leak and the gross unfairness of singling him out of 104 and instead rightfully focused on his wrong doing and left it at that. So you don’t like him and since you know him and I don’t and have had to work with him and I haven’t you might have a better perspective on that. However I believe this posting from you is both mean spirited and suggests to me that you would have been more comfortable if A-Rod had taken a different tact today as that would have been more consistent with your views of him, which you have projected to us.
Nevertheless, I do appreciate your blog and your diligent reporting.
“I know you hate what is going to happen this season now that arod has admitted guilt and it will probably follow him this entire season, but quite frankly, I don’t remember this much vitriol when Pettitte admitted guilt last year.”
Pete is not a Yankees fan so he is not upset that this will plague the team for 162 games. In fact, subconsciously, he’s probably a bit happy about it because it gives him something additional to cover (besides the game). Trust me, no one in the media is upset about this story getting out. They are glad because it makes their job easier. They don’t have to go out and find stories. This one just fell right into their laps.
Heeyyyyyyyyyyyy … can the Yanks get Kei Igawa to take any untraceable PED’s?
As a journalist who mostly does not write about baseball, I want to offer my two cents. As others have pointed out, the real story is that 103 other ballplayers tested positive. Somehow Selena Roberts’ much vaunted journalistic skills allowed her to come up with just one name (coincidentally, the name of her book subject).
The other names are presumably sealed with everyone sworn to silence. So while A-Rod and the Yankees take the hit, 103 of the guilty get off scott free. And the other 500-600 MLB players who are innocent have a cloud over their head — maybe forever.
But here’s what all these pile-on artists at ESPN shpuld be doing right now. Instead of milking the A-Rod story to death, they should be calling every player who was on a MLB roster in 2003. As them directly: Did you test positive for PED’s in 2003? This gives the innocent a chance to say they did not.
In this way, lists can be drawn up of those who deny that they ever tested positive. With enough hard work, these lists could then be used to derive lists of players who do not deny they tested positive. Then, work those lists. Yes, there might be a few liars who say they never tested positive even though they did. But there will be more far more who refuse to say anything — among these are the guilty. Then, reporters can chip away. Merely publishing lists of those who do not deny testing positive will bring more of the innocent to come forward. Eventually, we may start getting a lot closer to the identity of the 103.
That would be journalism. Not this crap that’s pouring out of the national (and New York) media which is all basically me-too piling on.
“He says the people who need to be investigated are Bud Selig, Gene Orza, and MLB management”
Canseco’s right about that
we know Pete hates A-Rod unconditionally but we love the guy and read his blog anyway.
nobody is perfect
I think people who think he should sit out the season should not post on the blog for the season.
Neither will happen.
I guess the rest of the night will be filled with the troll version of can you top this when it comes to dumb posts.
Arod most likely didn’t know the exact name of the steroids he was taking.
Did Pete edit this post? There’s nothing biased or hateful in there. He brings up stuff that raises more questions than they answer.
Really, guys. I know Pete has a thing for (against) Alex, but this is benign.
He can’t write about Girardi without a dig. Even his one compliment was backhanded.
A-Rod can’t do anything right according to some. I for one am highly disappointed but I’m glad he admitted when faced with his guilt. A-Rod is now tainted for life, all that he worked for can possibly go down the drain, he was & IS supremely talented but his ego, selfishness & low self- esteem got the best of him.
He may not get into the HOF & will be treated like scum for the rest of his playing days, that is major punishment for him & I for one do not appreciate kicking a man when he’s down.
Fire Selig NOW!!!
This is a shout-out to Doreen:
Thanks for the book review! As scheduled, I’m reading ‘The Yankee Years’ now, and you were absolutely right — well worth reading, grabs you from the opening page.
Admittedly I’m behind the curve and the element of scandalosity (is that a word) has been completely superseded, but you know what? So far this is the perfect antidote to this whole depressing AR saga. Brings back what being a fan is about — the team (helped by the nice selection of photos).
I’m still in the first third of the book, and hoping that the rest of it will continue to sustain me through the current hoopla until the news from Steinbrenner Field drowns out the AR uproar. Recommend that others who’re tired of this spectacle grab a copy.
“Rodriguez has lied repeatedly about his drug usage in recent years. He hit 156 home runs while using performance enhancers, 28 percent of his career total.”
lol, so that’s how steroids works…
Calling A-Rod out on the gaping holes in his story is not bias on Pete’s or anyone else’s part. Professional athletes know EXACTLY what they’re injecting or ingesting into their bodies. And like Francessa said today, if you get a message that you “may or may not” have tested positive for steroids, you don’t follow up? Does that really make sense? Anyone who can’t find any holes in A-Rod’s story isn’t looking close enough.
Madison Dave – Actually, Canseco was more candid than A-Rod but I see your point.
…
what Canseco said leads me to believe that he knows for sure that they were fully aware of EVERYTHING.
Canseco is a complete nut but sooner or later we need to give the guy some credit. If he says Selig, Fehr, Orza, knew everything…. we need a Mitchell report on their a$$es.
mel,
Have you read Canseco’s account of Giambi’s usage? His account of his own usage? Steve Courson? These guys took everything they could put in their bodies, they were lucky they didn’t inject something immediately lethal. And Canseco was supposedly an expert on steroids. Yet he probably couldn’t tell you exactly what he used during a given month 6 years ago w/o consulting his schedule. I am not saying any of this to excuse Arod, it is more the opposite. He could have been taking so many different things that he didn’t know what it was that came up on the test. And steroids aren’t exactly coming from the Merck factory. Just because you think it is dianabol, doesn’t guarantee that is what it is.
it wasn’t 104 out of 650. It was roughly 3.5 players per 40 man roster.
“it wasn’t 104 out of 650. It was roughly 3.5 players per 40 man roster.”
is this 100% certain? I know it was speculated that it was the 40man and not the active 25man but hadn’t heard this confirmed.
he looks like he is going to cry..
“It was roughly 3.5 players per 40 man roster.”
They didn’t test every team’s entire 40 man roster…
Mark,
No, I haven’t. But I’m sure that Alex requested something that wouldn’t turn him into the Incredible Hulk.
I’m not trying to convince you otherwise. Just saying that Alex takes great pride in his body and I find it hard to believe he didn’t know what he was taking for 3 years. 3 years.
Karen,
It doesnt even seem to matter that arod took steroids to you or not or how long he took them. People who didnt like arod from the start were probably never going to really genuinely change their opinion of him. If this whole thing, rationalized your original feelings with the fusion of perception and reality, I am glad you are finally at peace with it all. But frankly, you along with many others are making this roids use out to be far, far greater than it actually is. Arod is not the worst person in baseball for this. He is not a horrible person. hE IS JUST one of thousands of users in baseball who did the stuff to get an edge and make more money or retain more confidence. He is one of thousands maybe even more than that.
The fact is that he is being used by baseball as another scapegoat to try and help shield all the massive problems that selig has created for the sport. Why should players be the ones to blame when the stuff was not even banned and running rampant throughout the clubhouses. Why would anyone think such scrutiny as this would befall them 6 years after the fact when every single player around them was juicing just as much if not more than them. Maybe arod is not the victim here – he certainly is not the victim I would say but he isnt the reason for all of baseballs problems. And he certainly didnt destroy people in his wake. He was going to be just as good without the drugs and most people could see that just looking at his numbers.
And if he in fact, took them up into his yankee years when did he stop? Because there is not one single solitary sign of a decline or an inconsistent mark in arods illustrious career. He has consistently over a 13 year period been the best in the game with his two best seasons coming 11 years apart and neither of which came in texas. So when did he stop? We cant just assume that he has just done this for 12 years and continues to do it based on one test in 2003. That is lunacy.
Pete,
Really there is nothing more that needs to be answered by ARod. I am a harsh critic of the man and not a huge fan, but him taken the step to say yes, I did steriods should be the end of it. He is being unfairly singled out of a list of 104 players, he lied about it before, but he stepped up and said I did it. Let it be the end, let him move on, he owes us nothing more. Let the guy be my god.
m
I don’t remember Pete posting anything with such negative connotations when it was Pettitte. I remember him riding Pettitte but not with so much… passion.
lala -
I can’t speak for anyone else on this blog, but yes, I would be so defensive if it was Papi or Manny. Shoot, I was defensive when it was Bonds. It’s been a witch hunt so far. Only targeted at certain people. Canseco has been proven correct on this throughout. You know what he said? He said at least 50% of players used PEDs. 50%. Steve Phillips today said 75%. And why not. Taking PEDs at that point in the game was akin to going 60 in a 55. Sure it’s illegal. But the majority do it. The penalty for it is small or in this case nothing because no penalty was in place for a positive test during that time. The biggest risk is probably the long term health effects, but even those seem to be overplayed when the user used the drugs correctly and in moderation. I guess we’ll have to wait until these guys get into their 50s and 60s to see if they’re all passing away earlier than normal. At this point, it’s tough to say.
Canseco is a looney toon, but he has been pretty spot on with regards to all of this.
Why does it matter what exactly he was taking? Steroids are steroids…its all illegal. Is any one type worse than the other?
“Calling A-Rod out on the gaping holes in his story is not bias on Pete’s or anyone else’s part.”
My complaint is not with him pointing out supposed gaps in A-Rod’s confession. However, there’s a tone in this post and all of the other A-Rod’s posts that (at least to me) shows a definite hatred of A-Rod. I’m not the only person saying this so there must be some truth to it.
I have a hard time believing there was only 104 players doing this kind of stuff. Well, it was 2003 and it was already clear (no pun intended) that there was going to be a crackdown.
In 1998-99 there probably would have been a lot more than 104 players on such a list.
What are the chances this crap will go away by the All-Star break?
http://sports.outsidethebeltwa.....drug-test/
Where does it end?
Patrick:
“According to the SI report, a total of 1,198 players were tested, meaning that 8.8 percent were caught using some form of illegal substance. Know what 8.8 percent translates into? About two players per 25-man roster, about 3.5 players per 40-man.”
http://www.boston.com/sports/c.....s_aro.html
dave,
You have a point, we’ve all gone back to our original feelings about A-rod.
But people are way to quick to sweep this under the rug. And people shouldn’t call us idiots or whatever because we’re still perturbed by it. As time goes on, we’ll think about it less and less. But that doesn’t change the fact that it happened.
Andrea – the chances are ZERO
“What are the chances this crap will go away by the All-Star break?”
*Slim to none.*
Poor Bobby.
“Bobby Abreu may have to settle for a one or two year deal at $3MM. Cafardo lists the Angels, Mets, Braves, Dodgers, and Mariners.”
-MLBTR
The worst part for Alex will be that whenever someone refers to him now, they can say “Admitted steroid user Alex Rodriquez”. Hell, some announcers may call him that when he comes up to bat.
Man, that’s going to hurt like hell.
I’ll wait to see the entire interview before I analyze. Kinda like how we were supposed to wait for the Torre book to come out before making any comments.
mel,
I am sure he knew at least most of what he was taking, but my impression is that he was not committing to knowing what he tested positive for. Am I wrong about that? I didn’t hear the interview, so I don’t know. But, if I was him, I wouldn’t go by the media reports that it was testosterone and the other one; and then the reports come out that it was actually two or three other drugs. Also, I would bet many of these guys told their trainers to get them the best stuff and do all the research work, and they never had an interest in the scientific names. Some of them, anyway.
A-Rod at least had the stones to fess up and apologize. The nearest anybody else came to owning up to what he did was Giambi.
“Bobby Abreu may have to settle for a one or two year deal at $3MM. Cafardo lists the Angels, Mets, Braves, Dodgers, and Mariners.”
Oh My God! He should just retire.
Trade Nady already and sign Bobby to 1yr/$4M
Look at Ortiz career projector and tell me he did not take roids..
Look at Nomar or brady anderson, give me a break.. anderson hit 52 HR’s the hit leadoff…Camden yards is a launching pad but give me a break…
Arod is a dick but he is a great player who was great before the juice, with the juice, and has been great without the juice…
he hit 54 about 2 yrs ago with 140 + RBI’s after being tested…………….
why are we talking about his mea culpa???We just want to get the truth stuart…….Bullsh-t… People in the press want to show fake outrage and feel important….
Hey, does anybody wanna talk about Joe Torre’s book?
J/K ….
Well I think A-Rod did exactly what he needed to do. You can say whatever you want about what he could have said and what he did say, but when it comes down to it he admitted his mistake.
Time to forget about it and move on into the 2009 season. Of course our friends in the media will NEVER let that happen. No better time to drop a story about the highest paid player in the game using PED’s 6 years ago than the few weeks before pitchers and catchers report to spring training camp.
As has been said time and time before: “This is typically a slow month for baseball.”
“March 1, 2003: Drug testing begins in Major League Spring Training camps. Some teams, including the Chicago White Sox, consider balking at taking the tests to skew the results. A refusal to participate in the “Survey” phase is considered a positive test. That first year, all MLB players on the 40-man rosters are subject to be randomly tested once. In addition, MLB had the right to retest up to 240 players a second time by the end of the season. All players ultimately complied and took the tests.”
“That first year, all MLB players on the 40-man rosters are subject to be randomly tested once. In addition, MLB had the right to retest up to 240 players a second time by the end of the season. All players ultimately complied and took the tests.”
“The hollow shells of people who post here bashing a decent journalist who got this story right”
Lala,
are you really that clueless? (most) People weren’t claiming that the story was wrong.
Pete,
As i TOLD you two days ago, the idea that he was using for a decade was pretty far out there without any sort of proof or evidence to support it. Why? Because soo many things changed for alex and for baseball between his stint with the rangers and that with the yankees. One, it seems as though the rangers clubhouse was a hotbed of steroid using activity. Two, they instituted steroid testing in 2004 and every media writer on the planet wont hesitate to tell the fans that arod cares a great deal about his public appearance. I have heard that from you, the radio, alex’s friends and relatives, his grocer, EVERYONE says that alex cares about what others think about him. So wouldn’t that be reason to assume that he would stop in 2004 with the fear of being caught and publicly displayed as a cheat. And im sure that fear would have grown even more intense if he continues to use and witnessed the rapid demise of bonds, mcgwire, clemens, etc.
That would certainly have gotten his attention and been a great reason to stop using. Also, he was no longer with the team that signed him to the biggest contract of all time. He was with the team that traded for that contract – so perhaps, his perception of the expectations in NY changed a bit and not to mention, he was three years older at the time and a bit more mature. There are many other things that changed as well that could have altered his thinking as well and i WILL not list them all like I did two days ago but seriously, there is enough reasons to think that 2004 would have been a great time for alex to stop using. Not to mention, the lack of a down year tells me he did not quit after extensive use of the drug. Perhaps, his talents overcame it but if you use roids enough, your body begins to suffer the consequences and consider arod’s dl history, I DONT think he got to that point.
m -
Go read Pete’s post about Giambi admitting steroid usage here.
http://tinyurl.com/ccbypn
He pretty much says nothing. No digging into the admission. No anger. Nothing. That’s what leads me to believe he has a bias against ARod.
Some of you guys really enjoy shooting the messenger (Pete). Arod’s carefully constructed “confession” was designed to lessen his own responsibility and elicit some sympathy. Pete’s questions are the same any thinking person would have. Some of you just want to accept anything Alex says without question.
He didn’t know what he was taking? Come on…
ANSKY: I’d rather talk about the book than steroids. At least the book happened this year. A-Rod’s steroid test happened in 2003.
For what its worth A-Rods apology today was the best I’ve seen him come through in the clutch in awhile. Life is tricky, even for zillionaires, and I suspect he did as well as many of the people raking him over now would have done under similar circumstances. Is he flawed- yes..did it hurt when the story broke this weekend- very much- do I forgive- oh yeah..I always figure that the right thing to do when you screw up is to admit it- that should mean the investigation ends and you can start looking for solutions…so A-Rod today you had a good day
‘Pretty accurate’ means what it means. What did you expect? He saying “Oh I used them for 2 years, 6 months and 23 days.”?
He has been clean since 2004, and no one can demonstrate the opposite.
sunny,
I agree that Peter has his biases, who doesn’t? Try reading his print stuff and his blog stuff. Night and day. No insinuations or snide remarks in his print stuff. Pete can turn it off and on (except he rode Girardi too harsh IMO).
So I’m not surprised that he’s riding this story. But it’s huge. It’s still in the 24-hour news cycle. Alex has knocked Phelps off the back pages. But he’s been very mild. Pete’s thrown way worse crap at Alex and Pavano than this. He’s simply poking holes. Not poking fun.
Some people may be sensitive about it, but Phelps and Alex can’t complain about anything. Unless it’s slanderous or libelous (is that a word?), they have no one to blame but themselves.
Thank goodness ST opens up soon. Although I didn’t realize that the WBC guys left in the middle of it. I just assumed they wouldn’t break camp with the team.
he came out admitting to it, so know we back him all the way.i hope he has a monster year,shut some people up.also pete what kind of question is, where did you get it?
This is why it must have been very tempting for A-Rod to simply say, “No comment.”
In his first interview, the guy admits that he did steroids for THREE YEARS . . . that he knew what he was doing (not that it was somehow slipped to him by a trainer) . . . admits it was immature and stupid . . . even discusses WHY he took them . . . yet that somehow is not contrite enough.
The guy goes farther than anyone else and owns up to it, point blank. But he will still get ripped for so-called “holes” in his story . . . or the fact that he won’t discuss every single detail.
For crying out loud Pete, you listed his “options” a few posts ago . . . and he took the best one (and the one I have read at least two dozen scribes demanding he make) — one you were so sure he wouldn’t take.
He went further than any other guy has gone–by a long shot–and he at least deserves some credit for that.
I AM SICK OF STEROID TALK.
We will never hear the end of this topic. Imagine if the remaining names from the list of 103 players are revealed very slowly? All this steroid/PEDs talk could reach the next decade or probably much longer! Baseball fans will hear about this stuff ad nauseum.
wow i think arod back with his wife i heard peter gammons say cinthia rodriguez was with him
Pete, either get off your butt and investigate this or stop speculating. You look like dilettante and a hack for not getting your own scoops on Yankee players. Too busy uploading songs for the Ipod? Seriously, your bias against ARod is tiresome and it’s gonna hurt your blog.
“I am sure he knew at least most of what he was taking, but my impression is that he was not committing to knowing what he tested positive for. Am I wrong about that? I didn’t hear the interview, so I don’t know. But, if I was him, I wouldn’t go by the media reports that it was testosterone and the other one; and then the reports come out that it was actually two or three other drugs. Also, I would bet many of these guys told their trainers to get them the best stuff and do all the research work, and they never had an interest in the scientific names. Some of them, anyway.”
You’re right. He didn’t admit to taking steroids, he admitted to taking “banned substances.” Banned substances are not the same thing as “controlled substances” i.e. illegal. He’s being careful not to incriminate himself, and I can’t give him any flak for that, but let’s not act like this guy is being completely honest, and let’s not crucify writers for pointing it out.
Yeah, Cynthia was there. Madonna is overseas on her world tour.
I also think “Pretty accurate” means “I’m A-Rod. I’m pretty and I don’t really remember things like dates and names of steroids. I hit the ball and I frost my hair.”
He’s a great player, but not the smartest guy. I think this is one of those things that shouldn’t be looked into too much.
Mark,
I would’ve preferred that Alex said, “I’d rather not answer that right now.” But he deflected, basically saying it was loosy-goosy, like it was a big steroid orgy.
rodg,
I know Pete’s biased against a-rod, but Pete’s print stuff doesn’t get very “personal”.
LaLa,
You must be new. Bashing Pete is a time-honored tradition.
I don’t understand.
I read Pete’s article and found it agreed with my own view, and expanded it a little further. I don’t find it biased. The same with Pete’s post on Girardi, Pete never said much that others weren’t saying, or that I could deduce for myself. He offered insight that confirmed and expanded many of my own interpretations. I value that deeply.
So what is your problem guys? You don’t like what Pete writes, fine. You know perfectly well there’s plenty of other blogs out there, and you can always write your own if you disagree with him.
I like what Pete writes, and I don’t want coming to this site to be become irritating because there’s a bunch of whiners here who obviously don’t enjoy the site, and just enjoy the sound of their own keyboards clicking.
Why waste your time, my time, and Pete’s time with pointless complaining? Go somewhere else, do yourselves a favor.
I agree with Pete. I’ve interviewed lots of people in my life and A-Rod came off as very evasive. And there are big holes in what he said in the portion of hte interview ESPN has aired.
He doesn’t know what kinds of drugs he took? Seriously?
I have never lied, cheated on my taxes, cheated in a card game, cheated any time on my boss at work, or cheated at anything, nada – zip – zero.
I’m as believable as it gets.
Giambi did it the best way. Just apologize. When people ask you to go into specifics just say “I can’t discuss that right now.” That’s more truthful than saying you don’t know what’s in the pill you’re popping.
rodg12 February 9th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
m –
Go read Pete’s post about Giambi admitting steroid usage here.
http://tinyurl.com/ccbypn
He pretty much says nothing. No digging into the admission. No anger. Nothing. That’s what leads me to believe he has a bias against ARod.
******************************************************
are you accusing Peter of giving Giambi a break cuz he’s a quote friendly player?
Pete:
On the one hand, I think you are very tough on A-Rod, and it seems like its personal. From what I’ve seen, it looks like A-Rod’s done about all he can do to redeem a very bad and self-inflicted injury.
On the other hand, all I know about A-Rod is what I read in the press and from an occasional video piece. I’ve never met the man, have never been in proximity to him, or witnessed his personal interactions with others (including the press).
In my line of work, how people say something and their demeanor when they say it, is every bit as important as the words they utter. Since I’m certain the same holds true for you, I have no doubt your peevishness comes from having someone (under duress) reveal what you suspected all along. In that context, anyone of us would be ticked off. It would be very hard to ever listen (with seriousness) to anything the guy ever says again . . .
So, like the rest of your readers, it is gonna take me a while to figure out how mad at the guy I will be.
In the meantime, we all ought to be calling for Selig’s, Orza’s, and Fehr’s resignations . . . Until MLB and the MLBPA have new leadership, this disaster will only continue and give Waxman and others in Congress an excuse to get involved, again.
And no one wants that.
There’s somebody on SNY now (I turned it on, waiting for Pete’s segment), who is on his high-horse, ranting on and on about Alex and how can never be believed again, he’s a dirty cheater, he should be imprisoned at Gitmo….
Enough with the moralists, already. Like none of these certified sub-geniuses have never made a mistake. Like everyone else is so holy.
I had a lot of questions, myself. I really wasn’t sure what to think, or feel, besided disappointment. Well, turning on SNY clarified my thoughts.
I’m going to forgive Alex, and give him another chance. It’s the right thing to do. Like I remember reading somewhere, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.
You guys are funny.
Why in the world would I spent one second of my time hating a baseball player? Can somebody explain the upside of that?
Yes, I sit around hating Alex. Me, Selena, Verducci and the rest of the reporters. We meet at the VFW Post on Wednesdays to plot against him. Don’t tell anybody.
This is my job, no more, no less. I raised some legitimate questions about the situation, the same questions many people are asking. I also wrote that he has tested clean for several years.
You’re expending way too much emotion on this. Your boy used steroids, he lied about it and he got caught. He’ll keep playing, he’ll make his money and people will cheer him if he does well and boo him if he does not. It’s really no more complicated than that.
The media has no control over what government prosecutors or baseball officials decide to leak. You talk to people and some talk back. It’s not a shadowy conspiracy. Alex is a singular talent, the best player in the game. That is took steroids is a big story whether you like it or not.
Do you guys see teams putting into furture contracts steroid clauses where one positive result from a test can result in immediate sepration from the team?
Pete: As a yankee fan and reporter, how would you have handled the A-Rod information if you had gotten the information first. Any different from what the SI reporter did?
Thank-you
Pete like the rest of this media crusade I think has this impression that he must make up for the past mistakes of completely missing the issue by spreading everything about roids on real thick to the point that it is slathered in disgust and contempt. I dont see why the media feels this need to take up arms every time a new players name comes out and i DONT know when it will stop but i cant help get the feeling that the media’s consistent and overenthusiastic reaction to each and every steroid story is merely a product of the times as is the players being haunted by their past transgressions. In no other context would a person be crucified years after the fact for doing something that was not even really considered wrong at the time .
This isnt even a determination in the media at this point – it sounds more like raw hatred for any one that is exposed and it is chillingly consistent and unified. I dont quite understand it but this is the only explanation I can come up with after witnessing the dramatic difference in opinion and level of interest of the writer compared to that of the average fan.A good chunk of fans seem to take this all in stride, not really caring all that much because they knew it was coming at some point in the back of their minds and only really anxious to watch this story go while the media seems to take on more of a blind rage approach expressing as much emotion and distaste as they can possibly muster. All for these acts that were either ignored or accepted practice when they occurred and all of which occurred many, many years prior. These events are always very strange and distorted and opinions always rage dramatically from one person to the next.
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=816
Representative Waxman’s statement in the congressional hearings in 2005
And here’s an excerpt from it:
”
Congress first investigated drugs and professional sports, including steroids over 30 years ago. I think perhaps the only two people in the room who will remember this are me and Commissioner Selig, because I believe he became an owner in 1970.
In 1973, the year I first ran for Congress, the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce concluded a year-long investigation that found — and I quote — “drug use exists … in all sports and levels of competition … In some instances, the degree of improper drug use — primarily amphetamines and anabolic steroids — can only be described as alarming.”
The Committee’s chairman — Harley Staggers — was concerned that making those findings public in a hearing would garner excessive attention and might actually encourage teenagers to use steroids. Instead, he quietly met with the commissioners of the major sports, and they assured him the problem would be taken care of.
Chairman Staggers urged Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to consider instituting tough penalties and testing. And he trusted Commissioner Kuhn to do that. In fact, in a press release in May 1973, Chairman Staggers said — and again I quote — “Based on the constructive responses and assurances I have received from these gentlemen, I think self-regulation will be intensified, and will be effective.”
But as we now know from 30 years of history, baseball failed to regulate itself.
Let’s fast forward to 1988. Jose Canseco was widely suspected of using steroids. Fans in opposing parks even chanted the phrase “steroids” when he came to bat. But according to Mr. Canseco, no one in major league baseball talked with him or asked him any questions about steroids. He was never asked to submit to a drug test. Instead, he was voted the American League’s Most Valuable Player.
”
Shows that you can’t trust the system (owners and players association heads together)
Do you guys see teams putting into furture contracts steroid clauses where one positive result from a test can result in immediate sepration from the team?
Never. Player’s Association will never let it happen.
Re: HOF
Many writers will not vote PED users or suspects into the Hall, period. No matter how many of their numbers may have been obtained clean. That is how it is right now. But attitudes will probably change in the future.
I would put Bonds in, he was a HOF player through 1998, even if he hadn’t played another game after 1998.
Arod will play, probably for another 9 years. Then the 5 year waiting period. Then a player is on the ballot for, I believe, 15 years. That means that the Arod referendum will be from 14 to 29 years from now. A lot will change in that time. There will probably be some writers with the opportunity to vote for Arods last years on the ballot who have not even been born yet. I think he gets in.
Lala,
go back to Lala-land.
You can’t make generalizations like you did when referring to 1% of the trolls who post here. If you do, you’re going to continue to come off looking like a fool.
Turn on MLBNetwork, right now. Jim Kaat is being interviewed about this all. Pretty interesting.
Seriously let’s critique every answer. Big Mike is on there saying about he didn’t know what he was taking or what he tested positive for. He basically said he didn’t know what he was taking (not the barry bonds I wasn’t taking steriods I didn’t know) but that he was taking quite a few and I came away with probably didn’t know the names. I mean once they tell you the type of steroid they go and look it up.
This one as well. Ask him again. To me he basically is saying around 2001 to 2003 meaning at some point he was probably introduced to the drugs by the band of Rangers including Palmerio, Sosa, Pudge, Juan Gine, Jose, whomever else was down there. Should he have written down dates. And more than likely him not saying the source again is outing another player which he probably doesn’t want to do. Gammons gave him outs to blame the union and he kept going back to himself apparently. He kept this on him.
The worst part is he obviously lied and never came clean, never would have if this wasn’t leaked. Blame him, and the countless others still hiding in baseball. And the weak explanation of the Katie Couric interview. But what can you do.
This is the most anyone has admitted to it of a bunch of those guys and much better than the way Bonds and Clemens admitted it.
At the end of the day, the people that hated him will have more fire to hate him. The people who idolized him probably still will. Those on the fence will probably lean more towards disliking him, but a championship and given years to redeem himself might win some back over. If that’s the case than that is what he shouldbe concentrating on.
And baseball as a whole from a managment standpoint should be coming as clean as possible with themselves. As much as Arod said he was fooling himself, so has baseball, Selig and others that they didn’t play a part. Don’t out more from the list, apologize to the fans for failing them, for failing the sport and for failing the clean players because no no matter what you can question everyone.
“That he took steroids is a big story whether you like it or not.”
No one said that it wasn’t a huge story. The only place this isn’t a huge story is on Mars. My issue is the tone you use in your posts. You are not a Yankee fan; you have told us that several times. As such, you are not going to be rooting for them the same way we do. By the same token, I wouldn’t expect you to be rooting against them either. You are supposed to be fair and objective. I may be crazy, but your Girardi and A-Rod posts are tinged with some venom. Perhaps you don’t see it. It could be totally subconscious, but trust me, it’s there. I’m not some wacko nut posting on here. I’ve been a regular for awhile now and I don’t usually complain about your posts or this site. If someone like me sees the hatred, trust me – it’s there.
Tune into MLB Network right now and listen to Jim Kaat’s take on the matter. He said he’d be first in line to take steroids if he knew it was going to give him a competitive advantage. He’s giving a much more balanced and experienced viewpoint than any sportswriter is.
“This is my job, no more, no less.”
Pete,
I think we all know that this is not true. You are a sports fan. You are passionate and opinionated (as you should be) about it. A comment like that lends us to believe that you wouldn’t follow any of this if you weren’t getting paid for it.
He didnt know what he was taking!? wow, i think i heard that from David “BIG PAPI” Ortiz before!!! Oh i think i have the exact quote!!!
“But it can happen anytime, it can happen. I don’t know. I don’t know if I drank something in my youth, not knowing it.”
Oh, but he was young and naive! The culture was loose back in the Dominican.
“I should use steroids just to see what’s going on,” Ortiz joked to the Herald.
Pete,
I dont think we think you actually hate arod. Its just every post you write along with every media person I heard in the news and the radio seems to being over-reacting about all this tremendously. There also seems to be some deep seeded scorn for the players actions and not necessarily the player. I think all of us are seeing that in every post, you are attacking arod on one front or another. If you did that once or even a few times, I would understand but it has been consistently in every post that you have made arod out to look horrible in some way or another. I love your writing and i LOVE this blog but I think your writing is reflecting the idea that you are taking this personally and are trying to attack arod every chance you can get. i WOULDNT say anything but multiple people have already noticed it.
“Why in the world would I spent one second of my time hating a baseball player?”
Why do you write in one “voice” on your blog and another in your print articles? Because you are allowed to speak in an edgy tone on your blog and it drives up readership.
You have made it clear in your posts throughout the years that you don’t like ARod. Don’t feign surprise because your readers criticize you for being overly subjective when writing about this story.
“Your boy used steroids, he lied about it and he got caught.”
It surprises me that you would include this line in a comment supposedly about your neutrality toward ARod. This looks like something that would appear on SOSH.
“The media has no control over what government prosecutors or baseball officials decide to leak.”
Does this mean Roberts only received access to ARod’s positive test results and no one else’s? If so, you’re right, there’s no debate here. She played by the rules and we can’t blame her for anything.
Otherwise, aren’t Yankee fans entitled to wonder why Roberts only released ARod’s name? Whether Roberts has a conflict of interest because she has made her career out of writing character assassination pieces about ARod?
http://www.steroidology.com/st.....names.html
Pete,
There are many different steroids and names for them – i dont at all find it hard to believe that he had no idea which one of them he was on. They all do pretty much the same thing. Some arent even injected. Just being in around minor leaguers who took them, i learned that most of them dont care what it is as long as they know it’s doing something to enhance their performance.
Brad Pitt:
from an earlier post, no i dont believe at all it was only 7% of baseball. I like to think that though. I also dont believe Steve Phillips when he says it was 70 – 80%. If i was guessing i would say it would be somewhere between 25 and 35% of players who have tried it and continued to use it.
Pete – You cover the Yankees. You’ll need to get quotes in the clubhouse.
Unless you got traded to the Kansas City Star –
A-Rod is your boy too. (like it or not)
wow, its getting really stupid in here.
Lala-land,
So Pete posted it. Why did you need to? You made a huge generalization when in fact it was a very small % that applied.
I’ll let your consistently bitter hate-filled posts let your true colors show… (though I see you as more of a black and white type of person).
Whoa. Kurkjian right on spot.
Saying that this is different from Bonds and Clemens. They’re the past and Alex is “now”.
He has lots of good stuff. They’ll probably have it up on espn.com later or on espnews loop.
I don’t know why so many are upset that Arod lied to Katie Couric. I wouldn’t even admit to her that I frost my hair! “No katie, it just grows this way naturally, really”. I don’t think MLB players or anybody, for that matter, are beholden to bare all to any reporter on a fishing expedition. That’s all couric was doing. A grand jury, under oath, federal investigators, it’s a different story.
You want cleanliness? Let’s throw Gaylord Perry out of the HOF. He came out and admitted he doctored the ball, after the fact and he was already in the HOF.
How many others cheated? Nolan Ryan, throwing high heat at 40-something? Jim Kaat is telling stories about how many pitchers doctored the ball, and got away with it. Al Leiter is telling how Art Fowler tried to teach him a spitter. Batters put cork or nails in their bats – for decades. What’s the difference? Baseball had no hard and fast rules at the time that anyone really cared about. Why the retrospective justice?
Going forward, if baseball wants to be “clean”, then make some hard rules with serious consequences.
Enough of the sermons.
i think its funny that pete is a fan of the patriots, a team known most for cheating!
Lala,
College educated no doubt? Does that make him snooty or obnoxious or something because he has a college degree? I think that would be more of a compliment yet, you appear to be using it as an insult. I dont quite get your point.
What do you guys expect Pete to say? “Oh, I don’t like the guy. He’s arrogant, he’s a liar and I’m going to rip him in all of my posts.”
None of you see how that might be bad for business? I mean honestly, what’re you getting at?
Look, ARod had a couple of days to prepare for this interview. In was not entirely spontaneous. To some extent, I am sure some of it is probably going to be scripted. It is about admitting the “sin,” but it is also about damage control. I think that’s fair at this point.
Now, I will watch the interview.
*Now we know why THE ROIDer,joked last year about his many*
*drug test.* He’s going to be a head case this year,watch.
*boston say’s they can’t wait until he’s in fenway.*
*I say,one more rat among their others.*
It is hilarious, though, how in a non-contact sport it’s acceptable to cheat by modifying your equipment, but not your body.
If the HOF voters, purists, and media guys didn’t make a big deal out of it, would we even care about PEDs?
Lala,
liberal and open-minded? not in this case. You are making huge generalizations, speaking in a condescending holier than thou manner, and have clearly made your mind up about all of this.
I have no problem believing the guy and I am glad he came clean. Testing began in ‘03 and h stopped taking steroids. He would be crazy not to stop.
He’s been tested like crazy since they started testing.
Look forward to getting behind A-Rod, that is, until he leaves the bags loaded in the 9th. Than, back to the boos.
Later skaters.
wHEN I HEARd that interview with couric, my first thought was: Why in the world did arod agree to do this interview knowing that she would ask him questions about using while he knew that he had in the past and would have to lie? If I was not clean like arod, i would have avoided that interview like a plague. What did Couric send a subpoena to arod’s house to be on her show. And then, kellerman gets this analyst to come in and tell him how and why she thinks arod lied on each question – and she includes his blinking and his word choices and body posture. It was all such a crock considering we all already knew he lied. Ummm anyone can be a human lie detector after the truth is already out and it is revealed to the whole world that arod did do roids. I could have been the “expert” on that show.
“You see max, right there, arod slightly bit his lower lip which tells me he is either not telling the truth or he is in fact, lying or maybe it was the si article that came out two days prior that informed me that he lied.”
Do people think that list of 104 names is sitting there waiting to be copied?
The government seized that list. Until then, only the MLBPA and MLB had access to it. To get the information, you need somebody to give it to you. Any reporter is at the mercy of the people who have the list. They decide what names get out, not us.
I would love to get that list and I would publish every name if I had at least two source confirming the names. But most of those people with the list don’t want it out. But obviously some do.
Selena got one name. She wishes she had them all, I’m sure. That would have been an even better story.
Can I have the link to Sam’s blog now?
Pete,
I think the majority of everyone here is upset with Arod, but also upset with your post because you basically said he was going to be a chump and weasel his way out of it and not admit anything and then he turns out to be the most candid player during this “steroid era” (well, besides Canseco). A story is a story and I respect that, but I think it is your responsibility to report that he manned up, specifically said he took PED’s and admitted he was wrong. Jerks like Bonds and Clemens just continue to lie, but Arod fessed up, so give the man a little credit and then don’t bash his answers. You should certainly ask more questions and get more details, hell, all of us fans are paying for his salary, but you should let the readers know he has been the most honest out of anyone. Everyone who reads and writes this blog has some kind of skeleton in their closet and I bet 75% of us don’t admit to it even when we are caught. Don’t cut him a break, but show him some respect.
“Selena got one name. She wishes she had them all, I’m sure. That would have been an even better story.”
How do we know that?
“Selena got one name. She wishes she had them all, I’m sure. That would have been an even better story.”
How do we know that?
Sorry for the x2.
Has anyone been talking about steroid use for two days straight but dont know a thing about what arod actually took – read this:
http://www.bugsandcranks.com/t.....nderstand/
Gotta love that the place he got the “wake up call” was in Suprise
“If the HOF voters, purists, and media guys didn’t make a big deal out of it, would we even care about PEDs?”
Not a single bit.
Do we care about the decades of illegal amphetamines? Nope.
Do we care about Gaylord Perry’s spitball? Nada.
Do we care about other HOF members scuffing balls? Nil.
Do we care about Cobb’s sharpened spikes and them scaring fielders? Not at all.
You can laugh at your audience all you want Pete, but know that a portion are laughing back at the sportswriting world.
Where is the balance in the reporting? Who is writing the story about the violation Alex Rodriguez’s 4th Amendment rights? I realize it’s not as sexy of a story as picking the bones off A rod’s carcass, but exactly who is focussing their reporting about the leak of court sealed documents?
If I suspect my neighbor is a drug dealer, do I have the right to somehow access is bank account? Am I guilty of a crime by accessing his bank account? And if my suspicions prove correct,is it immoral or unethical of the reporter I contact to publish information that was illegally obtained? As far as I’m concerned, that’s a bigger issue here.
I do not believe all sportswriters are blood sucking leeches,only the ones that stand on a soapbox and preach about ethics while ignoring the fact their story was the result of someone breaking the law to get the information.
A Rod is a cheat. His records should be forever tainted. Selena Roberts is no better than the creep who took the picture of Michael Phelps with his cell phone camera and sold it to the tabloids.
Forgot to include…
(USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
Pete,
Can you dig my Kurkjian comment out of the filter? I don’t like my First Amendment rights being violated.
*PETE*
*Would you PLEASE allow Yankees fans the right to be angry?*
I would think just about everyone here who is a Yankee fan would find todays press conference to be a positive…I mean hell, I think this guy’s personal hell maybe coming to an end…It certainly worked out far better than waht was imagined two days ago…..Some people just have there heads up the wrong channel…….OC Yankee fan..Thanks fro the headsup on Kapler, he’s a Tiatn….Are you in the Newport area ??? Time to move on guys, embrace the fact that Spriing Training is very near….
So far he seems pretty honest to me. Not doing anything that body language experts tell you indicate lying. (quick eye blinking, looking down as opposed to in the eyes). Now the interview isn’t yet over. But so far so good as far as I’m concerned.
I particularly like this quote:
There is no evidence that steroid use has altered home run hitting and those who argue otherwise are profoundly ignorant of the statistics of home runs, the physics of baseball, and of the physiological effects of steroids.
as it rings so very relevantly to the frequency of today’s discussion.
Lala,
Again, you made a sweeping generalization, in a very condescending way when in fact there were only a couple “offending” posters.
There are trolls on here. Ignore them. Certainly don’t insult the masses because of the posts of a couple individuals.
take it or leave it…
Wow Abe, let e get out the pitchforks and torches for you so we can get the witch hunt out in earnest. Yes the gig is up and now he has to fess up to it. If I was in his shoes 6 to 9 years ago, with those team mates around me and the contract I just signed, I don’t know if I could have declined the offer.
As far as he didnt know what he was taking, it doesn’t suprise me. Guys like MacNamee had a “program” that players subscribed to by word of mouth and they used it because it worked. This wasn’t the McGuire, Giambi, Canseco days when they had to do it themselves.
statistics, physics and physiology – everyones three favorite subjects that contribute to steroids impact on baseball. I know baseball fans love stats but Im not so sure about physics and im pretty sure physiology is not all that popular in this pass time.
This is boring.
Which contract would they void? The current one or the previous one?
Just sayin’…
Pete,
Is Tim K. from espn one of the naughty words?
That’s twice my post got eaten up.
“Selena got one name. She wishes she had them all, I’m sure. That would have been an even better story.”
I dont think so Pete. It would have taken some attention off Alex and on to others. This way she took the biggest name on the list which is as big as a story can be. And placed it up there with Rose gambling. If it was more than Rose, it wouldnt have been that magnified. Why wouldnt Conseco reveal all the names at once? He couldnt keep writing books if that was the case. Who knows if she has more names. But if she does, its probably best to keep it stashed away till this runs out of gas.
“Alex says he has spoken to the Yankees and they are supporting him”
WOW! he just claimed that he didnt know he had done steroids at the time he was interviewed by katie couric!
what a liar!
http://espn.go.com/page2/s/lis.....ayers.html <– rather a fun read, actually. The reader submission page is also fun.
Watching Gammons now … he comes off as an even bigger phony. He lied to Katie Couric. Why should we believe him that it was just 2001-03. His entire career is a sham.
Watching the sportscenter interview with Arod and Gammons.
I must say that I absolutely hate Peter Gammons!
Arod sounds good, but Gammons just won’t let it ride. He just has to degrade Alex on any given subject. Damn I despise him.
Thanks, Pete!
Are all writers tagged? We promise not to pose!
I had an excerpt on the last thread. 14 of the last 26 MVPs were suspected of, accused of, or have admitted using steroids.
Is no one else blow away by that?
Lala,
I’d like to know what “objective evidence” you are referring to.
I’m not arguing… just curious. The only evidence I know of are the drug tests he has passed (every time) since 2004.
*blown
“SI pays this lady, Selena Roberts, to stalk me.”
Ok this is interesting.
“as a lawyer, I can tell you she is no lawyer”
Uh oh, I think I’ve been practicing without a license then!
Lala, just a suggestion. Get back on your meds because I’m afraid you may start baying at the moon soon if you don’t!
“I would think just about everyone here who is a Yankee fan would find todays press conference to be a positive”
I agree – positive is a good choice of word!
The only “lie” I’ve heard Alex say is that he took a banned substance.
Technically, it wasn’t banned. Illegal, yes. But MLB hadn’t even banned this stuff.
Crazy.
Pete,
It is so, so VERY convenient that the person that is writing a book about arod and his supposed downfall as a person just happened to be the same person that found the government officials that were in the position to share names on that list and out of all the names they picked of the 104, arod is the one that popped out. Those odds must be worse than winning the lottery so selena must be one very lucky woman.
This either sounds like selena bribed a government official she got the information in some illegal manner without government knowledge or just happened to ask the very people who had the ability to name names, she asked about arod and then, said that he was on the list without anything in return for their charity. Otherwise, I have no idea how she could have somehow stumbled upon this list or the officials who control it and gotten arods name out of everyone on there. It sounds to me like she only wanted arods name if anything. That was the one man’s life she really wanted to tear apart. I mean she is trying to destroy him through a book already so why not begin the destruction with an article and follow it up with a book. No matter how she got this info, it all sounds extremely fishy to me and I cant help but think that something was done illegal on one end, the other or both. I dont think the government officials just did this out of the kindness of their hearts to make roberts money and fame.
well, perhaps it was banned… just not tested for with no penalty.
“Good to know, Trisha. All objective evidence (statistics, even his excuse about “pressure”—none here in NY to be sure, etc.) indicates otherwise, but as long as he’s passing Trisha’s Yankee Star Believability Analysis© with flying colors, all’s good. Selena, stop investigating; Pete, stop writing; Trisha buys it.”
*WAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
What a flippin cry baby. Go let your mommy diaper you so we can watch this in peace, kay???
That’s a good it.
SA,
Please tell me that was a joke!
Celerino Sanchez…Very good….Are you still smothering ground balls…Great arm though….Yanks 72-73 right, after a tour with the Tigers…
Pete,
Of course Selena is going to release the name once she has it. Nobody should have criticized her for that. I personally never doubted the authenticity of her claims.
What I don’t understand is how you can’t see why people would be upset that a journalist potentially violated somebody’s Constitutional rights to get the info.
Nothing is more important than the truth… except when you have to violate people’s rights to get it.
m-unless I heard it wrong, he actually said that. Selena seems to have a few screws missing.
Wow – you mean the yanks are supporting arod over voiding his 300 mil like some fans would have them do? I am in awe – good fpr them.
The yankee organization has no chance but the fans do and thankfully, it appears that most fans have come to their senses and realized that arod doing roids in 2003 will not lead to the complete destruction of the 2009 season. Thank god for that at least.
No, I have no doubt that she’s stalking him. But for him to say that is really attacking the messenger. Callow.
I am really liking this interview.
Good for you Alex.
trisha,
I was hoping Alex would have flat out asked for forgiveness. He definitely accepted blame.
I was hoping for “I failed in my judgement. I knew what I was doing was wrong and did it anyway to get an edge. I’d like to ask for forgiveness.”
regardless, he is on the right track to getting this over with.
*dave*
*No matter what,the mercenary Roider won’t go if asked.*
*The Yankees are a one of a few teams that can pay him.*
Boston Dave, let’s hope it doesn’t go downhill…
For the people who are asking who will break Aarons record?
How do we know for sure that Aaron was completely clean through out his baseball career? I mean the other day I heard that the american olympic team were using steroids in the 60’s i believe. No one is innocent IMO. As far as getting into the HOF. He played against roided competition. If we know now that most were probably taking it then it was fair game. In 9 years, I think they are all put in the hof but with an invisible asterisk.
*dave*
your preaching to the choir,with *PETE,* he thinks she’s
just doing what any sports writter would do,with the same
info, *he’s right,they love juicy gotcha moments.*
Pat M
I wish I was from Newport!
I’m a northerner–north OC. I work within a few blocks of the old Big-Ed (Anaheim Stadium).
Buster Olney due next on Sports Center, if anyone’s interested. Opining on you know what.
Who the heck is this “lala” person?
Just the next name in a long list of AKA’s?
Talk about running into a forum with both your guns blazing, lol.
There are a lot of naive A-Rod apologists here. Why should it be believd that he took steroids for ‘only’ 3 years?
I guess because he’s been so truthful about his steroid usage in the past?
Do people here really think that there aren’t newer steroids available now that aren’t detectable?
There will ALWAYS be chemists and biologists willing to invent a new undetectable steroid because there are millions to be made off of it.
Unless they store blood tests to be retested once a previously undetectable steroid i found out there will always be cheaters.
Of course Selena is going to release the name once she has it. Nobody should have criticized her for that. I personally never doubted the authenticity of her claims.
What I don’t understand is how you can’t see why people would be upset that a journalist potentially violated somebody’s Constitutional rights to get the info.
Nothing is more important than the truth… except when you have to violate people’s rights to get it.
**********************************************************
Amen, Dave.
Sweeping generalizations by Lala aside, I didn’t doubt it was accurate. It IS possible to believe and accept the message, while being revolted by the methods used to get it.
Raymagnetic,
YOU have decided what you believe the truth is based on what you know and how you understand it. That’s good.
How about you allow others the same luxury, without negating their ability to think for themselves by calling them apologists, huh?
*He’ll be* in the bating cage,or
surrounded by young fans,or
out with a lady friend,or
rounding the bases from a homer,and
some reporter,another player,a fan will *YELL*
*Arod,are you still juicing?*
I knkow a lot of people will disagree with me, and maybe think I’m ignorant. But personally, I couldn’t care less about the steroids thing as a whole. I Personally loathe Arod…always have. As far as his admission, good for him…better then the Clemens Fiasco, without a doubt. That being said, All I really care about is for the season to start so I can watch/listen to the Yanks.
what is with the ridiculous statements about the Yankees voiding his contract? i mean are you media people serious with this garbage? unfortunate retards who read this bs actually believe that is something the Yankees would WANT to do even if they could and that couldnt be farther from the truth. Should they kick Chamberlain off the team for driving after a few beers? Please with the overly dramatic super dumbed down posts today. This “voiding of the contract” and the failure to do a lick of investigating with respect to the Texas stats are pretty irresponsible.
banned?
I was pissed when I first heard about A-Roid and the drugs but I am now okay with it. If he is willing to admit it then I am willing to forgive.
13 is not even close to being my favorite Yankee but I kind of appreciate his being somewhat honest about the whole ordeal.
Now if Jeter was busted, then I would be very disappointed.