Another One Bites the Dust
A-Rod allegedly tested positive for steroids in 2003






By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
February 7, 2009

According to Sports Illustrated Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids during the 2003 season while a member of the Texas Rangers. It was the same year Rodriguez won the first of three MVP trophies.

According to the report numerous sources told SI A-Rod tested positive for two banned substances during a test in 2003.

Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who failed a drug test for anabolic steroids during the season. He reportedly had tested positive for Primobolan and testosterone while playing for the Rangers.

Sports Illustrated caught up with Rodriguez working out in a gymnasium in Miami where he resides in the off season and he declined to comment on the report. “You’ll have to talk to the union,” he told a reporter.

Although Major League Baseball said it was “disturbed” by the news it could not comment on it, because of player confidentiality.

MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said, “Because the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be non-disciplinary and anonymous, we cannot make any comment on the accuracy of this report as it pertains to the player named,”

According to additional reports the player’s association refused to directly address the truthfulness of the report as well.

In a public statement the union said, “Information and documents relating to the results of the 2003 MLB testing program are both confidential and under seal by court orders.

“Anyone with knowledge of such documents who discloses their contents may be in violation of those court orders,” the union added.

Rodriguez was interviewed on CBS’ 60 Minutes in 2003, three days after George Mitchell’s report became public and he denied ever using steroids or other performance enhancing drugs.

“I’ve never felt over-matched on the baseball field. … I felt that if I did my, my work as I’ve done since I was, you know, a rookie back in Seattle, I didn’t have a problem competing at any level,” he said.

A-Rod began his career with the Seattle Mariners in where he played six seasons before moving to Arlington, Texas to play for the Rangers. In 2003 He won the first of three MVP titles as well as the AL home run title with 57 home runs. It was while a member of the Rangers A-Rod signed the then richest contract in baseball history when he inked a 10-year, $250 million deal.

Rodriguez moved to the New York Yankees in 2004 and won a second MVP award in 2005. In 2007, after opting out of his contract, A-Rod re-signed with the Yankees by agreeing to a new 10-year, $275 million deal making him, far and away, the richest player in sports history. He rewarded the club by winning a third MVP award to equal Yankee icons Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra who also have three MVP awards; although Mantle and Berra won all three with the Yankees.

In recent years Major League Baseball has come under great scrutiny, because of players allegedly using steroids and human growth hormone. In the past 4 years heretofore legends such as Raphael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have fallen in the eyes of fans due to their proven or alleged use of illegal performance drugs.

In 2005, Palmeiro, pointing at congressmen looking into the steroid scandal and telling them he never took steroids, tested positive for stanozolol. Palmeiro was out of baseball shortly after the failed test became public. McGwire, who originally broke Roger Maris’ home run record by knocking out 70 home runs during the 1998 season, told the same committee he wasn’t there to talk about the past. He, all but, inferred he used illegal substances. McGwire retired in 2001 nagged by injuries. He has failed in three attempts to enter the Hall of Fame with his garnering less and less votes with each passing year.

Both Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens legacies are in jeopardy as well. Bonds, in 2003, testified during the BALCO grand jury inquiry that he never knowingly took any form of steroids. That testimony, plus evidence seized by federal investigators over the past couple of years has led to Bonds being indicted for lying under oath. He goes on trial in March.

In 2007 Clemens’ name was the biggest name to become public out of the Mitchell Report when it was presented to Commissioner Bud Selig. Clemens former trainer, Brian McNamee, told federal investigators during Mitchell’s investigation he injected Clemens with PEDs. That launched Clemens into defense mode. He went on 60 Minutes to be interviewed by Mike Wallace. He categorically denied using anything illegal to better his performance and painted McNamee as a liar. He sued McNamee for character assassination. He also went before Congress and told them he wasn’t a drug abuser.

However, McNamee wasn’t through. He told investigators he injected Clemens wife Debra, with human growth hormones so that she would look good for a Sports Illustrated cover shoot with her husband in 2003. McNamee told authorities he did it in Clemens’ bedroom under Clemens’ supervision. Clemens denied every aspect of McNamee’s account. Mrs. Clemens admitted she was injected, but according to Clemens she did it herself after hearing McNamee telling her the benefits of using it.

After the congressional hearing the case was given to federal investigators to look into whether or not Clemens lied. Recently investigators turned over their findings to a federal grand jury that is in the midst of determining if Clemens should be indicted for perjury.

We’ll all know that shortly.

Turning back to A-Rod, he is the just latest athlete to have his name dragged through the mud in the never ending steroid scandal. Commissioner Bud Selig must have a lot of sleepless nights knowing that another icon’s name is going to come up. A-Rod is just the most recent to appear, and you know he isn’t the last.

What makes this soap opera so laughable is that just when you want to feel sorry for the guy, because he was just trashed by his former manager in a new book he shoots himself in the foot again. As it has been pointed out many times, A-Rod is a lightning rod for controversy. The way this guys’ life is going he could be the solution to the energy crisis.

As this story unfolds, we will all learn more and more details. The important thing here for A-Rod is history. Will he learn from it and say “mea culpa,” and ask for forgiveness or will he repeat it and deny his involvement as others have done with not too great results?

I have my thoughts, keep yours and stay tuned.



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