Jose Canseco was out to out everybody with his books. One of the big names he claimed was on steroids was A-Rod, and A-Rod in turn shrugged as if to say it was so preposterous it didn't warrant an answer. Now, there are leaks that A-Rod was one of the players who tested positive in 2003, the year MLB commenced anonymous testing.
In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.
Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.
When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. "You'll have to talk to the union," said Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, "I'm not saying anything."
The MLBPA issued a statement on Saturday, saying "Information and documents relating to the results of the 2003 MLB testing program are both confidential and under seal by court orders. We are prohibited from confirming or denying any allegation about the test results of any particular player[s] by the collective bargaining agreement and by court orders. Anyone with knowledge of such documents who discloses their contents may be in violation of those court orders."
Well, that's great because it's out in the open now. Who knows who the other names are, but it's A-Rod that's been hung out to dry. The MLB's labor relations man Rob Manfred released this statement.
"We are disturbed by the allegations contained in the Sports Illustrated news story which was posted online this morning. Because the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be non-disciplinary and anonymous, we can not make any comment on the accuracy of this report as it pertains to the player named.
"Based on the results of the 2003 tests, Major League Baseball was able to institute a mandatory random-testing program with penalties in 2004. Major League Baseball and the Players Association have improved the drug testing program on several occasions so that it is now the toughest program in professional sports. The program bans stimulants, such as amphetamines, as well as steroids.
"Any allegation of tipping that took place under prior iterations of the program is of grave concern to Major League Baseball, as such behavior would constitute a serious breach of our agreement.
"Under Commissioner [Bud] Selig's leadership, Major League Baseball remains fully committed to the elimination of the use of performance enhancing substances from baseball. As the Commissioner has said, we will continue to do everything within our power to eliminate the use of such drugs and to protect the integrity of the program."
Well, that's great too but there's no way to un-fuck this goat. A-Rod's been named and that's that. He's either got to come out swinging with full denial in the face of contrary evidence like Roger Clemens or he has to come clean like Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi. It's just so wonderful that the Yankees keep on having to hold press conferences for guys who essentially cheated to get inflated numbers and went on to collect big money from their payroll. I imagine Brian Cashman is groaning in bed holding a pillow over his head. I wouldn't want to face the coming Monday either.
Even if he comes out and says "I did it, sorry", his projected legacy is going to be tied up with this stuff. Sitting on 553 HRs, he's likely going to leave a big HR total. Now he's going to be in the Barry Bonds/Mark McGwire territory of having big tainted numbers.
My personal take is that I've stopped being angry about the steroid abusers. I can't sustain my fury at the cheats when I know that it was widespread and that the Owners, the MLB and MLBPA turned a blind eye to it for many years. The tacit non-disapproval, and by its own corollary extension, a tacit approval, created the conditions whereby athletes flocked to bulk up or try and gain an edge. If A-Rod was no different, then at least we know, that's what it takes to get a Shortstop to hit like Lou Gehrig.
Look at that chart closely. The blue squiggle is the average Isolated Power of MLB hitters through all that time starting from 1926. There are ups and downs that correspond to various periods of the game, but the eye-catching thing is how the league average ISO pops over .150 in 1993. That's the year McGwire posts an ISO of .393, at Age 29. Late bloomer, don't you think? His previous high point was .329.
It's obvious in hindsight but that's just what it is: hindsight. Even A-Rod's graph looks 'interesting' in retrospect. He's been posting a flat .300 ISO since 1999 with the exception of 04, 06, 08 as a Yankee. 2003 in particular marked the end of a 5 year run of around .300 ISO. It's incredibly fishy - in hindsight. Is this proof? No. But it should have sounded alarm bells the way, say Bernie Madoff's fund sounded the alarm for Harry Markopolos.
Still, even when McGwire was smashing records and when Bonds was smashing McGwire's records, it seemed abundantly obvious these guys were on something. All of them looked like monsters compared to the sluggers I knew from my childhood. Old images of players like Jim Rice and Reggie Jackson in their peak years look small by comparison to these guys hitting.
As an audience I guess I just learned to turn a blind eye to it. For that I think I'm equally to blame as the athletes, the ownership, the MLB and the journalists. Our collective acceptance of these numbers enabled the athletes to cheat. It's a bummer when you realise that. It's too late to innocently say, "Say it ain't so."
UPDATE:
There was this lovely article in the NYT.
Go ahead. Laugh. Dismiss tarot cards as a mere superstition. But I am a baseball fan. Superstition is my middle name. I have my lucky “Property of New York Yankees” T-shirt that is ripped and faded and belongs in the trash. I have my lucky black Yankees cap that my friend Judith bought for me, the one with the rhinestone-studded NY. I even have my lucky turkey burgers that my husband throws on the grill for dinner whenever I’m panicking during a game, which is always. Who am I to rule out anything?
“Let’s start by asking the cards who you are to the Yankees,” Patricia said as we sat together in her living room, the oversize, brightly colored cards spread out face down on a table.
I slid a card out of the deck and handed it to her.
“Ah, the Time Space card,” she said, nodding. “Apparently, you have a karmic connection with the Yankees. They’re not just a team to you. They’re your destiny.”
Wow. No wonder I spent hours obsessing over whether Joba should start or relieve.
“We signed three high-profile free agents,” I continued. “We paid a lot of money for them, too, so I’d like to find out how they’ll do this year.”
“How much money?” Patricia asked before taking a sip of water.
“Almost half a billion dollars.”
She did a spit-take.
“But they’re great,” I assured her.
“Which one would you like to ask about first?”
“C. C. Sabathia.”
“Then the question is: Who is C. C. to the Yankees this season? Pick a card, Jane.”
I selected one and gave it to her.
“The Fortune card!” she exclaimed, beaming. “He’s going to be very, very successful — definitely their ace in the hole.”
She clearly meant ace of the staff. Holy cow!
The Yankees are going to have an auspicious year in spite of everything.
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