New Report: Ramirez&Ortiz among the 104 to test positive for PEDs

[bsmooth]

Two players would blow me away if on the list. Griffey and Jeter.

Next.

Ichiro

[bsmooth]

Update:

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz says he was told by the baseball players' union that he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

Ortiz says he's surprised by the news and intends to find out what drug was found in the tests that were supposed to remain anonymous.

The New York Times reported Thursday on its Web site that Ortiz and former teammate Manny Ramirez were among the more than 100 major league players who tested positive in 2003. The newspaper cited lawyers involved in pending litigation over the testing results who spoke anonymously because the information is under seal by a court order.

The Times did not say which drugs were involved.

Asked about the report, Ramirez told reporters to call the players' union.

[MaineDolFan]

Maybe I should have said something like STL & Tommy have quit caring and Maine is bored, but I just condensed it a bit.

I'm not even bored.  I'm upset with the whole era, but I wouldn't even know where to start.  David Ortiz has some of the biggest hits in Red Sox history.  In their history!  He tested positive in '03.  I know for a fact he passed upwards of four tests in 2004.  Did he pass the tests?  Or did he find a better masking agent to help pass the test, simply learning from his mistake in '03? 

I'll pose this question (and then answer it):  Where do games general turn?  Late innings.  Who are some of the largest PED offenders in the group?  Middle relief.  Who is generally on the mound in the 6th, 7th and 8th?  Middle relief.  Then factor in the "timely" hits...aurgh.

What a mess.

[StL FinFan]

If (almost) everyone is doing it, are the effects cancelled out?

[MaineDolFan]

^You would think so.  But I would like to believe that more out there did NOT do it then did it.  So that kind of tilts the power a little.

Or, look at it like this...take 2004:

You're a Cards fan.  How would you feel if you found out the following players were positive:

Boston:  Manny, Ortiz, Pedro, Lowe, Damon, Tek.
Cards:  Albert and three role players.

Wouldn't WHO did it mean more than the actual number?  Manny and Ortiz battered St. Louis into a bloody mess in that series and Pedro and Lowe both went deep into their starts.  IF the names I tossed out were true, and St. Louis has offenders but no where near the type of impact players Boston's offenders were, does that wash each other?

See what I mean about "what a mess?"

[StL FinFan]

I don't know how do answer that because they still have to hit the ball and no amount of performance enhancing drugs (imo anyway) is going to help you make contact better.  It's not going to help your fielding ablility either.

The Cardinals did not even show up for that WS.  That was a bunch of other guys.  We don't like to talk about it.   We thought it would be one for the ages.

[Phishfan]

But I would like to believe that more out there did NOT do it then did it. 

Maine, I'm sure you are the guy to help me with my little informal judgement. I have been too lazu to look up the numbers myself.

What number is baseball's roster set at? I know there are variations in the actual number through the season, but I'm sure we can also figure out how many players appeared in the bigs for 2003 if we really wanted to go that far. I'd like to figure out a rough estimate of how many players at any time are in the bigs.

[MaineDolFan]

The easiest way to do this is that each team has a 40 man MLB roster. 

Each team, however, has a 25 man ACTIVE roster.  You can't have more than 25 players on the active roster at a time (which is why you hear "JD Drew is back from injury and activated from the DL, Jeff Bailey is sent back to AAA to make room for Drew on the active roster", etc). 

September 1 the roster expands to 40 and you can carry up to that number actively.

Hope this helps?

[MaineDolFan]

We thought it would be one for the ages.

It should have been.  I think everyone was expecting 6-7 games and a knock down fight in each one.  Boston peaked at the right time.

And your answer, by the way, IS the answer.  There isn't one.  Which makes this rather painful for people like you and I...ones that love the game.

[SCFinfan]

I hope Teixeira's not on the list.

[MaineDolFan]

Mark has always been very vocal about his position on steroids.  But...then again...so was Raffy.  And Ortiz.  And others.

[StL FinFan]

It should have been.  I think everyone was expecting 6-7 games and a knock down fight in each one.  Boston peaked at the right time.

And your answer, by the way, IS the answer.  There isn't one.  Which makes this rather painful for people like you and I...ones that love the game.

We just walked around telling each other at least it wasn't the Yankees.

Yeah, what do you do?  Not everyone is going to be caught and how do you punish those that are? 

On a side note: I think it was hypocritical for a bunch of people who cheered McGwire's every move to be booing Manny like he was bood here.  We rarely boo at anyone who is not a Cub and no team is in any position to point fingers.  Just my $0.02.  Cardinals fans are supposed to have more class than that.

[MaineDolFan]

I see where you are at on that - but know this...unless it's from their home town fans, players enjoy being booed and heckled. 

I remember one of my first interviews ever was with Roger Clemens, right when he came back to Fenway as a member of the Blue Jays.  He told me that cheers are nice...but a boo means that you are doing something right.  Winning.  It's actually a measure of respect. I wouldn't be too down on the Cards fans for it.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

We just walked around telling each other at least it wasn't the Yankees.

Yeah, what do you do?  Not everyone is going to be caught and how do you punish those that are? 

On a side note: I think it was hypocritical for a bunch of people who cheered McGwire's every move to be booing Manny like he was bood here.  We rarely boo at anyone who is not a Cub and no team is in any position to point fingers.  Just my $0.02.  Cardinals fans are supposed to have more class than that.

Do you think those people would still be cherring for McGwire after they found out what he did?

[StL FinFan]

Maine - I don't think he was being booed out of respect, like when Albert is booed.  Like I said, we don't normally boo anyone who is not a Cub.  We respect good players on other teams. Usually.

Tommy - Yes, if he were wearing a Cardinals uniform.