Former Red Sox infielder Lou Merloni has caused a bit of a storm lately with comments that the Red Sox taught players how to use steroids. This is a hot topic in Boston because former Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez failed a performance-enhancing drug test while with the Dodgers. Merloni, an analyst on Comcast’s “The Baseball Show,” had this to say Saturday: “I’m in spring training, and I got an 8:30-9:00 meeting in the morning,” said Merloni, who was in the Red Sox minor-league system from 1996-97 and played in the big leagues with them from 1998-2002. “And I walk into that office, and this happened while I was with the Boston Red Sox before this last regime, I’m sitting in the meeting. There’s a doctor up there and he’s talking about steroids, and everyone was like ‘Here we go, we’re gonna sit here and get the whole thing — they’re bad for you.’ No. He spins it and says ‘You know what, if you take steroids and sit on the couch all winter long, you can actually get stronger than someone who works out clean, if you’re going to take steroids, one cycle won’t hurt you, abusing steroids it will.’ – From SI
On a national radio program Tuesday, Roger Clemens again denied having used steroids or HGH. His first public comments in more than a year coincide with a new book focusing on his alleged drug use.
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez could return from a hip injury in as few as 10 days. But he is already back in the headlines. More details from Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts’ book “A-Rod” were released Wednesday by the New York Daily News. The book alleges Rodriguez did not stop using steroids when he was traded to the Yankees in 2004, and he might have been using as far back as high school, the Daily News reports. – From ESPN
When an All-Star third baseman needed help recovering from a shoulder injury, he knew from one of his agents whom to call: a doctor who mailed him steroids and syringes without ever seeing him. A journeyman catcher, fearing he would not be able to support his wife and children if he lost his spot in the major leagues, reached out to the same doctor. A pitcher who was feeling worn down followed the same path, but another pitcher who was plagued by fatigue found an alternative: he said a team doctor injected him with steroids. – From NY Times
Drug paraphernalia that Brian McNamee says he used to inject pitcher Roger Clemens has performance-enhancing substances on it, according to people briefed on the case, who were quoted anonymously in The New York Times on Tuesday. Drug paraphernalia that Brian McNamee says he used to inject pitcher Roger Clemens has performance-enhancing substances on it, according to people briefed on the case, who were quoted anonymously in The New York Times on Tuesday. – From ESPN
The cover of Sports Illustrated’s April 24, 1989 issue featured NFL prospect Tony Mandarich, a massive offensive tackle from Michigan State. Mandarich was dubbed “the best offensive line prospect ever.” Rick Telander wrote the cover story, titled “The Big Enchilada”, in which he described Mandarich’s workout routine and published Mandarich’s denials of steroid use. While common sense had long ago labeled Mandarich a liar, it was only some 20 years later, at the age of 42, that Mandarich finally came clean. In that 1989 piece, Mandarich scoffed at the notion that he used steroids. He seemed content to pass such accusations off as pure jealousy. – From SI
The big headed man may avoid prison, but it really doesn’t matter to the rest of the world. Bonds is guilty in the eyes of the world. No team is going to want him – even if he can still play at his age. And no matter happens, everything he did will come into question.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston on Friday threw out evidence in the perjury trial of former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds. Among the evidence tossed was statements allegedly made by Bonds former trainer linking him to positive tests for performance-enhancing drugs. – From National Post
The government’s case against Barry Bonds has suffered a setback. A federal judge ruled Thursday that prosecutors cannot show jurors three positive steroid tests and other key evidence in the slugger’s trial next month. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the urine samples that tested positive for steroids are inadmissible because prosecutors cannot prove conclusively that they belong to Bonds. The judge also barred prosecutors from showing jurors so-called doping calendars that Bonds’ personal trainer, Greg Anderson, allegedly maintained for the slugger. – From Yahoo
The judge presiding over Barry Bonds’s perjury case dealt prosecutors a significant setback late Thursday, ruling that the government cannot use several pieces of key evidence — including documents that tied Bonds to positive drug tests and doping calendars — at his trial, which is scheduled to begin next month. United States District Judge Susan Illston said that without the testimony of Greg Anderson, Barry Bonds’s former trainer, the evidence could not be authenticated and directly tied to Bonds. Anderson spent a year in prison for refusing to cooperate with the government’s investigation. Since his release in November 2007, Anderson has continued to refuse to testify about substances the government said he gave Bonds. – From NY Times
A-Rod had a press conference today to try and quell some of the harsh reactions to his steroid use confession. Will it help? Probably. He was clear and specific on some things: no HGH, number of injections – and admitting he knew he wasn’t taking ‘tic tacs’. The honesty will help because a certain segment will now see him strictly as a cheater – no matter what he did or didn’t do. But by being specific, it allows those willing to forgive come to terms with exactly what it was he did, when and what effect it might have had on his performance. The main thing is for him to be honest – and if other crap comes out – no one will ever trust him.
Facing a full house of reporters, Alex Rodriguez offered some details of his performance-enhancing drug use on Tuesday. Rodriguez, who reiterated that he used the drug when he played for the Texas Rangers from 2001-03, said he and a cousin, whom he would not identify, acquired the drug in the Dominican Republic and that the cousin injected him with it twice a month. – From MLB.com
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was apologetic Tuesday, as he spoke to reporters at spring training about his prior use of performance-enhancing drugs. Saying he was “curious” and calling it a “stupid mistake,” Rodriguez gave details about how he and a nameless cousin experimented with steroids from 2001 through 2003 while he was a member of the Texas Rangers. “I knew we weren’t taking Tic-Tacs,” Rodriguez stated during the news conference. “I knew it could potentially be something wrong. I didn’t get into the investigation [of what it was]. When you’re 24 or 25 [years old] and ignorant, you don’t want to share everything with the public and that was something I decided not to share with anyone.” – From the Sports Network
Alex Rodriguez admitted Tuesday that he received about three dozen injections of a performance-enhancing drug from the Dominican Republic between 2001-03. “I didn’t think they were steroids,” said Rodriguez, who repeatedly blamed his three-year dalliance with the drug on being “young and stupid.” “I knew we weren’t taking Tic-Tacs,” Rodriguez said at one point. “I knew that.” – From NY Daily News
While there’s some questionable characters in this case, there’s now reportedly someone who saw Bonds shooting up steroids – something we haven’t heard from so far. It is only one, but it’s a start. It’s going to be harder and harder for Bonds to claim ignorance on what he was doing.
he government says it has four witnesses who will testify to firsthand knowledge of Barry Bonds’ alleged steroid use, including one who will say she watched the seven-time MVP receive an injection from his personal trainer, Greg Anderson. In court documents filed Friday in San Francisco, the government described 39 potential witnesses it may call in its case against Bonds. – From ESPN
Prosecutors unveiled a new and potentially explosive witness in their perjury case against Barry Bonds: The home run king’s one-time personal assistant will testify that she watched the slugger being injected with drugs, according to court documents filed Friday in San Francisco. – From NY Daily News
Barry Bonds is in danger of being proven a liar, if what a memo filed Friday in a San Francisco court says is true. Several witnesses are ready to testify that they saw the former Giants slugger being injected with steroids, according to a document filed by federal prosecutors Friday. The memo was filed as part of the home run king’s ongoing perjury trial. The memo says prosecution witnesses scheduled to speak at Bonds’ trial, which starts March 2, will include his former mistress, teammates and assistants who witnessed the slugger used banned substances. Bonds testified he never knowingly used banned drugs. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. – From MSNBC
Baseball’s attempts to get past the ’steroid question’ took another hit when Miguel Tejada was charged with lying to to congressional investigators. Now the steroid issue is once again front and center, and the league needs to fess up now so it doesn’t drag on forever. The Astros must feel like chumps, having dealt for Tejada last year, only to get Tejada lite (without steroids).
Former Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada was charged today with lying to congressional investigators about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Federal prosecutors accused Tejada of making misrepresentations to congressional staffers during an interview in a Baltimore hotel room focusing on the prevalence of steroids in the game. The charge came in “a criminal information,” a document that can be filed only with the defendant’s consent and usually signals a plea deal is near. Tejada, who now plays for the Houston Astros, is scheduled to appear at 11 a.m. tomorrow in U.S. District Court in Washington, court officials said. – From Washington Post
All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada has been charged with lying to Congress about steroids. Tejada is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday where he is expected to plead guilty. The charges against Tejada, who currently plays for the Houston Astros, were outlined in documents filed in Washington federal court on Tuesday. The documents indicate that a plea agreement has been reached with Tejada. – From SFgate.com
Miguel Tejada, who along with Roger Clemens has been the target of a federal perjury investigation, was charged Tuesday with lying to congressional investigators about the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Tejada, the former Baltimore Orioles shortstop who is now with the Houston Astros, was officially charged with making misrepresentations to congressinal investigators during an interview in a Baltimore hotel room focusing on the prevalence of steroids in the game. Tejada is scheduled to appear Wednesday at 11 a.m. in U.S. District Court in Washington, according to documents filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office, and is expected to enter a plea agreement with prosecutors. – From NY Daily News
Well, A-Rod did the one thing he could do if he wanted to get past all of this – he fessed up. Denying it or ignoring it would have only made things worse. Now he’s said he did it, apologized and moved on. Will people EVER forget it? No. But if he hadn’t done what he’d done, it would have been not only A-Rod the steroid monster, but A-Rod the liar. He’ll have to endure all the taunts and whispers, but at least he can say he stood up to his faults when presented with them – a lot of guys can’t.
With this admission – plus some time to calm the nerves – I imagine Rodriguez will be a Hall of Fame choice – even if his accomplishments are clouded by steroids.
His voice shaking at times, Alex Rodriguez met head-on allegations that he tested positive for steroids six years ago, telling ESPN on Monday that he did take performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers during a three-year period beginning in 2001.” When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure, felt all the weight of the world on top of me to perform, and perform at a high level every day,” Rodriguez told ESPN’s Peter Gammons in an exclusive interview in Miami Beach, Fla. An extended interview will air on SportsCenter at 6 p.m. ET. “Back then, [baseball] was a different culture,” Rodriguez said. “It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. – From ESPN
Alex Rodriguez admits to using performance-enhancing drugs in an ESPN Monday night interview with veteran baseball reporter Peter Gammons, but says he did not know exactly what substance he was taking. In the first interview he has given since he was outed for steroids use by Sports Illustrated on Saturday, A-Rod apologizes for using the substances in what he described as a “loose era” for drug use in baseball. “I felt an enormous amount of pressure,” said an emotional Rodriguez of the impetus to perform after inking a 10-year, $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers in the winter of 2000. “I was young. I was stupid.” – From NY Daily News
Alex Rodriguez admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in an interview on Monday with ESPN. Rodriguez told veteran baseball reporter Peter Gammons that he used steroids “for a period of time” and only when he was with the Rangers. Rodriguez played for Texas from 2001-03 before being traded to the Yankees prior to the ‘04 season. – From MLB
With this weekend’s steroid revelations, Alex Rodriguez – and baseball – are faced with the task of what to do next. Many are telling A-Rod to simply come clean, say what you did, apologize and move on. Fighting, they argue, won’t help (see Roger Clemons, Rafael Palmeiro), and staying silent is almost as bad (see Mark McGwire). But others point out there are legal ramifications if Rodriguez talks – opening him up to federal inquiries and continuing legal hassles. Our take: you made your bed – fess up, live with the consequences. A-Rod has maintained his silence – so far. We’ll see where he goes in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, Curt Schilling is calling for all the people who tested positive in 2003 to have their names released. While that would be nice, it’s pretty much against the bargaining agreement and there would be some serious privacy issues.
A day after Alex Rodriguez was linked to steroids, another All-Star offered this suggestion: Make public the entire list of players who failed drug tests. “I’d be all for the 104 positives being named, and the game moving on if that is at all possible,” former Boston ace Curt Schilling wrote on his blog Sunday. “In my opinion, if you don’t do that, then the other 600-700 players are going to be guilty by association, forever,” he wrote. “It appears that not only was it 104, but three of the greatest of our, or any, generation appear to be on top of this list.” – From ESPN
An embattled Alex Rodriguez last night huddled with his longtime mentor, his once-estranged agent, Scott Boras, as the Yankee superstar prepared to face the music after being exposed as a steroids user. The move came after A-Rod returned to the United States from a short trip to the Bahamas amid a chorus of demands that he come clean and admit to using performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. “If he tries to fight this, he is done,” said L.A. Dodgers third-base coach Larry Bowa, who was close to Rodriguez when Bowa had the same job with the Yankees. – From Fox Sports
Come clean! That’s what many writers are advising Alex Rodriguez. Be honest, Alex. Admit your mistake and apologize. Let us forgive you! Let us move on! Alas, it’s not that simple. Not when Barry Bonds is set to go on trial for perjury and Roger Clemens and Miguel Tejada both could be indicted on the same charge for allegedly lying about their use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez would risk legal exposure if he admitted to using PEDs, leaving himself vulnerable to investigation from federal prosecutors. – From Fox Sports
A-Rod steroid rumors have floated about for years, but nothing like this has ever surfaced. Canseco said Rodriguez had taken them, but no one took him seriously. Jose – for all his buffoonery – has actually come out as the person telling the most complete story of the steroid era.
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.” – From SI
Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids during Major League Baseball’s 2003 survey testing season, according to a report released this morning by Sports Illustrated on its Web site. According to the report, which cites four independent sources, Rodriguez, the American League Most Valuable Player that season with the Texas Rangers and the winner of the home-run title, tested positive for two anabolic steroids. – From NY Daily News
According to a report by Sports Illustrated, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003, when he was with the Texas Rangers and won the AL home run title and MVP award. According to the report, which was posted Saturday morning on SI.com, sources told the publication that Rodriguez was on a list of 104 players who tested positive that year, when Major League Baseball conducted tests to see if mandatory random drug testing was needed. In 2003, there were no penalties for a positive result. – From ESPN
Bonds will walk, but no one will trust him again. He will be reviled as a complete ‘roid monster – and face banishment like McGwire. Maybe he’ll end up boxing Jose Canseco.
The federal judge presiding over the perjury trial of Barry Bonds wasted no time Thursday in letting her feelings be known on the admissibility of some key evidence and seems poised to deliver a blow to the government’s case against the former San Francisco Giants slugger. A few moments after Bonds entered the courtroom in a tan suit and sat a rectangular table with his horde of lawyers, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said that her “preliminary” thoughts were to exclude results of blood and urine tests the government says were seized from a BALCO raid and show that Bonds took steroids. She also intimidated that she would rule in Bonds’ favor in regards to calendars and ledgers seized from the residence of Greg Anderson, Bonds’ former trainer, which outline a doping regiment. – From SI
A federal judge says she might toss some of the strongest evidence against Barry Bonds, a blow to prosecutors trying to prove the home-run king lied when he denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said her “preliminary thoughts” were to exclude from trial three 2000-2001 positive drug tests that prosecutors say belong to Bonds unless there is a direct link that the urine samples came from the former San Francisco Giants slugger. – From ESPN
Former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds entered a plea of not guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice during an arraignment in federal court on Thursday. The plea came just one day after a federal judge unsealed hundreds of pages of court documents in the government’s criminal complaint against Bonds, who is accused of lying to a federal grand jury about his possible use of performance-enhancing drugs. It is expected to be the final hurdle to clear before Bonds’ perjury trial which is scheduled to begin on March 2. – From the Sports Network
The giant head never gave it away for us. Never. His cap size has increased, even as he lost hair.
A urine sample that Barry Bonds provided as part of the anonymous testing that baseball conducted in 2003 has tested positive for performance-enhancing substances, according to people familiar with the matter. Although the sample did not test positive under baseball’s program, it was retested by federal authorities after they seized it in a 2004 raid, and it may now become a key factor in Bonds’s perjury trial, the people said. Bonds’s trial is scheduled to begin March 2. He faces charges that he lied when he said he had never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs during testimony before a federal grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative. – From NY Times
A urine sample that Barry Bonds submitted as part of Major League Baseball’s anonymous testing program in 2003 has come back positive for PEDs, according to a New York Times report. Bonds provided samples that did not test positive under that program, but the samples were re-examined by federal authorities after they were seized in a 2004 raid, The Times reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. – From ESPN
A federal judge plans to unseal on Wednesday hundreds of pages of court documents at the heart of the government’s case against Barry Bonds for allegedly lying to a grand jury about steroid use. Among those documents will be several positive drug test results that prosecutors say belong to Bonds. One is a urine sample submitted by Bonds during baseball’s anonymous testing program in 2003, according to a New York Times report. – From SFgate.com
One of Barry Bonds’ former teammates is reportedly ready to testify against him. Former major league catcher Bobby Estalella is expected to provide testimony that will support the government’s case that Bonds lied under oath and knowingly took steroids.
The Orioles look like the frontrunner for Cubs lefthander Rich Hill. He was very good in 2007, posting a 3.92 ERA in almost 200 innings, but control problems eventually sent him to the minors last year. He’s a great guy to take a flyer on, as he simply might need a change of pace.
The Mariners added veteran 1B Mike Sweeney to a minor league contract. Sweeney has battled injuries for the quite a while, but if healthy, should be a solid bat off the bench, DH and 1B. He doesn’t hit for power any more or run well, but he can still hit for average.
The A’s added veteran reliever Russ Springer. Although he’s 40, he’s been effective the last few years in St. Louis. It’s a one year deal worth around $3 million – not a bad contract for either side.
The Giants added infielder Juan Uribe with a one year minor league deal that will net him around $1 million. Uribe has some pop and can play 3B and 2B – but neither very well. He played SS when younger, but is too big to play there now. He’s strictly a back up guy now.
The Phillies have no interest in Emil Brown and Jay Payton (can you blame them), and prefer Nomar Garciaparra as a right handed bench bat. The Phils would also like to unload Geoff Jenkins, but his hefty contract and bad play make it nearly impossible.
The head that doubled in size was the clue for us.
Federal prosecutors preparing for Barry Bonds’s perjury trial are said to have evidence that links Bonds to the use of performance-enhancing drugs other than the “cream” and the “clear,” the designer substances that have become synonymous with the Bonds case. A person who has reviewed the evidence said that the authorities detected anabolic steroids in urine samples linked to Bonds that they gathered in connection with their investigation. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity. – From NY Times
Federal agents on Wednesday raided the Redwood City home of a financially troubled business executive who also is the mother-in-law of Barry Bonds’ weight trainer, Greg Anderson. Officials of the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal division said agents had served a search warrant and seized documents from Madeleine Gestas, 58. According to public records, she owes more than $1.6 million in unpaid legal judgments, many in connection with her electronic banking businesses. – From SFgate.com
“I’m not retiring,” Bonds said Saturday night. “I’m not retiring.” Bonds, who spoke with a cameraman for the Web site TMZ.com, was in good spirits while waiting for his car outside a Los Angeles restaurant. As for free-agent Manny Ramirez? “I hope Manny stays,” Bonds said, bending the knees he put under the knife at least three times — during a 22-year career — to get into his car. “Manny’s great for L.A.” – From ESPN
