The Truth Comes Out - Sammy Sosa was Juicin'

[tornado]

he tested positive for steroids, but for some reason this info was never made public...
is anyone actually surprised by this?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/06/16/sosa.steroids/?eref=sihpT1

[DUBrave5]

Here is the problem I have with that stupid report. It was supposed to be anonymous, obviously it wasn't. The article says that Major League Baseball doesn't have a list but how could they not? Shouldn't this information be given to them so that they are aware of it. The whole reason for the "anonymous" test was to see what the full-scale use of PED's was. At this point it isn't fair to release names one at a time. Either release them all or don't release any at all. The timing is very suspect. Sosa announces his retirement and then shortly thereafter his name is released as one that tested positive in '03. Why wasn't this information published when he went before Congress. Now he will get charged with perjury probably when this could have been released earlier and then there would have been no need for him to testify before Congress. Maybe he will get off on a technicality because he said he never took illegal performance enhancing drugs because at that time they weren't illegal in baseball. However I believe they were already illegal in the United States which could cause another problem.

Now let me make sure this is known. I am a Cubs fan but I have not been a fan of Sosa's since the whole corking the bat incident. I assumed a long time ago that he had used PED's but there was never any evidence of it. The only reason I am upset with this is because they are releasing names one at a time when they should have released them all by now or forever held their peace. Especially since the test was supposed to be anonymous.

[shaunguth]

Now let me make sure this is known. I am a Cubs fan but I have not been a fan of Sosa's since the whole corking the bat incident. I assumed a long time ago that he had used PED's but there was never any evidence of it. The only reason I am upset with this is because they are releasing names one at a time when they should have released them all by now or forever held their peace. Especially since the test was supposed to be anonymous.

Yes.....it was obvious he was cheating when his bat broke! This is not shocking news at all. I'm glad my grandpa isn't around to see this as he was completely enthralled with the entire Sosa/McGwire homerun "battle". It really is too bad the players feel the need to cheat to be better than other players.

[kahnduit]

Juice

I'm sick to my stomach all over again. Everyone figured Sammy for a juicer, so the fact that he was implicated was not a surprise. The timing of the whole thing smells rotten. Sosa announces retirement, and then his name is brought up.

It is clear that the list will eventually become public so I feel the following two steps should be taken:

1. They should release the entire list and get past it. This one name at a time stuff is B.S.

2. They should release the name of the person that failed to destroy the list back in 2003.

3. The person leaking these names should be prosecuted (if possible). Peoples' rights are being violated.

[Da Coach]

Since none of the 104 players who tested positive back in 2003 is guilty of breaking any rules (steroids and HGH were not considered illegal substances by MLB at that time), and because the testing was agreed to by the players because they were guaranteed anonymity forever, I do not agree with releasing any more names. They should instead try to find out how these names got out and go after the person leaking private, confidential personal medical information on these players. Under the new, more stringent HIPA act, it is a federal crime to do so.


Also, I would like to know this answer- do these 104 positive tests include those players who refused to take the test, since I have heard that players who refused to be tested, by agreement of the Players Union and MLB, were logged as positive tests by default.

A number of major leaguers like Frank Thomas have said publically that they purposefully refused the test, just to try to increase the number of positives among those tested. The Players Union and MLB had agreed that if the number exceeded 5%, they would proceed toward banning the substances and wider, mandatory testing. These players who refused, did so because they were clean, and wanted to get testing approved to keep others from using the drugs.

[BU_EMT128]

I'm glad my grandpa isn't around to see this as he was completely enthralled with the entire Sosa/McGwire homerun "battle". It really is too bad the players feel the need to cheat to be better than other players.

I know he cheated, and as much as I hate Sammy Sosa and the Cubs, that home run battle saved the sport of baseball... Now, it is somewhat ironic that it is him and players like McGwire who are slowly eating away at the foundation of baseball.

[tornado]

the day will come when they will legalize it as it will become increasingly impossible to detect, regulate, and police the use of such drugs.

[houstontxbrave]

How is something anonymous if a name is associated with it? Seems the players on this list were not anonymous since their names are associated with the list.

Anyway, this is all a bunch of BS. Baseball in the mid to late 90's needed a HUGE pick me up, the strike, the salaries and the just pure distain the public had for the sport was threating to destroy the sport.

There is absolutely no way anyone in those club houses and within the organizations did not have any idea that substances were being used, guys were going from 190 to 220 in a short amount of time and often at ages over 30. When was the last time a 34 year old mans head grew in size? Baseball needed and wanted this type of athlete, the big home run hitter to bring eyes and more importantly money back to the sport.

Baseball has always had some sort of culture of cheating. I am convinced there is some level of cheating within Football, Baseball, Basketball and Hockey, but baseball has always gone overboard with the amount and often the acceptance of cheating.

The whole generation of baseball player from mid 90-mid to even late 00's is guilty. Regardless of whether they are or are not on a list they played in an era that allowed and I think was given the green light by the commissioners office and Union to cheat, or more to the point get physically to the point where balls go out of stadiums at alarming rates by men who were physical specimens.

This list is one thing and I am sure all names will come out eventually, but the blood of this is on the hands of every executive both the league its self and the union. The players were pawns and the carrot was of course huge contracts and insane money. Juiced baseballs... where is that excuse now?

[Da Coach]

The samples were coded with numbers, but names were kept on a separate list, and the identities of the specimens were supposed to remain confidential and anonymous. That list was turned over to the Players union, which was supposed to destroy the list. But they didn't, and nobody has ever given a reasonable explanation why other than they "didn't have time to make arrangements to do so".
And in 2004 the federal government got involved with all this and subpoenaed and seized the list in April, 2004.
It is now being held up with numerous appeals, and court actions.

http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10543660&nav=menu222_4

http://billafish.com/?p=91

Some players have considered suing their players union which was responsible for destroying the list and maintaining perpetual anonymity, but they failed their players, and somehow allowed the list to fall into too many hands now that it will be difficult to tell how these reports are leaking out. It's unlikely any such suits will happen.

[tornado]

if I recall, we had a mention locally in the press, illegally releasing and citing the result
of a confidential drug test on a player.....and erroneously stating it caused a player to be
"kicked off" the team. (when in fact, he left voluntarily and played somewhere else)
Recall that positive drug tests do not mandate kicking a player off the team
as evidenced by Ray Brown being kept a whole year following his positive test.

http://www.bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7333

[Da Coach]

By the way- here is the original article from Michael S. Schmidt (not the baseball HOF Mike Schmidt) of the New York Times.--
Sosa Is Said to Have Tested Positive in 2003

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/sports/baseball/17doping.html?_r=1

In this article, the author says he got the information from lawyers who were familiar with the case (presumably former lawyers for the Players Union). On the WSCR morning show, Schmidt was interviewed, and went further, saying he had to dig pretty hard, and do some unconventional things to uncover this confidential information about Sosa. However, he defended it by saying it was what the fans wanted to know, and that regardless of whether he was breaking any laws, he felt the public had a right to know.

In the article, Schmidt says this in referring to "the lawyers" who were his source-
"They spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified as discussing material that is sealed by a court order."

But Mr. Schmidt himself apparently has no problem with violating the court ordered confidentially sealed list by publishing this article revealing that Sammy Sosa's name was on it.
I guess he feels his rights and the public's "right to know" override the laws that the rest of us are expected to abide by.

I would like to hear from someone in the media- Does the media have a right to publish unconfirmed reports like this, from confidential (and anonymous) sources, that seriously attack a person's character, and appear to ignore a court's orders, and the intent of both sides (MLB and the Player's Union) and publicize such private confidential information?

[BradleyBrave]

Raise your hand if this surprises you in the least...

[DUBrave5]

Raise your hand if this surprises you in the least...

That is kind of funny just because your avatar has his arm raised with the tomahawk.

[houstontxbrave]

Surely a player will sue because of the release of the names.

But I am wondering if there might be a lawyer out there who could determine if the fans or a fan should file some sort of class action lawsuit versus Major League baseball for fraud.

Baseball has always given the stance the game is clean, so with it not being clean they have lied and stolen our money. Yes no one told anyone to spend money on the game but when I went to games I always thought they were clean and the executives of MLB reinforced this notion when they tell me the game is clean.. no one has ever failed a drug test for steroids.

So all the money everyone has taken was stolen based on lies. Everyone got very rich and the money came from individuals who were told this game was clean.

[BradleyBrave]

That is kind of funny just because your avatar has his arm raised with the tomahawk.

Ha! Nice catch, didn't even think about that.

Well, you know what us savages did to rules violators back in the day...