A-Rod doped - is this really that shocking?

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/02/07/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/

Remember when Major League Baseball did "diagnostic" steroid tests to determine if there was enough usage to start a league-wide testing program? And how they said that the results of those tests would never become public? Well, Barry Bonds' results leaked out earlier this week and today, Sports Illustrated is reporting that Alex Rodriguez was among the 104 big leaguers that tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003.


Baseball and Steroids

Charles Krupa, APAccording to a Sports Illustrated report, Alex Rodriguez failed a steroid test while he was a member of the Texas Rangers in 2003. Find out more players who have been accused of taking performance enhancing-drugs or tested positive. 13 photos (Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker)
Baseball and Steroids
According to a Sports Illustrated report, Alex Rodriguez failed a steroid test while he was a member of the Texas Rangers in 2003. Find out more players who have been accused of taking performance enhancing-drugs or tested positive.

Charles Krupa, AP

Roger Clemens is under fire for insisting in a hearing that he did not use performance-enhancing drugs, despite what his former personal trainer has claimed.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

Barry Bonds, baseball's home run king, faces charges of lying to a jury after testifying he did not use steroids, despite reports that he did fail drug tests.

Paul Sakuma, AP

Jose Canseco admitted he used steroids in his book "Juiced," and also named several of his former teammates as performance-enhancing drug users.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images

Giants minor league catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was suspended last June for 50 games after he failed a drug test.

Chris Graythen, Getty Images

Braves top prospect Jordan Schafer was suspended 50 games last season by the commissioner's office for violating the minor league drug program. Schafer was reportedly caught in possession of human growth hormone.

Elsa, Getty Images

In 2007, outfielder Jose Guillen received a 15-day suspension following media reports linking him to performance-enhancing drugs. Guillen's suspension was eliminated as part of baseball's new agreement on drug testing.

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

Outfielder Jay Gibbons was suspended in 2007 after being linked to HGH use. Following the suspension, Gibbons admitted receiving human growth hormone in 2005 and apologized, but was released by the Orioles before they opened the regular season. Gibbons signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins last month.

Scott A. Schneider, Getty Images

Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada was mentioned in the Mitchell Report in connection with reported purchases of steroids. In January 2008, the FBI announced that it launched an investigation into whether Tejada lied to federal investigators.

Doug Benc, Getty Images

In December 2007, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts issued an apology and admitted to using steroids on a single occasion in 2003 shortly after he was named in the Mitchell Report.

Doug Benc, Getty Images


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."
That would be 2003, the year he won the AL MVP, hit 47 homers, drove in 118 runs, and was generally impressive enough that the Yankees went out and traded for him after the season ended. Apparently he did all of that on testosterone and a steroid known as Primbolan. And really, 2003 was his worst season in Texas, not all that impressive compared with 2000-2002, 2005, or 2007.

I guess that "A-Fraud" talk won't be going away.