A-Rod may have doped in high school

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2009/04/report_arod_use.html

Relaying details from an upcoming book on Alex Rodriguez by Sports Illustrated's Selena Roberts, the New York Daily News reports today that Rodriguez may have started taking steroids as early as high school and is suspected of continuing his use of performance-enhancing drugs with the New York Yankees.



A front-page headline (right) reads, "A-Rod book bombshell" with text below adding, "Slugger may have taken HGH while playing for the Yankees" and, "Hints he took steroids as early as high school days."

The report indicates that a high school teammate of Rodriguez's told Roberts that A-Rod took steroids before being drafted as a No. 1 pick and that his high school coach knew it -- an allegation the coach, Rich Hoffman, denied.

The book also indicates that two anonymous Yankees said they believed Rodriguez was using banned substances based on visual side effects, which reportedly led to Rodriguez gaining an unflattering nickname that referenced an increased pectoral size comparable to a woman's chest. The report also notes that a clubhouse staffer suggested management had a suspicion that the third baseman may have been juicing.

A-Rod may be out untill May

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090305&content_id=3921752&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

TAMPA, Fla. -- Alex Rodriguez's troublesome right hip requires immediate surgery, the third baseman's brother told LasMayores.com, MLB.com's Spanish-language Web site.
Rodriguez's brother, Joe Dunand, said that Rodriguez will have the operation performed on Monday in Vail, Colo., by Dr. Marc Philippon. Dunand said it was his understanding that the recovery time for such a surgery is 10 weeks.

The surgery would nix Rodriguez's hopes of playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic and possibly cause him to miss part of the regular season if Dunand is correct and Rodriguez has the procedure done.

"We're not giving any information right now," Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said Thursday.

"I do not have that information. I have not heard that yet. I have to talk to Cash," manager Joe Girardi said, referring to general manager Brian Cashman.

Rodriguez left the Dominican Republic team on Wednesday to fly to Colorado after the results of a MRI taken Saturday in Tampa revealed the internal cyst. A Yankees team physician, Dr. Chris Ahmad, recommended that Rodriguez undergo an examination by a specialist.

"For the entire family, this is a big blow," Dunand said. "Alex is destroyed. We were all really excited to see him play with the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic but the most important thing is the operation is successful so Alex can continue with his career."

The 33-year-old Rodriguez has managed discomfort in his right hip dating back to last season. Girardi said Wednesday that Rodriguez had expressed feeling "a little stiffness" at various times since last season.

"There wasn't really any pain -- just some mild stiffness," Girardi said. "He was doing a lot of stretching and worked on it this winter as well. We just want to make sure that we're doing the right things with this."

Rodriguez has played regularly this spring, including going 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's Dominican Republic exhibition against the Marlins. He left the Yankees on Sunday after playing in New York's Grapefruit League loss to the Reds at Sarasota, Fla.

A-Rod is a coward

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/other_mlb/view.bg?articleid=1154553&srvc=sports&position=recent

TAMPA, Fla. — And so it begins for Alex Rodriguez.

Ever since he admitted to using illegal performance-enhancing drugs this month, the extent of Rodriguez’s preparations for the season have come in the safe haven of the Yankees’ complex. The fans mostly have cheered and voiced their support for baseball’s highest-paid player.

That all will change at 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday, when the Yankees kick off their Grapefruit League schedule in nearby Dunedin against the Blue Jays. Let’s just say the crowd reaction should be a tad different.



It’s never that simple when it comes to Rodriguez, however, and even manager Joe Girardi has no idea what type of reception the fans will give the controversial slugger.

"It’ll be curious, I’m sure," Girardi said. "It’s something we haven’t been through before. I’m sure there going to be some people that are upset. I’m sure there are going to be people that are supportive. And there are going to be some people in between. For Alex, again, he’s going to have to block out distractions and be able to play. And I expect him to be able to do that. But we’re going to see how it goes."

There’s another potential distraction looming, though. A person familiar with the situation told Newsday on Monday that Major League Baseball’s investigations team plans on meeting with Rodriguez by Friday to discuss his steroid confessions. Although he said he’s heard "the same things" the media has about this proposed meeting, Rodriguez said he has "no idea" when it will take place and he hasn’t been contacted by anyone.

"I’m just waiting to hear from somebody," A-Rod said, "maybe Gene . I’m not sure."

Rodriguez will leave later this week bound for Jupiter, Fla., to work out with Team Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic. Asked if he thought about not playing in the WBC, Rodriguez said: "I’m just focusing on tomorrow’s game, take it one day at time, and on Sunday head down to Jupiter, spend four or five days there and go down to Puerto Rico."

By the time he does head to San Juan — where Team Dominican Republic will play in the WBC’s Pool D against Puerto Rico, Panama and the Netherlands — Rodriguez will have already experienced his first taste of what it’s going to be like for him when the Yankees play on the road. He said he’s learned to tune the fans out, but they could be relentless now.

"I think it’s an initial step on how he’s going to handle it," Girardi said. "Alex is a very popular player, and in road cities, he’s not so popular. I really don’t know what to expect. I’d imagine, as I said, there are going to be some people that are going to be angry. And we understand that. And we all have to get through that."

___

Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com/

Jeter defends A-Rod and his former drug problem

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090218&content_id=3844658&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

TAMPA, Fla. -- Derek Jeter had a front-row seat as Alex Rodriguez conducted a news conference on Tuesday, during which the third baseman said that a cousin repeatedly injected him with performance-enhancing drugs over a three-year period.
With that admission, Rodriguez's status as the new face of baseball's so-called "Steroid Era" seems to be solidifying in the minds of many.


But one day after Rodriguez's statements echoed from a picnic tent at George M. Steinbrenner Field into coast-to-coast headlines, Jeter bristled at the idea that every big leaguer from that time period should somehow be included along with A-Rod.

"One thing that really upsets me a lot is when you hear everybody say it was the 'Steroid Era' and everybody was doing it. Well, that's not true," Jeter said on Wednesday. "Everybody wasn't doing it.

"That's the thing that gets irritating. I think it sends the wrong message to baseball fans and kids, saying that everybody was doing it. That's just not the truth."

During Rodriguez's 33-minute session, Jeter's expression rarely changed. That held true even as Rodriguez recounted how he had instructed the cousin to import the drugs from the Dominican Republic -- he called it by a street name, "boli," a likely reference to Primobolan -- and repeatedly had it injected into his body.

Jeter said on Wednesday that he was disappointed in Rodriguez's actions, but he said that the continuing thought he had during the news conference was how uncomfortable it must have been for A-Rod to submit himself to public scrutiny in that fashion.

"I know he's very, very sorry," Jeter said. "It's a difficult thing to do. Everybody makes mistakes, but it's probably pretty difficult to have to address it publicly in front of the whole country.

"We're here to support him through it. We don't condone what he did. Alex doesn't condone what he did. At this point now, it's our job to help him be as comfortable as he can on the field and try to move past this."

On the first day of full-squad workouts, Jeter played catch on the field with Rodriguez during warmups. A-Rod also received positive feedback from the fans on hand at Steinbrenner Field, and Jeter said that Rodriguez is not detached from the team.

"When you do some things, eventually the truth comes out, one way or the other," Jeter said. "That's punishment enough, especially when you're talking about everyone knowing it."

Jeter also addressed the status of his relationship with A-Rod once more.

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.