# Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 7, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808 "2009-02-07T15:48:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/1 "2009-02-07T15:48:52Z")
My reaction: :eek: I did NOT see this coming. [Story here.](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/02/07/alex-rodriguez-steroids/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/2 "2009-02-07T16:15:46Z")
It doesn’t surprise me at all. He started baseball at the perfect time to be on Steroids his entire career so one doesn’t see a giant boost in numbers (aside from his third to fourth year). Nobody is out of bounds ,as far as I’m concerned. Also, I googled the MLB Drug Policy and I can’t find out how offseason testing works. Does anybody know? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/3 "2009-02-07T16:22:11Z")
Well this sucks, I’ve never been a big fan but I also have never hated him at all and I thought he was honest at least. So now the Yanks get to have two crazy side stories to spring training this year. A-Fraud and Joe "Loose-Lips’ Torre. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/4 "2009-02-07T17:22:20Z")
Why are we finding this out now? ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/5 "2009-02-07T17:59:19Z")
My GUESS is the Bonds trial. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/6 "2009-02-07T18:04:30Z")
Disappointing but I wouldn’t be shocked at a positive test from anyone at this point. So much for the idea of A-Rod as a positive alternative to Bonds - remember a few years ago when people said there was no WAY he ever used? ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/7 "2009-02-07T18:09:23Z")
I’m really over the whole steroids in baseball thing. The idea that we have to somehow try to preserve the purity of the game sounds like another idea from the kind of people who think that there’s some such thing as a fair fight. Let them shoot as much shit into themselves as they want. I don’t care at all anymore. Let them die in their sleep in their 40’s from blown apart hearts or from frightening cancers if that’s what they want so badly. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/8 "2009-02-07T18:10:42Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Disappointing but I wouldn’t be shocked at a positive test from anyone at this point. So much for the idea of A-Rod as a positive alternative to Bonds - remember a few years ago when people said there was no WAY he ever used? I may have been one of those people. I am not sure. I know I said it about Jeter. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/9 "2009-02-07T18:12:22Z")
I’m pretty sure that \*\*Ken Griffey, Jr. \*\*never doped up. He’s the one superstar that I’ve always had faith in with regards to this, just judging from the way he acts on the field, during interviews, and what little I know of his private life. I would actually put money on this. Anyone else, though, I wouldn’t be shocked. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/10 "2009-02-07T18:14:36Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > I’m pretty sure that \*\*Ken Griffey, Jr. \*\*never doped up. He’s the one superstar that I’ve always had faith in with regards to this, just judging from the way he acts on the field, during interviews, and what little I know of his private life. I would actually put money on this. Anyone else, though, I wouldn’t be shocked. I hope that’s correct. I wouldn’t put cash on it, though. In those circumstances, I can’t guarantee that I wouldn’t take steroids or something ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/11 "2009-02-07T18:23:44Z")
So who’s next… Manny? ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/12 "2009-02-07T18:29:39Z")
> [@DudleyGarrett](#): > > So who’s next… Manny? Lets be honest here, do you honestly think Manny could remember to take Steroids? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/13 "2009-02-07T18:32:01Z")
> [@drm](#): > > Lets be honest here, do you honestly think Manny could remember to take Steroids? Nope. If he’s with Boras because he wants that much paper, you better believe Manny would hypothetically remember to do that. Hell, even if it were a problem, he’d have a trainer. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/14 "2009-02-07T18:36:15Z")
No, I know, I was only joking. Funny story though, Kirk Radomski was on prime time sports (Canadian sports radio show) this week and he was mentioning that this very thing was a problem for Mo Vaughn… ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/15 "2009-02-07T19:20:51Z")
Damn. Jose Canseco was right AGAIN. I really thought A-Rod would be too concerned about what other people thought about him to get busted with steroids. If we’re starting a not-on-steroids pool, I’m picking Eckstein, but even now, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/16 "2009-02-07T19:40:57Z")
Hahaha, I love it. Now if it could be shown Jeter did steroids. Oh, and Favre. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/17 "2009-02-07T21:12:21Z")
> [@drm](#): > > Lets be honest here, do you honestly think Manny could remember to take Steroids? For all the shit people talk about Ramirez, he is, by all accounts, one of the hardest working hitters in baseball. He’s a perfectionist and a workaholic when it comes to his batting. Frankly, he’s precisely the kind of guy I’d expect might take them, just because it’s one more thing he could do to hit better. As for A-Rod, is this really surprising? He’s a gigantic asshole, why not cheat? It’s disappointing, but surely nobody who’s followed the guy’s career can be shocked by this. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/18 "2009-02-07T23:44:57Z")
> [@dgrdfd](#): > > Hahaha, I love it. Now if it could be shown Jeter did steroids. Oh, and Favre. And Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Dr. J and Honus Wagner ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/19 "2009-02-08T01:17:38Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > And Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Dr. J and Honus Wagner Woah, now. I like MJ. Lets leave him out of this. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808/20 "2009-02-08T15:17:36Z")
[http://www.groundruletrouble.com/2009/02/pop-goes-world.html](http://www.groundruletrouble.com/2009/02/pop-goes-world.html) > [@](#): > > Probably the saddest aspect of all this is that a bigger scandal will go largely unremarked upon: The player’s union only agreed to the 2003 tests–the source of Rodriguez’s sample–in the first place on the condition that the results remain strictly anonymous. If the players and their union ever needed another reason to never, ever trust anything management ever promises–well, here it is in bold relief. Also, the fact those very results were seized and are now being made public is a scandalous abuse of government power (if you don’t think this effects you–guess again; ever give a urine or blood sample for insurance purposes or as part of your job? Well, if you thought the results would be kept private you could be in for a nasty lesson) and this is far more worrisome than some ballplayer trying to get an edge in his profession. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alex-rodriguez-tested-positive-for-steroids-in-2003/484808.md?page=2)