MLB ready to suspend 20 players for PEDs, including A-Rod and Braun

[BlankSlate]

@Marley23

I suppose the best outcome for the Yankees is that A-Rod decides to never show his face again and just quits.

Man, that would be fantastic, but he would have to be crazy to walk away from the 86 million he’ll still be owed after this season.

Damn whoever screwed up the A-Rod to Boston deal. That’s where he belongs.

[BlankSlate]

There have long been rumors that Alex Rodriquez began using anabolic steroids in high school. If so, it certainly worked. Having 647 home runs and 1950 rbi are cartoon numbers to this baseball fan, who first followed his home team in the 70’s.

2013 has been the most enjoyable Yankee season since 1998, or even 1995 when they were considered an underdog. Finally a story more compelling than watching absurdly rich athlete/business men stand around admiring their manicures, waiting on base for the next crowd-pleasing home run. Rookies and cast-offs making timely contributions. The good stuff baseball is made of.

My favorite thing about A-Rod is the 2009 season, but not for the postseason heroics, which was great after so many years of disappointment. But for making his quota, his numbers. He only played in 124 games that season, after a stint on the disabled list with his first hip problem. That brought to end to a streak of 13 consecutive seasons with 100+ runs scored, but he also had an 11 year streak of 30+ home runs and 100+ rbi on the line.

Going into the last game of the 2009 regular season against Tampa Bay, Rodriquez had 28 home runs and 93 rbi. Yep, he made his numbers. Two home runs and seven rbi in a 10-2 victory.

[Hawkeyeop]

@Hamlet

I think it’s typical blame the authority figure in charge of enforcing the rules instead of blaming the players who are violating them. It’s the same kind of thinking that got Braun off on his first bust.

Braun got off because the agreed to rules weren’t followed. It has nothing to do with blame.

Not being a fan of MLB or the MLBPA, I really couldn’t give a flying fig how they work this out, but let’s not pretend that the PED issues in baseball are solely MLB’s fault. Of course we’d love it if the players who were cheating used dealers who were completely reliable and never, ever would tell a lie, but, by and large, those aren’t the kind of people who are going to be giving PED’s to pro ballplayers.

It’s a mess, for sure. But it’s a mess made by both the MLB and the MLBPA.

Who said anything about the players being blameless? It is easy as an uninformed outside to say that they have no idea what is going on and blame everyone equally. While it is almost always true that both sides share some level of responsibility, I don’t find it to be a productive problem solving technique. The players union did act, ripping up a CBA and agreeing to a much stronger testing policies, ones as strong as any other major U.S. sport. They allowed their members privacy to be invaded, without getting any additional compensation. Now you can argue they could have done more, or they should done this earlier, but it isn’t nothing. Selig and co have still yet to take any responsibility for the mess. So yes, I’m still going to put the lion’s share of the blame on the owners for these continuing fiascos, until MLB takes some responsibilities for its problems.

[ElvisL1ves]

@leftfield6

There were some players NOT doing it, and still succeeding.

Who? And how do you know?

Cheaters should never get a pass. In my opinion, Henry Aaron is still the homerun king with 755.

Despite his using as much amphetamines as anybody else of his era? How do you rationalize your way around that while staying on your high horse about steroid users?