# Rafael Palmeiro's got pretty big balls for a steroid cheat. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 2, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258 "2005-08-02T04:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/1 "2005-08-02T04:20:08Z")
\*\*[Orioles’ Palmeiro suspended 10 days for violating steroids policy](http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-drugs-palmeiro&prov=ap&type=lgns) \*\* Yes, the same Rafael Palmeiro that testified to congress that Jose Canseco was lying, and that he’d never taken steroids. In March, Palmeiro vehemently denied taking steroids and seemed offended that Canseco would engage in such character assassination. You would think that he would stop taking them after having such a close call. Instead, he kept taking them, got caught, and made up another bullshit lie, rather than take responsibility. > [@](#): > > On Monday, nearly five months later, the Baltimore Orioles slugger became baseball’s highest-profile player to be suspended 10 days for using steroids. > > While he didn’t deny testing positive for the drugs, \*\*he insisted that ingesting them was an accident. \*\* > > `When I testified in front of Congress, I know that I was testifying under oath and I told the truth,'' he said during a telephone conference call Monday. `Today I am telling the truth again that I did not do this intentionally or knowingly.’ This guy is fucking unbelievable. But here’s the best part of the article. > [@](#): > > President Bush – who owned the Texas Rangers while Palmeiro played for the team – called Palmeiro a `friend'' in a round-table interview with reporters from several Texas newspapers. `He’s testified in public, and I believe him,’’ Bush added Fucking priceless. [Here](http://www.sportscolumn.com/story/2005/3/20/183016/591) is a prescient article outlining why people thought he was lying when he testified. [Here’s](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7211809/) an article with excerpts of his original testimony. [Here’s](http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-drugs-palmeiro-statement&prov=ap&type=lgns) his statement. Some people have no shame. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/2 "2005-08-02T04:23:28Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Fucking priceless. Having Bush testify for your integrity strikes me as rather like having Paris Hilton testify for your virtue. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/3 "2005-08-02T04:36:08Z")
Oh, I love it. They’re getting tough on steroid usage, are they? With a _ten day_ suspension? Wow, his career will be half over by then… Compare to two years for many Olympic sports. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/4 "2005-08-02T05:11:43Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > Oh, I love it. They’re getting tough on steroid usage, are they? > > With a _ten day_ suspension? Wow, his career will be half over by then… He’s 40, so you’re more right than you think. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/5 "2005-08-02T05:59:52Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > Oh, I love it. They’re getting tough on steroid usage, are they? > > With a _ten day_ suspension? Wow, his career will be half over by then… > > Compare to two years for many Olympic sports. Blame the players’ union for that one. Bud “Everyone’s Bitch” Selig wants a first offense to be 50 games, a second 100 games and a third a lifetime ban. This might be the high-profile incident that gives him his wish. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/6 "2005-08-02T07:04:42Z")
I don’t give a fart in a hurricane about MLB or any of the associated drama, but I gotta say: Great thread title, **brickbacon**. ---
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/7 "2005-08-02T07:14:24Z")
He should have any supplements he’s been taking tested for traces of banned substances. If he truly doesn’t know how a banned substance got into his system, I think the most obvious route would be from a non-banned substance (perhaps, oh I don’t know, some clenbuterol got mixed in with the creatine during production). I can’t imagine someone his age would risk taking steroids. He can’t be that stupid, can he? ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/8 "2005-08-02T10:49:59Z")
Maybe Pfizer’s screwing with his Viagra. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/9 "2005-08-02T11:09:37Z")
This whole “knowingly” qualifier is what bugs me the most. Bullshit, Mr. Palmerio. Bullshit Mr. Shefield. Bullshit Mr. Bonds. There is \*\*n o f u c k i n g w a y \*\* that these guys just ingest/inject/rub on substances that they have no idea what they are. “I was lied to! I thought it was flax seed oil!” Fuck you. I just came back from Cooperstown to attend the induction of Boggs & Sandberg. (Ryn-o had a great [speech](http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050731&content_id=1153051&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb)) and I come home to this news. So…Fuck you Rafi. Fuck you for casting a nice dark cloud over what was a great weekend celebrating a great game. I can’t get too mad at the cheaters who pumped up their bodies with steroids before there were any MLB rules against it (It’s just a mild hate—and I’m madder at Bud) but…after the congressional hearings…after a detailed banned substances list…after a a few “What The?” suspensions…after you had the fucking auduacity to wave you finger at members of congress and flat-out call Jose Canseco a liar…after all of that, to _still_ fail a drug test, and then to use ignorance in your defense??? Rafael Palmerio, meet Bobby Bonilla. Welcome to my least favorite players hall of fame. Fuckhat. I hope your impotent lying sack of shit career never gets a single hall of fame vote. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/10 "2005-08-02T11:48:09Z")
Way to go brickbacon! These stupid arrogant fucks never learn. Why the hell don’t they just go back to vitamins and eating properly? Actually they don’t even need the vitamins if they eat properly. Clueless. I hope it costs him his hall-of-fame entry. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/11 "2005-08-02T13:10:35Z")
I don’t think it will. Might delay it for a bit but if the writers suddenly decided to get tough of steroids takers we’d have a five year period with no inductions from the looks of it (not that I would object). BTW, [here’s BP’s Will Carroll on Palmeiro’s suspension.](http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=4287) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/12 "2005-08-02T13:21:41Z")
**brick** , I’m with you on Palmeiro. Our family’s had season tics for the Rangers since they built their original stadium. Now all those previously cherished memories of Rafa coming through in the clutch and his relatively consistent dingers just got a giant kick in the crotch. While his steriod use before it was illegal is extremely disappointing, this bald faced lie is even more unforgivable. I’m not sure Bush’s comment is reason for any additional ire though. I mean the guy demands and gives in return absolute loyalty to his friends and inner circle. He and Rafa are friends and, frankly, I’d be more disappointed in Bush if he now came out and was critical of him before all the facts were made clear (and they still haven’t been). There are plenty of reasons to despise Bush, but I’m not sure this qualifies on all counts. Just curious as a point of reference… does anyone know what other team owners have said about their star players when accusations of steroid use have been made? I hesitate to say _suspension for_ since this is one of the first. What did the Giants owner say about Bonds? The Cubs owner say about Sosa? The Yankees owner say about Giambi? ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/13 "2005-08-02T13:23:52Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Maybe Pfizer’s screwing with his Viagra. Could be. He’s been getting pretty good wood on everything the past couple of years. (Thanks Bob) ---
**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:** [August 2, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/14 "2005-08-02T13:32:48Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Just curious as a point of reference… does anyone know what other team owners have said about their star players when accusations of steroid use have been made? I hesitate to say _suspension for_ since this is one of the first. What did the Giants owner say about Bonds? The Cubs owner say about Sosa? The Yankees owner say about Giambi? George gave a statement on Giambi early this year. .“It takes a hell of a big man to stand up and apologize to his teammates, to New York Yankee fans, and to baseball fans everywhere, and admit he was wrong,” Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. After Giambi’s strange and surreal apology. [http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2005/02/11/giambi\_says\_hes\_sorry/](http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2005/02/11/giambi_says_hes_sorry/) Pretty minimal for George. They looked into breaking his contract but there wasn’t anything to use in the Player agreement. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/15 "2005-08-02T18:10:32Z")
I’ve always liked Palmiero. Thought he was a class act. Didn’t grandstand or showboat. Didn’t act like a thug, get arrested, etc… Just did his job well day in and day out. Now this. What a letdown. Especially after the whole Congressional testimony bit. I note that Palmiero states that he did not “knowingly take a banned substance.” I see that people are focused on “knowingly” but what I’m thinking is that he was taking _something_ he must have known that fell into a gray area. “Gee, I know that Steriod X is banned, but lookit this–the lab has come up with Juice Y that hasn’t hit the banned list yet. Gimme some of that…” Then, Juice Y gats put on the list, or there is something in it he was not anticipating. Either way, I think he _knew_ he was trying for chemical enhancement but figured he could get away with it. Again, this disappoints me to no end. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/16 "2005-08-02T18:15:36Z")
I don’t really follow baseball, but I do read the paper and watch the news and such. When I heard him say he never intentionally ingested steroids, I could hear him saying… > [@](#): > > Ok, funny story. I was in the locker room, right? Just standing there, doing toe touches-- great for the game, ya know. Anyway, Canseco- that crazy, steroid driven maniac- ran in waving a syringe around. I tried to calm him down, promise. But he didn’t listen. He ran around all crazy-like. Then, outta no where, he tripped on a towl and shot me up in the butt. Strange thing is, he kept doing this like, every day. It was just weird. But I would never, ever, ever take steroids intentionally. Scout’s honor. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/17 "2005-08-02T18:20:50Z")
> [@brianjedi](#): > > Blame the players’ union for that one. Bud “Everyone’s Bitch” Selig wants a first offense to be 50 games, a second 100 games and a third a lifetime ban. This might be the high-profile incident that gives him his wish. Damn, now I have to reconsider my opinion of Selig as one of the great modern asshats. I can’t believe that the penalty for testing positive is a measly 10-day suspension; why not just wag your finger in his face? Does anyone know if his return from suspension depends at all on a clean test, or whether he’ll be tested more often in the future? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/18 "2005-08-02T21:13:22Z")
> [@The Weird One](#): > > Damn, now I have to reconsider my opinion of Selig as one of the great modern asshats. I can’t believe that the penalty for testing positive is a measly 10-day suspension; why not just wag your finger in his face? Oh, Selig’s still an asshat. That the players’ union has pissed us all off by siding with the steroid users on this issue doesn’t make Selig a better man than he is. It just gives him a chance to be right twice a day in a place where the union’s all wrong. IMHO, the players’ union should have the good sense to realize that by making life easier for supplement users, they make it harder for the rest of their membership to do well without taking performance-enhancing drugs. And that, over the period of a lifetime, it would serve its membership far better by helping to block its members from using such drugs. Not to mention how it affects public opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/19 "2005-08-03T04:59:36Z")
What is this, like the 4th or 5th big name player to say he took steroids by accident? What a crock of shit. Wasn’t it Jason Giambi who said he was working out at Barry Bonds’ house one day, and barry gave him some cream and…holy toledo…it had steroids in it and he didn’t know it. How stupid do these assholes think we are? And if you’re at Barry Bonds’ house, don’t you just assume that _everything_ probably has steroids in it. The fucking tap water probably has anabolics in it. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258/20 "2005-08-03T05:04:03Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > I’ve always liked Palmiero. Thought he was a class act. Didn’t grandstand or showboat. Didn’t act like a thug, get arrested, etc… Just did his job well day in and day out. > > Now this. What a letdown. Especially after the whole Congressional testimony bit. > > I note that Palmiero states that he did not “knowingly take a banned substance.” I see that people are focused on “knowingly” but what I’m thinking is that he was taking _something_ he must have known that fell into a gray area. “Gee, I know that Steroid X is banned, but lookit this–the lab has come up with Juice Y that hasn’t hit the banned list yet. Gimme some of that…” > > Then, Juice Y gats put on the list, or there is something in it he was not anticipating. Either way, I think he _knew_ he was trying for chemical enhancement but figured he could get away with it. > > Again, this disappoints me to no end. [Report: Palmeiro tested positive for stanozolol](http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/3857832) > [@](#): > > A person in Major League Baseball with direct knowledge of baseball’s drug-testing program told the New York Times that the Orioles first baseman tested positive for stanozolol, which is better known by its brand name, Winstrol. Winstrol was also the banned substance that sprinter Ben Johnson of Canada tested positive for at the 1988 Olympics and was later stripped of his 100-meter gold medal. Palmeiro received a 10-game suspension for his positive banned substance test. I guess he’s dumber than we thought. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-palmeiros-got-pretty-big-balls-for-a-steroid-cheat/315258.md?page=2)