Manny Ramirez tests positive

[Bob_R]

Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez tests positive, suspended 50 games - MLB - SI.com

Manny tests positive

By Tom Verducci, SI.com

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, incurring an immediate 50-game ban and serving the highest-profile reminder yet that the use of such drugs in the testing area may have been reduced, but not eradicated.

Major League Baseball plans to announce the suspension later today. Ramirez, a baseball source told SI.com, explained to baseball officials he was uncertain that he was taking a banned substance and may have had a medical reason for using the substance.

The source said the substance was not classified as a steroid but was clearly defined as a banned performance-enhancer according to the drug agreement between baseball the players association. Banned substances can only be taken with prior knowledge and medical clearance from baseball's drug program administrators. Such exceptions are known as Theraputic Use Exemptions, or TUEs. The suspension is an indication that Ramirez did not have a TUE for the substance.

Ramirez is the first major star to be suspended under baseball's stricter drug-testing rules that went into effect in 2003. Until now, baseball and the players union have portrayed drug use in baseball has having been nearly eradicated in the past few years, pointing out that the major drig-related stories - involving Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and the revelations in the Mitchell Report - involved drug use prior to the 2003 tightening of the program.

Ramirez ranks 17th on the all-time home run list with 533. Eight of those top 17 home run hitters played in what is commonly referred to as The Steroid Era. And six of those eight modern-day sluggers have been associated with performance-enhancing drugs: Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. The only modern sluggers to have escaped such a connection are Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Thome.

[chefcraig]

Holy crap!

What is it with these guys, and this arrogant attitude of "They'll never catch me"? Even if he was taking a medication for an injury, the substance was clearly listed as a banned material. Now it is entirely possible the guy's medical advisers are complete and utter morons, yet still, are they not supposed to be professionals and therefore aware of this?

[Bill Lumbergh]

Haha, good times. FUCK the Dodgers....now I get to hear the excuses from the Doggie fans who have given me shit about Barry for years. Like Gagne wasnt fucking juiced out of his mind....

[Igosplut]

Wow, that's going to kick the Dodgers season in the nuts. Shit I'm glad that this didn't happen when he was with the Sox (and no, I not nieave enough to not think he wasn't DOING it then). Yes one would think that they'd smarten up, but then again Manny was never the sharpest tack in the box...

[Pennypacker]

it was only a matter of time before this came out

[Bill Lumbergh]

Amazing that ESPN etc. is already trying to make excuses and saying don't rush to judgement. Same thing with Clemens etc. With Barry and AROD it was GUILTY right off the bat.

[Pennypacker]

should've gotten more than 50 games. its good to set a precedent with a big name player.

[Pennypacker]

[chefcraig]

should've gotten more than 50 games. its good to set a precedent with a big name player.

Pen, under league guidelines isn't it 50 for a first offense, then it goes up on each new count?

[Igosplut]

Paste from SOSH

Failure to comply with treatment program

* First failure to comply: 15 to 25-day suspension or up to a $10,000 fine
* Second failure to comply: 25 to 50-day suspension or up to a $25,000 fine
* Third failure to comply: 50 to 75-day suspension or up to a $50,000 fine
* Fourth failure to comply: at least a one-year suspension or up to a $100,000 fine.
* Any subsequent failure(s) to comply: The level of the discipline will be determined by the Office of the Commissioner, consistent with the concept of progressive discipline.

All suspensions are without pay.

Positive steroid test results

* First positive test result: 50 game suspension
* Second positive test result: 100 game suspension
* Third positive test result: lifetime ban

All suspensions are without pay.

He's saying it was a doctors prescription.....

[Pennypacker]

Pen, under league guidelines isn't it 50 for a first offense, then it goes up on each new count?

I think you're right about that.

Yet, we all know that in the upcoming days all we're going to hear is "Is this the first time Manny has used? Was he lucky not get caught in Boston?". Its because Manny's a well known star around the MLB. Im not saying that's why he deserves a bigger suspension but if you want to save the game, here's the chance to really punish a big name, and send a message to others who have/think about using banned substances. Let's not get started on A-ROD.

(Thanks for updating me there craig, getting me back for enlightening you on the Favre injury )

[WARF]

What a fucking idiot.

He should be banned from baseball like Pete Rose.

[Pennypacker]

"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me," Ramirez said.

"Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.

"I want to apologize to (Dodgers owner) Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, (manager) Mr. Torre, my team mates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans.

"LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."

[fryingdutchman]

"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me," Ramirez said.

"Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.

Hey Manny...that sounds like BULLSHIT!!

Too late asshole...J.C. Romero already owns that excuse.

The difference between you and Romero, Manny, is that many folks actually believe Romero.

Take a seat, dumbass. See you in July...

[Bob_R]

Ramirez's banned substance is a women's fertility drug which hides steroid use.

[Nickdfresh]

I guess it is used to restart natural testosterone production after a player stops taking steroids, or completes a cycle of them. It can also boost levels of testosterone on its own when taken periodically...

Jim Rome was on fire about this...

[sadaist]

Jim Rome was on fire about this...

When is Rome not on fire?

[sadaist]

This couldn't have happened to a nicer team. Fuck the Dodgers. This is what they get for paying that outrageous price tag & charging me $7 for a Dodger Dog to make up for it.

[Romeo Delight]

What a fucking idiot.

He should be banned from baseball like Pete Rose.

50 games? Not even 1/3 of the season. What a joke.

Who is watching these games anyway when there is hockey and basketball playoffs?

[Pennypacker]

50 games? Not even 1/3 of the season. What a joke.

Who is watching these games anyway when there is hockey playoffs?

Fixed that for you

[Romeo Delight]

Fixed that for you

Hilarious. I put the basketball in there for WARF because for some reason he thinks hockey is unwatchable

just about the most compelling sport out there in the playoffs.

Guys are knocked unconscious and miss only a shift...gashes sewn up on the bench...teeth yanked out when they are knocked loose.

Nah, lets watch game 25 of 162- Orioles v. Red Sox

[Pennypacker]

Hilarious. I put the basketball in there for WARF because for some reason he thinks hockey is unwatchable

just about the most compelling sport out there in the playoffs.

Guys are knocked unconscious and miss only a shift...gashes sewn up on the bench...teeth yanked out when they are knocked loose.

Nah, lets watch game 25 of 162- Orioles v. Red Sox

Agreed.

The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win.

[houseofpain]

If you ain't cheatin you ain't tryin!

Seriously, does anyone have a competitive advantage when everyone is jacked up on roids?

[hideyoursheep]

What a fucking idiot.

He should be banned from baseball like Pete Rose.

Fuck that!

Pete earned his way in to the HoF.

All these motherfuckers are cheating to get in.

Even with the juice, they can't duplicate what he did.

Who cares if he bet on baseball? He bet to win, which is why he was out there playing and managing to do anyway. He wasn't throwing games.

These Roid heads are destroying it.

May as well take away the first 4 Steeler Super Bowls if we really want things cleaned up.

[chefcraig]

...Seriously, does anyone have a competitive advantage when everyone is jacked up on roids?

Thank you. It seems the focus has been on hitting (look at the home run races, the escalating RBI totals), yet when you consider that the pitchers are juicing as well, wouldn't this make the entire exercise more or less self defeating?

[Fairwrning]

Manny had a few incentives put in his contract didn't he?..certain goals met and he would get millions more.

[chefcraig]

Manny had a few incentives put in his contract didn't he?..certain goals met and he would get millions more.

It was a weird deal. Ramirez wanted a boatload of money upfront, which for a guy his age the Dodgers were not willing to commit to. So it was spread over two years, with the bulk coming in the second year of the contract. So essentially, by the time the contract was up, he'd be a very rich 39 year old free agent. Yet the incentives were set for the back end of the deal, when Manny has a habit of tanking. The way it's structured is to prevent this.

The thinking doesn't make sense. If a player is going into a contract year, of course he will attempt to play to his full potential. Ramirez will be in effect be doubly rewarded, through the incentives and through his next contract.

Of course, the entire thing is up in the air at this point.

[sadaist]

Fuck that!

Pete earned his way in to the HoF.

All these motherfuckers are cheating to get in.

Fucking A!

[Bill Lumbergh]

Fucking A!

Barry Bonds was a HOF even before he started using. The only 400-400 man ever, and for wahtever reason it wasnt enough. He wouldve hit 600+ without the juice....He was a more complete player before he bulked up....that said, fuck it, THE HOME RUN KING BABY!!!! :tongue0011:

[hideyoursheep]

Barry was a good player on a good team in Pittsburgh with Bonilla and Van Slyke. He wasn't the team until he turned into Seattle Slew in SF. He would have never lasted without the juice.

[Pennypacker]

Barry Bonds*** ... THE HOME RUN KING BABY!!!! :tongue0011:

[Bill Lumbergh]

Barry was a good player on a good team in Pittsburgh with Bonilla and Van Slyke. He wasn't the team until he turned into Seattle Slew in SF. He would have never lasted without the juice.

Check the 6 season span from 93-98, which blew away anything he did with the Pirates. According to the "experts(lol)", he started juicing before the 99 season. You fail.

[hideyoursheep]

Check the 6 season span from 93-98, which blew away anything he did with the Pirates. According to the "experts(lol)", he started juicing before the 99 season. You fail.

Do I?

I never took steroids.

[hideyoursheep]

...or flax seed oil.





I hear Bonds, Sosa, McGuire and A Rod are gonna be the new Budweiser Clydesdale's....

[Igosplut]

The saga deepens

Manny got caught with synthetic testosterone in his urine in test


By Mark Fainaru-Wada
and T.J. Quinn
ESPN.com

The story of how Manny Ramirez was nabbed by baseball's drug-testing policy is rooted as much in the language of the collective bargaining agreement as it is in the fact that the Los Angeles Dodgers' slugger had synthetic testosterone in his body when he was tested this past spring.

Ultimately, Ramirez was brought down by his own private medical records -- records that the Major League Baseball Players' Association turned over on his behalf, as required under the sport's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.The Ramirez saga, as described by three sources with direct knowledge of the case, began to play out in spring training when the 36-year-old outfielder provided a urine sample for testing.

The test came back showing elevated levels of testosterone. Every individual naturally produces testosterone and a substance called epitestosterone, typically at a ratio of 1:1. In Major League Baseball, if the ratio comes in at 4:1 during testing, a player is flagged. In Ramirez's case, his ratio was between 4:1 and 10:1, according to one source.

At that point, MLB notified Ramirez of his elevated levels and began further investigation, including taking two primary actions:

First, MLB asked the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Montreal, which conducts its testing, to perform a carbon isotope ratio test to determine whether the testosterone spike resulted from natural variations within Ramirez's body or from an artificial source. The test revealed the testosterone was synthetic -- in other words, it was ingested somehow.

Secondly, as per the drug-testing policy, MLB requested all of Ramirez's medical records, including those from doctors he might have consulted outside of MLB. Addendum C of the policy is authorization by every player to provide "health information" from "all health care providers (including but not limited to [add Club orthopedist and medical internist], other physicians, laboratories, clinics and Club trainers) with whom I have consulted pursuant to my Uniform Player's Contract or the Basic Agreement."

Ramirez and his representatives were prepared to appeal the synthetic testosterone results, intending to argue he had taken a steroid precursor known as DHEA, according to two sources. The drug is akin to the now-banned substance famously known as Andro, but it is not on baseball's banned list.

Baseball had geared up to dispute the argument, and a Ramirez appeal was scheduled for last Wednesday. MLB's legal team intended to use expert testimony to cite evidence it believed showed DHEA could not have been the cause of the synthetic testosterone.

However, in the days before the hearing, the union turned over Ramirez's medical records -- and they turned out to be a boon for MLB.

Within the records was a prescription written for the drug human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) -- No. 55 on the list of banned performance-enhancing substances in the policy. The drug is mainly used for female fertility issues, but it is best known among male steroid users as a substance that can help kick-start the body's production of natural testosterone, which is stymied when using synthetic testosterone (aka steroids).

The synthetic testosterone in Ramirez's body could not have come from the hCG, according to doping experts, and so suddenly Ramirez had two drugs to answer for. Worse still for the ballplayer, MLB now had a document showing he had been prescribed a banned substance. This was iron-clad evidence that could secure a 50-game suspension.

And so, in the hours before the appeal was scheduled to proceed, Ramirez notified MLB that he would accept the 50 games and drop his planned legal fight.

Soon thereafter, he issued his statement that his suspension had resulted from taking a medication -- not a steroid -- that was prescribed to him by a physician. Technically, that was true, but it was hardly the complete story.

Barry Bonds here we come!

[High Life Man]

Simple answer: you pop positive, you're out - for life.

Union will fight it to the death, but it's the best way to stop this nonsense.

[chefcraig]

Simple answer: you pop positive, you're out - for life.

Union will fight it to the death, but it's the best way to stop this nonsense.

I agree with you, for what takes place in today's league. Yet what about in the past? Baseball is defined by box scores and records, so what of those records? How do you define where and when the steroid-era begins, and if it is then defined, are those same stats now affixed with an asterisk?

MLB and it's union have been complicent (sp?) in this matter from the beginning. What's next, retroactive fines and removal of stats? There are no simple answers to this mess. Sure, it's nice to have a starting point, say like today. Yet to effect a clean-up at this point would be like closing the barn doors after the animals have escaped.

[Fairwrning]

I agree with you, for what takes place in today's league. Yet what about in the past? Baseball is defined by box scores and records, so what of those records? How do you define where and when the steroid-era begins, and if it is then defined, are those same stats now affixed with an asterisk?.

Good trivia question..who was the first MLB player to test positive for steroids?
Since everybody will just look it up like I did..the answer is..from 2004






Byline: P-I NEWS SERVICES

Anaheim Angels reliever Derrick Turnbow became the first major leaguer publicly identified as testing positive for banned steroids when he flunked a drug test during a U.S. Olympic training camp