Left field

Fixing baseball’s embarrassing problem

“The cat – mmrrrooowwwrr – is out of the bag!” – Seinfeld’s Cosmo Kramer upon the realization that his first name had finally been revealed.

Alex Rodriguez (click link for video), Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are among the players linked to performance enhancing drugs. The cat, is most definitely out of the bag.

When MLB players agreed to participate in a 2003 test survey to see if baseball did indeed have a PED problem, the players were assured that the results would be kept confidential. However, after the results were seized by federal agents during the BALCO investigation, some of the names that tested positive have been outed.

The question now, is what to do? Instead of a new name being leaked every few months followed by the inevitable, ensuing debate on what needs to be done to fix the problem, it’s time for baseball to deal with this once and for all.

How about this for a solution — after the conclusion of the 2009 World Series, Major League Baseball needs to hold a one-week grace period. Any player who has ever taken a banned substance during their professional career is allowed to come forward, admit to their foolish behavior and all will be forgiven. The ‘guilty’ will not have their records erased, or even asterisked. Their past indiscretions will not affect Hall of Fame eligibility. Their status will not be questioned by the media after this date. One week of hell for the player and then it’s over.

Too easy, you say. Why would any player admit to this when they’ve been able to skate by so far?

Here’s the catch. At the end of this grace period any player found using PED’s in the future, or if a positive test from the past surfaces, that is it. LIFE TIME BAN! No exceptions, no reprieves. You lose all rights as a ball player. The offending person is banned from ever playing, coaching or even being the team’s mascot.

The Lasting Hangover of Baseball’s Steroid Era

Today’s report by the New York Times revealed David Ortiz to be the latest in an ever-growing list of Major League Baseball players guilty of using illegal performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Ortiz’s name is now included on what has become an overhyped and mysterious list of names that tested positive back in 2003, before mandatory testing was put into place.

It was confirmed that Ortiz’s 2003 Boston Red Sox teammate Manny Ramirez is also present on the list, confirming lingering suspicion surrounding him ever since Ramirez was suspended 50 games this season for using an estrogen-based drug that acts as a masking agent for PEDs.

The testing in 2003 was agreed to by the MLB Player’s Union in order to determine if mandatory testing (and thus punishments) would be incorporated the following year. Players were aware this testing would occur and were under the impression that the results would remain confidential. Years have passed, but some of the 100 names continue to leak to the media. Many have argued that each leak prevents the sport from healing and that all names on the list should be released once and for all, even despite the confidentiality given to the results.

White Sox owner criticizes union, but “fears” Fehr

The owner of the Chicago White Sox chided the baseball players’ union for blocking efforts to rid the sport of performance-enhancing drugs, even making a play on words on a famous presidential quote related to the union chief.      Jerry Reinsdorf, speaking at a sports law conference in Chicago, said the important topics facing Major League Baseball have not changed since he last spoke to the lawyers’ group in 1983, but the drugs used by those players who do break the rules have changed from cocaine.      “Now we have steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs,” he said, adding that such drugs give users an unfair advantage over clean players, put users’ health at risk and their use sets a bad example for children.      Despite improved drug testing, Reinsdorf, who also owns the National Basketball Association team in Chicago, said baseball still must deal with human growth hormones, which current tests cannot track.       For that reason, blood tests are likely needed, but the Major League Baseball Players Association union has resisted that approach, he added.      “I believe the game needs to be cleaned up or we’re going to lose fans,” Reinsdorf said.

“We’re testing the loyalty of our fans and I don’t know where the limit is,” he added, pointing to the recent drug-related suspension of Los Angeles Dodgers all-star outfielder Manny Ramirez (who put his failed test down to a medical problem).      Reinsdorf, who called on union chief Don Fehr to work with the owners to protect the game and the players, ended his 15-minute speech by paraphrasing a famous president.      “Remember what Franklin Roosevelt said: ‘We have nothing to fear but Fehr himself,’” Reinsdorf said.      After the speech, Fehr handed a card to the moderator that called on the audience to attend Fehr’s discussion panel on Saturday and warned: “I have more than 15 minutes.”

(Reuters photo)

More than just a case of Manny being Manny

“Manny being Manny” was the shrug-it-off saying coined by Red Sox fans when sweet-swinging outfielder Manny Ramirez would do something flakey on the field, like disappear into the old-time scoreboard built into Fenway Park’s Green Monster wall to relieve himself during a game, or step in front of another outfielder’s throw and cut it off, or decide he needed to take a day off for an ailment and then forgot what specifically was hurting.

There were frustrations and annoyances along the way, but they all seemed to vanish with the next big series, and the next string of clutch hits that invariably rang from the bat of the man considered one of baseball’s greatest hitters.

Last season after joining the Dodgers in a July 31 trade from Boston, Manny batted .396 for the remainder of the season and led the Dodgers to their first playoff series win in two decades.

Ramirez was no muscle-bound fence buster. He was considered a tremendous natural talent and a hitting prodigy who had an uncommon feel for the duel between pitcher and hitter.

He won the 2002 American League batting title with a .349 average and has finished among the top five in batting average in six different campaigns, including last season. He was MVP of the 2004 World Series when Boston smashed the ‘Curse of the Bambino‘ and won their first Fall Classic in 86 years.

As of this writing, it is not yet known what substance he tested positive for that brought Major League Baseball’s mandatory 50-game suspension.

What is known, is that the high-flying Dodgers, with the best record in baseball and the best home start (13-0 and counting) in MLB history, will be without their best hitter for about one-third of the season, while the ‘natural’ talent of Ramirez has been called into question and raised the notion of “Who is Manny?”

Manny Ramirez suspended for 50 games – update

Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games by Major League baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

This from MLB.com:

“Major League Baseball suspended Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez for 50 games on Thursday for use of performance enhancing drugs. Ramirez, who turns 37 on May 30, will begin the suspension with Thursday night’s Dodgers-Nationals game. He would be eligible to return around July 3, depending on rainouts.

“Ramirez — an 12-time All-Star who immediately became the face of the Dodgers franchise upon his acquisition last summer — is the biggest name player to be issued a 50-game suspension under the MLB’s more stringent drug policy that was adopted in 2006.”

Updates as we have them … and please let us know what you think of Ramirez becoming the latest high-profile player to be caught up in a baseball drugs case.

UPDATE: Rairez blamed the positive test on medication he took, rather than a steroid: