Ok so as a baseball fan why am I not surprised that an entire leak with regards to a 2003 MLB drug test has Alex Rodriguez's name in it? I find it really amazing how this sports news all comes together sometimes almost simultaneously. First, Joe Torre's new book about his time with the Yankees and managing Alex Rodriguez. Now a new report by SI unearths a 2003 survey test in which 104 MLB players failed the drug test including Alex Rodriguez. Wasn't it only a matter of time before another big star in the game confessed to being a part of the rampant performance enhancing drug (PED) culture. Actually, it was funny to see the staged interview between longtime baseball writer Peter Gammons of ESPN and Rodriguez on television today. Rodriguez, dressed as a young looking schoolboy with his starched collar and blue sweater never actually uttered the words he took "steroids," "anabolic," or "HGH." Instead he substituted them for "substances," "experimenting," and "young, stupid, and naive" to gain the sympathy of viewers. Sure he apologized briefly, but it was so emotionally absent and phony that only a real sucker would fall for what he was trying to sell. Instead, he relied heavily on not being educated enough on the substances he was taking and did not know the stuff he was taking would result in failing a league wide drug test. So why in the world would a world- class athlete, playing one of the most difficult sports known to mankind, not know what he is putting in his body? Rodriguez, like many great players, is obsessive about his work outs on the field and in the weight room. Also these players do enjoy the game along with the fame and fortune so playing every day is a mindset many have. In this case, many players do look for something that can lessen the aches and pains of a 162 game regular season schedule. Why would he not be asking his nutritionist or the team doctor as to exactly what was going inside him? So when I am pretty sure the man is lying about not knowing the substances he was using, why should I believe he only took steroids in his 3 seasons with the Texas Rangers? I do not.
Now he has some people believing he only took PEDs for 3 seasons due to the pressure of performing everyday. He adds to the excruciating Texas summer heat, which took a toll on him to go out everyday and play for a club that never made the playoffs in the 3 seasons he was with the team. By the way, the drugs Rodriguez was taking were lean muscle builders and recovery enhancers and they certainly seemed to help him play in all but one regular season game for the club in 3 seasons. He also hit 52, 57, and 47 home runs which were some of his highest career so far. And if he thought going to play in Texas was full of pressure, then what drugs did he start taking in 2004 to alleviate the pressure of a more populous and more media intensified city of New York? Rodriguez uses the excuse that he was around the culture at the time with many grey areas in terms of what was legal or illegal. Well, here is a real mind-bending thought. If you didn't feel it was illegal, why were all these players not injecting or swallowing pills in the middle of the clubhouse for their peers and the media to see? However, at the same time, it was dumb enough for the MLB to not even have a drug policy with regards to illegal drugs within the country.
What I think really happened with this "exclusive interview" was that his agent, the much maligned Scott Boras, is that he set up the interview and told Gammons exactly what he would be and would not be permitted to ask the ballplayer. All in all, Rodriguez's statements were kind of a combination of Jason Giambi and Andy Pettite's confessions coupled with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens' constant denials of PED use in front of the media and federal courts. It is interesting to note this leak comes right before the start of spring training, much less 6 years after the fact. From the outside looking in, spectators will never know the real truth behind what the owners, players, trainers, and MLB officials have done and will continue to do to produce the most amount of revenue for everyone involved (see: Commissioner Selig 17.5 million salary). Look, in some cases I think PEDs did little for some players, provided a significant boost for others, and only inflated the numbers of already established MLB stars. I think it is also wrong to not realize the temptation out there for players to be able to extend their career or even improve their statistics so much so that it could be the difference between a $5 million contract and a $25 million contract based on performance.
A great example of a player having a great season in a contract year is Gary Matthews Jr., a longtime journeyman outfielder who turned a PED 2006 season with the Texas Rangers intoa 5 year, $50 million with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim the following offseason. Prior to that Matthews had been with 7 different teams since breaking into the major leagues in 1999. In the 2007 and 2008 seasons, his batting average has slumped down to his more common averages of .250 and .242, which was way down from his career high .316 with the Rangers in 2006. He also hit a career high 19 HRs and 79 RBIs in 2006 as well. At around the same time when the Angels acquired him for the 2007 season, Matthews Jr. was reported as being connected to a steroid and HGH ring that included bodybuilders, college athletes, NFL and MLB players. Matthews Jr. denied his involvement but his name was found on the infamous Mitchell report. These numbers in his last two seasons are more indicative of the kind of player Gary Matthews Jr. is since his career batting average is a middle-of the-road .259. His 2006 season was much of an aberration to put it lightly due to heavy drug use. Seems to me Rangers owner Tom Hicks would have no problem assembling an entire 40 man roster full of steroid studded pitchers and batters. And his first choice I am sure would be Alex Rodriguez, the 250 million dollar man he signed back in 2001.
