Sports Illustrated’s Selena Roberts and David Epstein this morning report that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for PED/steroid use in 2003.
In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.
Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s ’03 survey testing, SI’s sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.
When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. “You’ll have to talk to the union,” said Rodriguez, the Yankees’ third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, “I’m not saying anything.”
Really, if this is true, Rodriguez’s career will be severely impacted. Look at what has happened to Barry Bonds, Mark McQwire and Rafael Palmeiro. If he ever reaches or comes close to Hank Aaron’s record, I wonder what the reaction will be — I’d imagine not good — and it may be ugly.
The question you have to ask yourself is why do guys like he ever even considering doing something like this unless he just was like any typical athlete as in he wants an edge.
