Posted by David Wade on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 9:07 pm

This is why I said in my Raul Ibanez post that we have a hard time taking guys at their word when they strongly deny steroid use. When it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s usually a guy that has hit the weights and steroids with equal fervor.

Sammy Sosa’s name is reportedly on the list of those who tested positive in MLB’s 2003 ’survey’ to determine if there was in fact a problem with PEDs in baseball. The list was supposed to be confidential, but there’s this little case concerning a California-based supplement company- you may have heard of it- anyway, some lawyers have their hands on the list because it could be evidence against Barry Bonds in his perjury trial. Apparently, these lawyers have decided to keep most of the names secret, except when someone prominent makes a denial about steroid use. Whether Hall of Fame type players deny on 60 Minutes or ESPN Deportes, they cannot escape some who evidently feel it is their duty to put these guys in their place.

Part of what makes this interesting to me is that 6 years ago, a little over a hundred baseball players failed a test they knew they would be taking during Spring Training. This is what they called years ago in the N.F.L. the “I.Q. Test”, because when you fail a drug test that you know ahead of time you will be taking, you are stupid. Before the N.F.L. went to random, year around testing, they only tested players at the start of training camp.  All you had to do was cycle off before then and pass the test.  If you didn’t, you were stupid. 

Players who tested positive in MLB’s ’survey’ are stupid plain and simple. You can possibly add naive to that, since they may have believed their names would never come out, but I prefer stupid since the whole purpose of the ’survey’…

(I really like putting that in quotes- if I were talking to you instead of writing I would be making those little air quote things with my hands and annoying you so much you’d want to punch me in the throat)

…anyway, the whole purpose of the ’survey’ was to see if the number of positive tests would go beyond a predetermined threshhold which if exceeded would mandate future testing and penalties.  Why, oh why then, would you still not cycle off even if you thought it would be anonymous? Keep the results down, then continue to bask in the glory of needles and home runs and huge contracts without fear of penalty!

That is what is most amazing to me. That over 100 guys would fail a drug test they knew was coming, as well as when it was coming.  They deserve what they get just for being that dumb.

Sosa corked his bat in 2003, and now it seems he also failed a test for PEDs that same year.  His numbers make him a lock for the Hall of Fame, but a revelation like this pretty much ensures he will not get in for the forseeable future.

Oh, and Raul Ibanez better damn well know he’s not on that list, because it appears that there’s a guy somewhere waiting to call Sports Illustrated and snitch on anyone who denies their past.