Postseason Roids?

The Professor · 10-27-2005, 08:28 PM

Any body run across this little rumor yet? I've seen it on several baseball blogs and BBProspectus's Will Carroll seems to be confirming there is something coming that we'll be seeing in the near future.

If it is true, can you imagine the tremors that will shake MLB if it is a White Sox player?

Quote:

AL Playoff OF Tests Positive for Steroids

Deadspin's 'Who's the Mystery AL 'Roider?' post from yesterday included the following excerpt from this week's USA Today Sports Weekly:

"An American League outfielder on a postseason team tested positive for steroids, according to his agent, but the player is appealing the results."

Certainly interesting, but I didn't make much of it until we talked to Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll on today's Sports Bloggers Live. Will writes a weekly column for BP that Peter Gammons has called an "industry standard," and he also wrote a book called 'The Juice' earlier this year. His response when told of the rumor?

Carroll: "I really can't talk about it right now. It should be coming out within the next two weeks."

SBL: "Is this a name we're actually going to care about?"

Carroll: "Yes."

SBL: "Is it a World Series champion?"

Carroll: "I really can't talk about it."

SBL: "I would hope not, because that might turn those White Sox black... Will, cough once if he's on the White Sox... Cough twice if it's Gary Sheffield."

Carroll: "I was involved in the appeals process so I can't comment at all."

Here's the full audio interview. The dialogue dictated here takes place between 6:20 and 7:00.

If this is true, there's a 1-in-4 chance someone on the White Sox used steroids this season and then contributed to Chicago's first World Series victory since 1917. And there's a 100% chance a player used and then participated in the playoffs. So... Who was it? And what would Selig do if that player was the World Series MVP or the Game 2 hero? Would it be a Black Sox-level fiasco? Say it ain't so, Jermaine!

Given what we presume to know -- that the guy is in the AL, made the playoffs, is relatively significant and plays outfield -- the list of possibilities is only 12-deep:

· Chicago: Podsednik, Dye, Rowand

· Anaheim: Anderson, Guerrero, Finley

· New York: Matsui, Sheffield, Williams

· Boston: Ramirez, Damon, Nixon

Jonzard · 10-27-2005, 08:50 PM

Link?

mlyons · 10-27-2005, 08:50 PM

Oooo! Let the rampant unsubstantiated speculation begin!

The Professor · 10-27-2005, 08:55 PM

Just for the record, I'm not saying I buy it. In fact, I suspect it might be just what mlyons says: unsubstantiated speculation. That said, if it does happen to be true, and it is a White Sox player, can you imagine the uproar?

Anyway, link(s):

http://baseballmusings.com/
http://journals.aol.com/dcsportsguy/...t/entries/2162
http://deadspin.com/sports/steroids/...der-133398.php

The Will Carroll interview is with the second link

Hotblack Desiato · 10-27-2005, 08:56 PM

Sheffield was the first guy to pop into my head. He's the EXTREMELY obvious choice. Muscular, homerun hitter and bizarre temperment.

That said, I would die of delight if it were Podsednik.

MogulChamp · 10-27-2005, 09:01 PM

I certainly hope it isn't someone on the White Sox. If it is, you can bet it is someone who just joined the team this season. That would be Pods or Dye. Why do I say that?

Last year's club tried to make a point of improving the weak steroid policy issue by not taking the tests as a team. Why would this matter? By not taking the test, it would count the same as testing positive, which would then force a more stringent policy. I forget the specifics of this, but I remember the team doing this. We were one of the more outspoken clubs on the weak steroid policy, last year.

I would hope our morals didnt change much after this, and any new guys would be aware of this.

Hotblack Desiato · 10-27-2005, 09:02 PM

Wow, that baseball musings article is horrible. It's assuming that (a) the player took them for the postseason run and (b) they had any sort of impact. It keeps suggesting the players wanted a postseason jolt. Come on, they're steroids, not speed. You don't inject them and magically inflate. Mike Morse tested positive three times over two years for the same thing. It's not like you take it Tuesday and it's out of your system by Thursday. And let's not forget the Morses and Alex Sanchezes of the world when we're ruling out Podsednik and Bernie. Perhaps Bernie had been taking them, his body broke down i.e. his horrible season and the roids haven't left his body yet? Or maybe Scotty Po took them for leg strength, or for whatever reason Sanchez was on them.

Jonzard · 10-27-2005, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MogulChamp

I certainly hope it isn't someone on the White Sox. If it is, you can bet it is someone who just joined the team this season. That would be Pods or Dye. Why do I say that?

Last year's club tried to make a point of improving the weak steroid policy issue by not taking the tests as a team. Why would this matter? By not taking the test, it would count the same as testing positive, which would then force a more stringent policy. I forget the specifics of this, but I remember the team doing this. We were one of the more outspoken clubs on the weak steroid policy, last year.

I would hope our morals didnt change much after this, and any new guys would be aware of this.

Interesting insight

Jason Moyer · 10-27-2005, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

Sheffield was the first guy to pop into my head. He's the EXTREMELY obvious choice. Muscular, homerun hitter and bizarre temperment.

My first thought was Steve Finley.

mlyons · 10-27-2005, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

Wow, that baseball musings article is horrible. It's assuming that (a) the player took them for the postseason run and (b) they had any sort of impact. It keeps suggesting the players wanted a postseason jolt. Come on, they're steroids, not speed. You don't inject them and magically inflate. Mike Morse tested positive three times over two years for the same thing. It's not like you take it Tuesday and it's out of your system by Thursday. And let's not forget the Morses and Alex Sanchezes of the world when we're ruling out Podsednik and Bernie. Perhaps Bernie had been taking them, his body broke down i.e. his horrible season and the roids haven't left his body yet? Or maybe Scotty Po took them for leg strength, or for whatever reason Sanchez was on them.

Yeah, I can come up with a rationale for just about any of those players to have tested positive. Except Garret Anderson. He's just too boring.

Jonzard · 10-27-2005, 09:09 PM

Best case scenario for MLB is that its Finley. Worst case would be a Pods or Dye. Manny or Vlad would hit hard too, but I have my doubts on them testing positive.

JDOldSchool · 10-27-2005, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlyons

Except Garret Anderson. He's just too boring.

And it's kinda scary to think how crappy he would be without steroids.

QuestGAV · 10-27-2005, 09:36 PM

Trot Nixon is teh cheater!!!!!111

Eric · 10-27-2005, 10:05 PM

That's ridiculous! If somebody tested positive for 'roids, he probably didn't start taking it until the playoffs started. And it would be sooo obvious. We just have to look for somebody who didn't hit any homers during the regular season and wind up hitting a couple during the playoffs. *cough* Podsednik *cough*

Jonzard · 10-27-2005, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric

That's ridiculous! If somebody tested positive for 'roids, he probably didn't start taking it until the playoffs started. And it would be sooo obvious. We just have to look for somebody who didn't hit any homers during the regular season and wind up hitting a couple during the
playoffs.

Disagree.... its not like Popeye and Spinach.

JDOldSchool · 10-27-2005, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonzard

Disagree.... its not like Popeye and Spinach.

Not only that, but I've heard before that Podsednik is totally ripped. That doesn't rule him out (he did have an injury in August), but his power wasn't non-existant before the post season. He did have 12 homers last year.

sebastian0622 · 10-27-2005, 10:34 PM

Nah, it's no big deal. Remember, it's nowhere in the same league as gambling, so it would just blow over really quickly and nobody would question the integrity of the game if it was, say, Jermaine Dye or Scott Podsednik or Bobby Jenks.

UngratefulDead · 10-27-2005, 11:30 PM

I'm guessing Johnny Damon. No real reason, but since the speculation isn't particularly substantiated, neither will my guess be.

NCBeachBum · 10-27-2005, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

Sheffield was the first guy to pop into my head. He's the EXTREMELY obvious choice. Muscular, homerun hitter and bizarre temperment.

That said, I would die of delight if it were Podsednik.

Sheff has also already been outed in the whole Balco thing, months before Giambi and Bonds were ever confirmed. The Feds released some Balco papers to the press, and had blacked out all the names and addresses of players to whom the roids had been shipped.... except for Sheff's, whose name they missed. He claimed he was told the cream was for muscle aches, and blamed Bonds for introducing him to the trainer.
So he's actually in a way the most likely [I]and /I] the most unlikely suspect. We know he was a juicer, yet if he's still using after dodging the bullet and being largely ignored by the press the first time he was caught, he's a complete idiot.

Hotblack Desiato · 10-27-2005, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCBeachBum

Sheff...'s a complete idiot.

Not really that hard to believe.

10-27-2005, 08:50 PM	#2
Jonzard Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,647	Link? __________________ For a scientist must indeed be freely imaginative and yet skeptical, creative and yet a critic. There is a sense in which he must be free, but another in which his thought must be very precisely regimented; there is poetry in science, but also a lot of bookkeeping. — Sir Peter B. Medawar FTB

10-27-2005, 08:50 PM	#3
mlyons Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 3,725	Oooo! Let the rampant unsubstantiated speculation begin! __________________ Things can always be worse.

10-27-2005, 08:55 PM	#4
The Professor Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: East of East Posts: 3,020	Just for the record, I'm not saying I buy it. In fact, I suspect it might be just what mlyons says: unsubstantiated speculation. That said, if it does happen to be true, and it is a White Sox player, can you imagine the uproar? Anyway, link(s): http://baseballmusings.com/ http://journals.aol.com/dcsportsguy/...t/entries/2162 http://deadspin.com/sports/steroids/...der-133398.php The Will Carroll interview is with the second link __________________ History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are."

10-27-2005, 09:09 PM	#11
Jonzard Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,647	Best case scenario for MLB is that its Finley. Worst case would be a Pods or Dye. Manny or Vlad would hit hard too, but I have my doubts on them testing positive. __________________ For a scientist must indeed be freely imaginative and yet skeptical, creative and yet a critic. There is a sense in which he must be free, but another in which his thought must be very precisely regimented; there is poetry in science, but also a lot of bookkeeping. — Sir Peter B. Medawar FTB

10-27-2005, 08:56 PM	#5
Hotblack Desiato Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 323	Sheffield was the first guy to pop into my head. He's the EXTREMELY obvious choice. Muscular, homerun hitter and bizarre temperment. That said, I would die of delight if it were Podsednik.

10-27-2005, 09:01 PM	#6
MogulChamp All Star Reserve Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 656	I certainly hope it isn't someone on the White Sox. If it is, you can bet it is someone who just joined the team this season. That would be Pods or Dye. Why do I say that? Last year's club tried to make a point of improving the weak steroid policy issue by not taking the tests as a team. Why would this matter? By not taking the test, it would count the same as testing positive, which would then force a more stringent policy. I forget the specifics of this, but I remember the team doing this. We were one of the more outspoken clubs on the weak steroid policy, last year. I would hope our morals didnt change much after this, and any new guys would be aware of this.

10-27-2005, 09:02 PM	#7
Hotblack Desiato Major Leagues Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 323	Wow, that baseball musings article is horrible. It's assuming that (a) the player took them for the postseason run and (b) they had any sort of impact. It keeps suggesting the players wanted a postseason jolt. Come on, they're steroids, not speed. You don't inject them and magically inflate. Mike Morse tested positive three times over two years for the same thing. It's not like you take it Tuesday and it's out of your system by Thursday. And let's not forget the Morses and Alex Sanchezes of the world when we're ruling out Podsednik and Bernie. Perhaps Bernie had been taking them, his body broke down i.e. his horrible season and the roids haven't left his body yet? Or maybe Scotty Po took them for leg strength, or for whatever reason Sanchez was on them.

10-27-2005, 09:36 PM	#13
QuestGAV Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 2,010	Trot Nixon is teh cheater!!!!!111

10-27-2005, 10:05 PM	#14
Eric All Star Starter Join Date: May 2002 Location: Folsom, CA Posts: 1,234	That's ridiculous! If somebody tested positive for 'roids, he probably didn't start taking it until the playoffs started. And it would be sooo obvious. We just have to look for somebody who didn't hit any homers during the regular season and wind up hitting a couple during the playoffs. cough Podsednik cough

10-27-2005, 10:34 PM	#17
sebastian0622 Banned Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,465	Nah, it's no big deal. Remember, it's nowhere in the same league as gambling, so it would just blow over really quickly and nobody would question the integrity of the game if it was, say, Jermaine Dye or Scott Podsednik or Bobby Jenks.

10-27-2005, 11:30 PM	#18
UngratefulDead Banned Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 3,415	I'm guessing Johnny Damon. No real reason, but since the speculation isn't particularly substantiated, neither will my guess be.