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August 01, 2005
Rafael Palmeiro Tests Postive For Steroids
I'm simply astonished by this one. Just a few weeks ago Rafael Palmeiro became one of only four players to have 3,000 hits and 500 homeruns and now it appears that he did not achieve those accomplishements on his own. Today it was announced that Palmeiro had tested positive for steroids and will be suspended for ten days. What makes it all the more incredible is that back in March Palmeiro was one of the players who testified in front of Congress at a hearing about steroid use in MLB. At that time he wagged his finger in the direction of congress and stated emphatically that he had never used steroids. Palmeiro gave a very convincing performance on that day but it appears that was all it was - a performance. I'm extremely disappointed that a sure-fire Hall of Fame player choose to disgrace himself by using steroids. However, I'm not surprised. Any player can give into the temptation of using performance enhancers no matter how good of a person they may be.
Of course Palmeiro, just like every other player who had tested positive, is denying that he ever knowingly used steroids. One time I'd like to see some player stand up and admit that they used. Jason Giambi came the closest to admitting his steriod use and even he didn't come out and say it specifically. What's even more ridiculous in Palmeiro's case than the others is that he is claiming that he has no idea how the steroids ended up in his body. Please don't insult our intelligence. Unless the urine sample was from some other person, and I find that unlikely given the precautions that are surely taken, he ingested, injected or absorbed the steroids somehow. At least some of the other players made up excuses that blamed suppliments, mystery pills or having taken other items that they didn't know contained steroids. I haven't believed any of those claims either but at least there's some potential plausibiliy there. Claiming that the steroids mysteriously showed up in his body - well, it's impossible for them to magically show up unless he took them somehow.
What's incredible is that Palmeiro had been taking part in discussions with congress since the March hearings, as recently as July 7th, representing MLB, on the issue of steroid use by players in the major sports. That he is apparently a user of performance enhancers himself throws into question everything he ever said during those discussions and otherwise. It really makes one wonder who you can trust if even the players who strongly insist that they don't use are probably liars. Palmeiro testing positive means that any player, and I do mean any - I have no doubt that there are Yankees besides Giambi and Sheffield who have or do use performance enhancers - could test positive.
On top of that as I've mentioned before in this space the test only detects steroids. So players can continue to use HGH and greenies, as well as new designer steroids and not worry about testing positive. There are surely many players using those type of performance enhancers. That in combination with Palmeiro's positive test makes one wonder just how many players are making a case for the Hall of Fame like he has with the assistance of performance enhancers? How many players are putting up MVP numbers like Jason Giambi once did with the help of steroids?
On the subject of Giambi he's been on fire at the plate the past couple of months and quite a few people are speculating that it's because he's back on steroids. That's unlikely. First of all, Giambi is still under a doctor's close watch due to the tumor. But beyond that I have no doubt that MLB is keeping an even closer eye on him than other players and if they had any suspicions he would be tested. The last person who is using steroids is probably Giambi. The thing is that performance enhancers can't make a lousy hitter into a great one. They only enhance a player's natural abilities. So what we're seeing is Giambi's awesome natural talent at work.
Back to Palmeiro's positive drug test somewhere I'm sure Jose Canseco is smiling. He accused Palmeiro in his book of being a steriod user and Palmeiro denied it so strongly that he threatened to sue. Gee, I wonder why that lawsuit never ended up getting filed? I've always thought there was some degree of truth to what Canseco was saying with some exaggeration mixed in. So it makes me wonder how many other names that Canseco named are really steroid users as well?
Posted by silverdsl at August 1, 2005 03:11 PM