February 20, 2009/Friday

It seems that all that can be talked about right now is the A-Rod saga.  And until Spring Training games start, that's all people will be thinking about.  But every day, new details keep unfolding that seem to make it more interesting.  Such as this article by Bryan Hoch that appeared on mlb.com today:

The New York Daily News reported on Friday
that Angel Presinal -- banned from clubhouses
since an unmarked bag of steroids was linked
to him in October 2001 -- spent much of '07
traveling with the third baseman [Alex Rodriguez].

Quoting sources, the newspaper reported that
Presinal even stayed in the same room as Yuri
Sucart -- the cousin identified as the one
Rodriguez said acquired and injected him with
steroids in 2001-03 while he was with the Rangers.

Uh-oh.  That's not good for A-Rod.  If this article is correct in inferring that A-Rod used steroids after it became illegal around the MLB, it would also mean that A-Rod was lying that he stopped taking steroids after leaving the Rangers.  This will bring a horrible reputation to the MLB, as it may be possible that players have gotten away with using steroids even after taking testing.  If the MLB were to suspend A-Rod, A-Rod would in return sue the MLB for this 'unanimous' drug test being leaked to the public.  It's a lose-lose situation for Bud Selig and Major League Baseball.

    Another minor story has come out today as well.  According to a Yoel Adames article written for ESPN.com,

According to the official in charge of the agency which regulates pharmaceutical drugs in the Dominican Republic, Primobolan [the drug A-Rod has admitted to using] was not available for legal purchase, over-the-counter or with a prescription in his country between 2001 and 2003.

If both of these articles are correct in again revealing that A-Rod has lied, this man is ruined.  As I mentioned two days ago, it is certainly a possibility that A-Rod created other fabrications as well during the press conference.
    Now that we are (supposedly) at the climax of steroid allegations in baseball, ESPN.com has raised a poll asking: "Who do you blame the most for the steroid mess in baseball?"  The choices are a) The players who cheated, b) Players who knew, but looked the other way, c) Players union, d) Commissioner's office, or e) Indifferent media.  My response?  The players who cheated of course.  No one else should receive equal blame than the players found guilty of taking steroids.  Although the commissioner could have put more pressure on the players, no one else should get blamed for the dumb and stupid choices made by these people who young children such as myself at one point considered heroes.