And I Was Worried About Jeter In That Last Post?
So much for the next Yankees soap opera being about Derek Jeter’s 2011 contract.
I woke up this morning, blissfully unaware of world events, and discovered an unusually high number of emails in my inbox. Had someone died? I wondered. Had the economy taken another dive? Did the octuplets lady announce she was pregnant with more children?
Then I actually read the emails. Some of them were from my new “friends” on Facebook (I just signed up the other day). But most were about the stories in the tabs about A-Rod testing positive for steroids in ’03.
No one is commenting so far. Not A-Rod. Not Cashman. Not Selig. And not Gene Orza of the players’ union.
So I’ll take a breath and simply say, “Who freakin’ needs this?”
The other thing I’ll say is: “Why, Alex? You’re too talented for that crap! Besides, you didn’t have the telltale acne and your head never grew to the size of a casaba melon and you didn’t fly into ‘roid rages. Or did you?”
And finally, before I throw myself and this computer into the Pacific Ocean, I’ll point out, “If 104 players tested positive, who are the other 103? And why is A-Rod the only person whose name was leaked? Who are the others? I want to know. Now.”
Confessions of a She-Fan 
I’m with you, Jane. Who are the other 103?????? I think it’s really strange that this all comes out just days before Spring Training, too.
Bern
http://thisfanslife.mlblogs.com
Jane this is just absolutely sickening and wrong. This guy has that much talent and he possibly used steroids to get an edge. Oh and by the way the roids he reportedly used was one with little side effects that helped maintain lean muscle. So no crazy growth or big heads. At least he used the good one. Freakin sickening and I am going to write again today about the GOOD in baseball and not just this circus. WHEN WILL STEROIDS GO AWAY ALREADY??!!
tom
http://rockymountainway.mlblogs.com
I am seriously breaking things. BREAKING THINGS.
–Jeff
http://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com/
Jane – no matter if they had no effect on him – the fact that he tested positive will follow A-Rod all the rest of his playing days. I would like him to just answer – Why?
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
Yeah, Bern. The other 103. Their names too, please.
Sickening is right, Tom. We’re all set for actual baseball to start and now more of this stuff. Makes me want to hurl.
Breaking things and then stepping on them, Jeff.
Yes, Julia. This will follow him the rest of his life – him and the other 103. So let’s hear the names and let them be disciplined, so we can get on with baseball.
Jane,
This is a terrible day in baseball. I turned on the MLB Network to watch Cone’s 19 strikeouts and instead they had a ‘Special Report’. I was appalled, I was sickened. More asterisks next to our star players? Who the heck are the other 103? Why are they doing this? You know that I don’t like A-Rod, but I know you do, and I’m sorry about this.
-Elizabeth
http://redsoxgirl46.mlblogs.com
First off, it was 2003 and more than a few were also guilty besides the 103 that got caught. Back in 2003 it was tested for, but not prosecuted so it was as if it did not happen in baseball circles.
Jose Canseco also tested positive in 2003, but we already knew that one. Heck in 2003 the Rays had Ray Ordonez and the Sausage mangler Al Martin on their roster….
Minor leagues have always held the testing in more high regards than the major leagues at that time. 2003 was almost 6 years ago. Does it even matter anymore. It is like both of Canseco’s book, based on past events, does it matter what happened then as opposed to today.
If he tested positive tomorrow, now that would bring out an outcry, but with the past, it should only be a whimper.
Rays Renegade
http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com
I hate him. Not only because of his antics, but because the home run record will remain tarnished for many years to come. One cheater breaking another cheater’s record. Maybe we should just put an asterisk on major league baseball in general. Like this: MLB*
Steve T
http://soxblog.mlblogs.com
Thanks for your “condolences,” Elizabeth. 🙂 It sort of does feel like somebody died. I hate the whole thing.
I don’t think it’ll be a whimper at all, Renegade. I think today is just the beginning. Sadly.
You’re right, Steve. Just put an * next to the whole game. Oh, how I wish this weren’t happening. Why can’t we just have baseball?
I was completely late to the news to and I was utterly shocked. It’s a damn shame. I was asking the same questions as you. Why is his name the only one that was leaked? Who exactly are the other 103? Friggin secrets get on my nerves.
– V [ http://flairforthedramatic.mlblogs.com ]
Let’s hope that we will have a home run record to actually be proud of: let’s cheer on Albert Pujols.
http://bronx-awesome.mlblogs.com/
King Yankees
Shocked, V. Me too. Like the Yankees didn’t have enough going on? I wonder what it’s like in Miami with all the cameras outside A-Rod’s house.
Babu, I hope Pujols isn’t next. I don’t know what to believe anymore.
Don’t jump off of the ledge just yet, Jane. We don’t know how credible this story is. If ARod’s supposedly positive tests are as good as Bonds “positive” tests, then there has been so much mishandling that it’s impossible to know the truth. And if the tests were done anonymously, as the report says, how do they know who tested positive in the first place?
But if Justin Morneau is on that list I’ll be right up there on the ledge with you.
-Erin
http://plunking-gomez.mlblogs.com
Leave it to you and your “Scandinavian cool” to talk me down, Erin! It’s just that I thought the Yankees were done with controversy for five minutes. What was I thinking?
As of right now, I don’t care who the others are unless they are also superstars. 2003 was 2003. But Alex Rodriguez? He had everything going for him.
http://metsmainman.mlblogs.com
She-Fan,
Hate to change the subject, but the goddamm Barnes & Noble in Syracuse still doesn’t have your book. (It doesn’t have Torre’s either; is this a depression, or what?) I’d buy it online but I don’t trust this Interweb thingy.
El Duque
Can’t say A-Rod doesn’t deserve it though.. I put the vid of him claiming not to have ever done steriods on 60 mins on my post.
– V [ http://flairforthedramatic.mlblogs.com ]
While I know in the end that this will probably end up being true, i have to question the reporter, Selena Thomas. Something is off about her and I can’t get it to add up. I know she was very vocal about the Duke lacrosse team, well after they were acquitted. She’s writeen some not-so friendly A-Rod pieces in the past. She’s got a book coming out about Alex and it seems too coincidental that she is the one that breaks this story.
I never trust anonymous sources either. All you have really is their word and who knows if they’re telling the truth or not. I need more than just a reporter, who obviously is biased against Alex, telling me what she heard. And i’m not sure if anyone caught her interview with Bob Costas earlier, but one of the reasons she believes her sources is because Alex didn’t tell her they were wrong when she blind-sided him in a gym at the U. of Miami. Alex obviously knows who she is and what she’s about. He’d never give her the time of day.
I also find it hard to beleive that she didn’t press her sources for more names. she admitted to not knowing any others. She could have dropped the biggest story ever but chose just to focus on Alex? It doesn’t add up.
Costas made an interesting point that Alex’s numbers have been pretty much the same throughout his entire career. They never ballooned like Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire’s did. I found that interesting especially considering he hasn’t tested positive since 2004 and there’s no proof of use before 2003. There’s no real measurable difference in his performance.
I’m curious to hear what Alex’s response will be. What if he comes out and denies it? What if 4 anonymous sources come out and say it’s not true? Would that be any different than SI’s 4 sources saying it is. I don’t doubt that it’s true, I just want something more concrete than 4 people saying his name is on the list.
J-Boogie
http://boogiedownbaseball.blogspot.com
If there really are 103 other players, metsmainman, there have to be at least a handful of stars. Not as big as A-Rod, but they can’t all be utility infielders or relievers we’ve never heard of.
I’m really sorry, duque. Can you special order it from your local B&N if you don’t want to get it online? My publisher just laid off a ton of people yesterday, including the publicity director, and I don’t even know where to take my complaints at this point.
That 60 Minutes segment plays a funny role in my book, V. It doesn’t seem so funny right now though.
J-Boogie, Selena Roberts has been on A-Rod’s case for years (remember the real estate/slumlord story in the Times?). But she’s a good, professional reporter and I can’t imagine she wouldn’t have been very sure of her sources before going out with the story. And I agree – his numbers have been incredibly consistent. So if he’s innocent, let him come forward and dispute Roberts. If not, let him step up and apologize. We don’t need the distraction going into the season. What’s more troubling, I think, is the ruckus this will cause MLB and the players’ union. We’re not just talking about A-Rod here.
well.. with the Yankees yet AGAIN in the spotlight (for dubious reasons) AT LEAST with the notoriety perhaps bookstores will set up theme tables all with Yankees books including yours..
the double-shot of notoriety this past week may see a surge in sales of your book – i guess it was excellent timing that your book came out at this time – your publisher’s a genius!
Jane, i completely agree with you, why is A-Rod the only name being released? if there are 103 others, we need to hear them, i’m not saying feel bad for A-Rod, but it is unfair to him that he is the only one being mentioned of the 104. I friended you on facebook by the way, hehe.
-Alex H
The kind of notoriety I can live without, levelboss. Supposedly, a lot of stores are sold out of my book. I hope they re-order. But mostly, I hope this story won’t take over the start of the season. I really thought that CC and AJ and Tex would come to camp and think, Well this isn’t so bad. Ha.
I saw you befriended me on Facebook, Alex! I just left you a message.
Wake me up when the ‘steriod fall-out era’ is over. I don’t freakin’ need this!
Still waiting for the mailman to bring me my book. Stupid slow post office. Maybe, the postal workers could take some PED’s.
-Kathy
http://redbirdchatter.mlblogs.com
First good laugh of the day, Kathy! Sorry the book hasn’t arrived. Maybe Monday?
Take it as the publicity stunt it is Jane. I really do think there are times that major league sports teams use negative advertising to help raise the awareness of the team and the game. While doing so it helps lower the pedestal we have certain players so they can actually obtain the goals the fans have for them.
Cob
http://cobf.mlblogs.com
Personally, I’ve had it with sports “journalists” wasting my time destroying the sports they’re covering.
Read my thoughts on the matter at http://www.feenwager.com
A publicity stunt, Cob? You’re kidding, right? No team wants this kind of negative advertising.
Nice blog, Jeffrey. Just went there and checked it out.
Thanks, Jane.
I’m back at work Monday, and you can bet I’ll be recommending your book to customers. I saw it come in the other day, so I know it’s in stock.
Customers? Do you work at a bookstore, Jeffrey? If so, which one?
I run the B&N in Princeton.
Yikes. I just sent an email to Bob Wietrak, head of merchandising for B&N, begging him to order more copies of the book. People are telling me they can’t find it at their local B&Ns so I’ve been sending them to Amazon to buy it. Such a missed opportunity.
Bob’s a good guy. He’ll take care of it.
And I can promise you at least one store that’ll have stock. Best of luck with the book.