The media went into a frenzy yesterday after ESPN’s Outside the Lines reported, that Major League Baseball and Tony Bosch, founder of the now-shuttered Biogenesis of America, reached an agreement this week to cooperate with MLB’s investigation. A Miami-area clinic is at the heart of an ongoing performance-enhancing drug scandal which included Alex Rodriguez’s name, along with 19 others. Below are all players listed;
■Ryan Braun, Brewers
■Everth Cabrera, Padres
■Melky Cabrera, Blue Jays
■Francisco Cervelli, Yankees
■Bartolo Colon, A’s
■Nelson Cruz, Rangers
■Fautino de los Santos, free agent
■Gio Gonzalez, Nationals
■Yasmani Grandal, Padres
■Fernando Martinez, Astros
■Jesus Montero, Mariners
■Jordan Norberto, free agent
■Jhonny Peralta, Tigers
■Cesar Puello*, Mets
■Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
Yes, A-Rod’s name has been surrounded with PED use for a 100 years now (or so it seems). A-Rod’s name popping up on this list should come as no surprise. Before everyone starts bashing him, lets take a look at the deal that Bosch cut with MLB. In return for his cooperation, MLB has agreed to drop litigation against him, and promised to ‘sway’ law enforcement agencies should they decide to prosecute him. Bosch also took Ryan Braun’s side when Braun was connected to PED use. Braun claimed that he paid Bosch to be a consultant during preparation for a successful appeal of a positive test for elevated testosterone levels in October 2011, the same year he won the National League MVP award. Bosch also claimed in a televised interview with ESPN that he knew nothing about PEDs.
Putting Bosch’s credibility aside, A-Rod truly does not need to defend himself. In my opinion, during what is now known as the ‘steroid era’, it would be fair to assume that at least 70% of MLB players were on some sort of PED. Jose Canseco stated on 60 Minutes and in his book “Juiced”, that as many as 85% of players were on steroids. With well over half of baseball players using PEDs, A-Rod still posted the best numbers, won 3 MVP awards (2003, 2005, 2007) and was Home Run King 5 times (2001–2003, 2005, 2007). It is easy to say that he won those awards because he was on steroids, but so was everyone else (at least 70% because I do not give Canseco full credibility)! Are his numbers tainted compared to past greats like Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, etc.? Yes, compared to them they are because they did not juice, and were not part of the steroid era. However, it is more than fair to view A-Rod’s numbers in this day and age as the best of his generation. There is 18 other players on that list, besides A-Rod and Braun, but yet they are the only ones who are taking heat. The reason for that is simple, it’s because they are the best. How come no one makes a big deal about Yasmani Grandal (who?) from the San Diego Padres? Once again, the answer is very simple, it is because he is not a house hold name, and truthfully no one really cares.
For the ‘baseball purists’, A-Rod will forever be a name associated as a cheater. MLB’s 40-man roster means that their are 1280 players in the major leagues. According to Canseco (85%), this mean that 1,088 players out of 1280 were cheaters too! Fair or not, everyone seems to just pile this mess upon 1 player, Alex Rodriguez. If you are going to label A-Rod as a cheater and a disgrace, you must be also acknowledge that he was 1 of 1,088 other players to be a cheat and disgrace as well.
Justin Lerner: PureSportsNY