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He and many others have a huge credibility problem. But at this point, let's hope that drug testing and the huge losses in p.r. and suspensions that will attend being caught will deter future cheating.

The Players Union and MLB will have to be sure to have in place the best testing methods and most aggressive random testing programs. If so, the game will recover some of its lost credibility.

Peter - thank you for not taking the wrong road and being defensive or protective of A-Rod. I have at least one yankee fan friend that is using a big broom to sweep it under the rug and giving him credit for being "up-front" about it.

The opportunity was blown, call it bad advice from all those PR people IMO

BL- Brian Cashman nailed it in my mind with this quote:

"Well, we're not in a position to go backwards on this. The position we're in is to try to move forward and make sure that we can help him get through this. We've got nine years of Alex remaining. … We've invested in him as an asset. And because of that, this is an asset that is going through a crisis. So we'll do everything we can to protect that asset and support that asset and try to salvage that asset."

A-Rod is just an asset now and that means he better produce.

A story in the NY Daily News about A-Cod's connectino to renound 'riods dealer Angel Presinal really sheds a huge light on the sorry state of steroids in MLB. I honestly think that there are a significant numbers of players who are still using PEDs that are 4-5 years ahead of testing. This creep Angel Presinal was one of the many 'roid suppliers in the league. It seems to me as if there are a huge variety of drugs out there, manufactured in all parts of the world. These guys like Persinal, are the means of distribution. The list of people he's been associated with, Juan Gonzalez, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Miguel Tejada, Adrian Beltre, Moises Alou, Jose Guillen, Ervin Santana, Ruben Sierra, Francisco Cordero, Jose Mesa and Juan Guzman not to mention the national sports teams of the Dominican Republic (including their WBC team), is absolutely staggering. All of those players listed have had careers that followed the 'classic' 'roid profile; incredibly dominant, yet injury prone, and over very quickly (the last common thread is why I believe moving Rod is of the utmost importance). It's baffling to me to think how this 'roider Presinal and Alex's cuz (there is something terribly funny about using any phrase that contains 'young, stupid and experimenting' with 'my cousin') could travel with him and no one would raise any questions. I wonder if travel and lodging arrangements for these guys are in any of his contracts.
Here's what bugs me the most, and why I want A-Cod gone with such a fervor; he's still on the juice. Let's assume the obvious, Alex hasn't exactly been fully truthful about his 'roid use. In fact I believe this is why he's under so much scrutiny, he's obviously not being truthful. As I fan, I would have forgiven him if he had come out and said, 'I did this and this, for this long and it probably made me a better player. I did it because it was prevalent in the league and I didn't think I was going to get caught. I'm going to cooperate with investigators looking into where I got the drugs'. Instead, we have gotten a huge idiots tale about being young and not going to college and not really understanding what I put in my body. Crack-heads don't understand what they put in their body, multi-millionaires do. After he was banned form all of MLB, Mr. Presinal accompanied A-Cod during the whole 2007 season (remember that one?). If you were Rod, in what was essentially a contract year (which makes Boras' involvement seem almost certain, seeing as he banks 10% of whatever Cod can get) why wouldn't you use some undetectable 'roid, pad your stats for a year, opt out of the contract and then return to the table as the reining MVP with a shot to break the HR record. The reason he's been so insincere about begin caught is that he doesn't yet know what else he will be caught for. I'm sure he's used HGH, despite the tumor in G-Roid's head that says he shouldn't.
The reasons the Yanks need to move on are numerous and Cashman should be at the forefront of the movement. For all of his deals that have worked out, there have been many that didn't. Right now Cashman looks like a total fool. He bit on so many 'roiders that you would think he was in on the whole thing. $120 mil to G-roid, $40 mil to Pavano (I'll include him because I don't like him and I heard his name come up once), countless millions to Clemens and Pettite, and finally almost $300 mil to A-Cod for a tainted HR record. Cashman needs to get rid of Cod to protect his own legacy, as much as protect the legacy of the franchise. This recent statement, however, tells me that they are probably going to be stuck with him for nine more years: "Well, we're not in a position to go backwards on this. The position we're in is to try to move forward and make sure that we can help him get through this. We've got nine years of Alex remaining. … We've invested in him as an asset. And because of that, this is an asset that is going through a crisis. So we'll do everything we can to protect that asset and support that asset and try to salvage that asset."(thank you Peter!). Brian, the asset is lost. Furthermore, that asset is so badly damaged that operating under the false assumption that there is anything left to salvage will only waste additional resources. Like it or not, A-Cod is now the face of steroids in baseball, if not all of sports, the face of everything that's wrong with the game. A face of a
fraud that wears pinstripes.

Steve

Can you explain "A-Cod" to me?

As for your point, I agree that getting rid of A-Rod would be best, but I just don't see how the Yankees could do it. He's got nine years and about $250 million remaining on his deal and another $30 million in home run bonuses. What team would want him under those terms?

Now, the Yankees might get a bite if they agreed to pay half his salary, but A-Rod is also a 5/10 player now which means he can block any trade.

Add it all up and I just don't see how it would be possible even if the Yankees wanted to do it.

Peter,
Despite my rantings I fully understand that he will never get moved. The only way I could see it happening is if the deal was somehow nullified. This could be possible if the commissioners office asserted some authority (and by doing so, protected the game and its integrity). Or, possibly if the Yankees themselves assembled an OJ Simpson-esk legal team. Neither will happen, so I am forced to agree with you. Although I would like to think that the contract could possibly be attacked under false pretense arguments (the home run record bonuses specifically). So sadly Peter, you are correct, we're stuck with the cheat for the next nine years (108 months). I don't know about you, but I'm going to have a tough time routing for the Yanks while he is at third.

As for 'A-Cod', it has always been my belief that the man has a set of fish lips. It would appear as if I am not alone: http://thesportshernia.typepad.com/blog/2008/11/exclusive-sports-hernia-obtains-a-rods-poems-to-madonna.html .

following your logic Peter it is unfortunate or fortunate (depending on your point of view) that he will remain a Yankee.

given that, why haven't the Yankees taken control of the situation? Where is some bitch slapping and telling ARod what to do and lay it out there for him?

If they were driving the PR, things would have gone differently.

Steve

I understand how you feel, but is it any different than rooting for the Yankees these past few years? We had Giambi at first (cheater). We had Pettitte pitching (cheater and liar). We had Sheffield in right (cheater and liar).

I cheered just as vehemently for the team, but I will admit that I stopped cheering for those guys.

BL

I am just not sure what they can actually do about it. A-Rod's a big boy and he doesn't have to listen to the club about this.

Plus, it sounds like the Yankees have some other messes they need to clean up.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02212009/sports/yankees/yank_vps_son_has_roid_past_156267.htm

I know all these stories are Yankee related but I wonder how deep most/all franchises are in steroids?

It is hard to believe it is isolated or heavier in the Yankee organization but story after story of improper dealings in the organization make you wonder.

Is it a case of a giant with lots of hanger on's just sucking away and the Giant has no idea that it is happening (almost made me think of Michael Vick situation but he clearly was guilty as well).

I do think the Yankees can dictate and should dictate how he plays the news conferences and interviews.

They can control his playing time and punish him internally, making life unpleasant for him.

BL

I said it at the time and I believe it more than ever. The Mitchell Report named so many Yankees because they found Kurt Radomski who was a New York guy. I am sure there are plenty of "Radomski's" out there and probably every club in the league has numerous guys who cheated.

We also know that 103 other guys failed the same test A-Rod did. On average that's about 3 guys a team.