Is Pujols. How he's never been caught, or at least named in one of these reports is beyond my realm of understanding.

It's possible that Pujols has never taken anything, and that he's just really that good. It's also possible that he's taking, or has taken, something that they don't test for. More likely than the latter, but not sure about the former, is that he just hasn't gotten caught. A lot of guys haven't gotten caught.

I'm wondering how he is 33 in American years.

It's also possible that Pujols is 2-3 years older than he's led everyone to believe and while is numbers are still HOF worthy, we're about to see a performance of a 35 year old rather than a 32 yo player. Especially if the community fears increased scrutiny of PED tests and expansion of substances tested for.

Do we really have to open the PED X1000 debate again?
I'm more concerned with the forefront of what Daniels will
do for the middle of the lineup bats, now that Cruz is in question.
Sorry, just venting. PED's is a never ending demoralization of sports.
Weak & twisted minds is the root.

Why do you put random line breaks
in your postings? It is mind-boggling.

Because I was screwing Suzi after school, while you were reading Spiderman with thick glasses.

... but I did grow up to be a successful architect. Grammar/Anglo nerd I'm not.

Let's see if I
get this straight. People stand the
chance to make millions of dollars playing
a game and all they have to do is take some steroids that
people tell them won't really hurt them, just take
them and we wonder why they do it? Invest a few thousand
dollars and sign contracts worth millions. I think if a player is caught
he should have to forfeit his money earned
in the fraudulent contract.

I agree about the returning of the money part. It would make someone think twice before using.

If I were Nelson Cruz and looked like a career AAAA player and had the opportunity to make millions as well as live the dream, I would have a hard time saying no, Especially when you're being told everyone is doing it, and the cost is a 50 game suspension, if you get caught. I don't know whether he did it or not, but it sure isn't beyond reason that he and a hundred more are.

Victor Conte said he thought maybe as many as half of all the players in MLB are using or have used at some point. Take that as you will.

@Andy
I'm not sure we should trust Conte's figures. From my research it's more like 50%.

I think it's likely 1 out of every 2 players that's roiding.

Automatic life bans is the only way they will ever fix it.

The only long-term solution is to allow everyone to use. It wasn't MLB that started these witch hunts, it was Congress. MLB just responded to the political pressure. Why should we care if players dope? Let me set the straw men up and then knock each one down.

1) It's unfair to the other players. - Not if it is legal and everyone can do it.

2) Unfair to the earlier generations and their records. - Then we better outlaw Tommy John surgery, A/MCL repair, etc. The fact is players today are better and stronger than players in earlier ears could ever have been. Better nutrition, better training, better medicine, technology, etc. You will never be able to make an apples-to-apples between Bonds and Ruth or Clemens and Spahn. "You can never enter the same river twice." - Heraclitus

3) It's dangerous. - Where is the evidence? I have heard all kinds of scary stories about roid rage, brain cancer, infertility, etc. But I have never seen the actual medical studies to show that PEDs are any more dangerous than thousand of other products we already use everyday. More to the point, who should be the one to decide if something is too dangerous for you? A free man decides for himself!

4) It's a bad example for the kids. - OK, agreed. But so is tramping around making babies with ten different women, or smoking pot, drinking booze, etc. The fact is parents have to make clear that for some of these players, their on-field ability is the only thing to admire about them.

5) It's cheating. - And... Gaylord Perry is in the HOF and he "cheated" his entire career. Cheating is not the real issue here. We accept players cheating all the time. "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'" - various great athletes. The real issue is the integrity of the game. When a player purposely tries to lose, 1919 Black Sox, the integrity of the game is lost and there is no pint to paying to see it. But if the players are simply juiced, how does that hurt the integrity of the competition? Also, what about the PEDs used in the 1950s-1980s like amphetamines? No bans on Hank Aaron "uppers" aided records.

There are probably more arguments from the anti-PED crowd that I haven't covered but let me finish by pointing out that many futurists believe that we are only 10 to 20 years away from being able to grow new body parts, integrate machines with the human body and completely alter our initial biological condition to create a bigger, better, faster us. How is MLB going to handle these issues? Is a pitcher with an artificial (bionic?) arm to be banned?

Because I was screwing Suzi after school, while you were reading Spiderman with thick glasses.

January 29, 2013 at 2:18 PM | PT
... but I did grow up to be a successful architect. Grammar/Anglo nerd I'm not.

January 29, 2013 at 2:26 PM | PT

.I don't think anyone asked

@TX_ECNMST

When the day comes that I have an option to watch a team of robots play a team of humans, I might consider some of your points valid.

Until that time, the argument "well everyone else was doing it!!" isn't going to fly with me.

@ TX_ECNMST

I think the primary reason is that, as of right now, it is against the law.

@TX_E
I'm not trying to be an alarmist nor judge & jury. I'm waning from a hawkish view.
Try reading about Lyle Alzado. If that dosen't convince you, then read similar
stories of young High School jocks experiencing similar/same health problems.

Yes, and it is illegal. It is a a two edged sword, I'm all for personal freedoms, but
it's a major bad influence on our youth. It's not adminstered clinically correct, which
could be of help during an injury/recovery aspect, but most desire the golden egg result.

The day we all move to the tech of gene manipulation, is the day it's gone too far to stop.
That's coming soon. Good for the public health, but will change the face of sports forever.
Good, bad or indignant, it's becoming the reality in the chase for a better life, ie success.

Maybe Im just an eternal optimist but, I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt here because there has never even been a hint of a rumor. Plus while he has put up great numbers they are more Hank Aaron than Sammy Sosa. By saying that I mean that he is more consistent than overly flashy or gawdy in his numbers. Hank never hit 50 homers in a season same with Pujols he has gotten close a couple of times but he's never been out there threatening the single season record or anything like that. Steriods also dont help you swing or approach at the plate which are 2 of the biggest factors in his success. I know Im supposed to hate him now because hes an Angel but I watched him in awe for his whole career in St. Louis so I find it hard to dislike him. Lastly he has never had a jump in his physical appearance i.e. Barry Bonds, he has been basically the same size since he came in the league.

Not sure if someone has posted anything about this but looks like JD wasn't willing to give up Olt OR Profar for CarGO. With the recent Nellie Cruz allegation wouldn't CarGo be worth a package centered around Olt to fill in RF and provide us with a MOTOB. Seems like a no brainer to me but just wondering what you guys think? The links below

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/01/rangers-notes-cruz-gonzalez-ryan.html

I'm thinking Daniels views either Upton originally or Cargo alone,
aren't the big difference makers to propell us to the top of the West.
A TORP was the first big key, then the MOTOB.

If the Rangers fall out by ASB, Beltre will get us major returns.
No one likes a sell off, but that's where Olt moves in. JD is CYA in
case. Seems logical. Plus, Olt is going to be a good 3B/hitter. He
may make the 25man, if Cruz falls out for 50.

Then there's always the notion of going all in on a chance at Price
or Stanton, if either unfolds. We're sitting pretty good in respect of.
Can't argue at all about keeping Olt for now. Maybe arocky road ahead.
2013 could be tumultuous in either direction, up or down.

I have to agree with tx_e. Baseball, track and Lance Armstrong are the only sports in which people care if people are on something. Where is the uproar over Ray Lewis? Football intentionally doesn't have a blood test because it wants its players to be on HGH. Similarly baseball should want its players on PED's. Anyone who can remember will tell you that 1998 was the most exciting year of baseball they can remember. I know it was for me, and I was there watching Sammy in Houston the final weekend of the season trying to beat Mark. He got a standing ovation in Houston every time he came up, and Mark would get one every time they showed him homering on the jumbotron. We only care now because the media told us to. The media has told us that it's ok for us to root for juiced football players. That's what we want to see is a bunch of giant human beings being brutalized by one another. Similarly we want to see the 500 foot homeruns, but purists love their records, and want to hold on to them. That's all it is about. We should just embrace it. In 6 of 7 Lance Armstrong's titles they weren't even able to give the title to anyone because everyone else had been implicated in doping. So why take them away from him when he didn't have a competitve advantage? It's easy to discount the "everyones doing it" argument, but with no way to stop it, it's actually a valid argument. I don't know why it matters to anyone what people put in their bodies, and the game could grow in popularity if we let the players do it, and hit their massive bombs. Chicks dig the long ball.

Chicks dig the long ball.

January 30, 2013 at 12:15 PM | colt1317

You're a CHICK??

So what if I am?