In what should come as no surprised two more names have been released from a list of more than 100 MLB players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Manny Ramirez is joined by former Boston Red Sox team mate David Ortiz on said list.
From The Associated Press:
NEW YORK (AP) - David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were among the more than 100 Major League Baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to a report in The New York Times.
The article posted on the newspaper's Web site Thursday cited lawyers involved in pending litigation over the testing results who spoke anonymously because the information is under seal by a court order.
Ortiz declined comment to the paper. In 2004, he and Ramirez led the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series championship since 1918.
The results from the 2003 tests were supposed to remain anonymous, but they later were seized by federal agents. Alex Rodriguez admitted using performance-enhancing drugs after he was linked to the 2003 list.
Ramirez, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, recently served a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy. Ortiz had not been previously linked to positive tests
Ramirez was a long-established star in 2003. Ortiz, in contrast, had been a part-time player before that season. In 2003, he became one of baseball's top sluggers.
I'm getting a really good laugh out of this. For years I along with a friend have been saying that Ortiz was definitely on something, you don't just become a power hitter in one season. This also solidifies my claim that at least half of the 2004 Red Sox championship team was juicing, one look at Mark Bellhorn's numbers that year is proof enough.
As a Yankee's fan I'm over here smirking pretty hard, I can't wait to see if Boston fans are still egotistical enough to chant "You took Steroids" at Alex Rodreguiz, that my friends is the true definition of the pot calling the kettle black.
Thanks To Steve @ Coalminds for the asterisked banner pic.