The Untold and Insanely Weird Story of A-Rod’s Doping Habits (and why MLB quietly banned EPO, cycling’s drug of choice)

Rodriguez told Bosch that he wanted him to speak with Conte on the phone and hear out the rival self-proclaimed sports chemist’s ideas.

It was a meeting of the doping scientists, likely rife with professional jealousy, and an eager patient at the ready. We now know what Bosch says came next: a doping protocol possibly unprecedented in baseball, further lies and, ultimately, another lesson learned by MLB.

...this reads like fan-fic.

Cameron Maybin Suspended 25 Games

This may actually improve the Padres terrible offense.

It was announced today that OF Cameron Maybin has been suspended 25 games for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

In a statement released by the team, Padres manager Bud Black said that “Our club fully supports Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Cameron has accepted full responsibility for his violation and apologized to his teammates and coaches. We are all looking forward to his return.”

The suspension begins immediately and Maybin will be eligible to return to the Padres’ active roster on August 20th, when the team is in Los Angeles for the second game of a three-game series against the Dodgers.

Report: A-Rod used banned PEDs with MLB’s permission in 2007 MVP season

Before the 2007 season, Rodriguez asked for permission to use testosterone, which has been banned by baseball since 2003. The (independent program administrator) in ’07 was Bryan W. Smith, a High Point, N.C., physician. (Baseball did not yet have the advisory medical panel.) On Feb. 16, 2007, two days before Rodriguez reported to spring training, Smith granted the exemption, allowing Rodriguez to use testosterone all season.

The exemption was revealed in a transcript of Rodriguez’s fall 2013 grievance hearing. During that proceeding, MLB entered into evidence several exemptions applied for by Rodriguez during his Yankees tenure. In his testimony, MLB chief operating officer Rob Manfred called testosterone “the mother of all anabolics” and said that exemptions for the substance are “very rare,” partly because “some people who have been involved in this field feel that with a young male, healthy young male, the most likely cause of low testosterone requiring this type of therapy would be prior steroid abuse.”

So maybe there’s something to ARod fighting his suspension after all.

APNEWSBREAK: MLB HOPES FOR NEW DRUG DEAL THIS WEEK

While the lengths have not been finalized, a person involved with the talks said Wednesday the most likely penalties would be about 80 games for an initial testing violation and a season-long ban for a second.

“It will be a significant deterrent because players will know they’re not going to just easily walk back into a lineup,” Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said in a telephone interview. “It probably is the best policy in professional sports.”

For use of a limited group of substances, the sides were discussing giving the arbitration panel that hears appeals grievances the authority to reduce suspensions by as much as 50 percent if the player proves the positive test was caused by unintentional use, the person said.

Brad Ziegler tweets his mind, and then some

He wants baseball’s drug testing program strengthened and says it’s impossible to believe the game is totally clean without it. He wants Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun to once and for all divulge the details that led to his drug suspension instead of vague apologies. He wants the Hall of Fame to be off limits to any player linked to performance-enhancing drugs. And, if it’s not asking too much, he wants every player to hustle to first base.
When the St.Louis Cardinals signed Jhonny Peralta to a four-year, $52 million contract this offseason less than two months after the shortstop served a 50-game suspension for his links to the Biogenesis doping scandal, Ziegler reacted to the controversial deal on Twitter: “It pays to cheat. Thanks, owners, for encouraging PED use.”

Albert Pujols drops defamation suit

Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols dropped a defamation lawsuit against Jack Clark on Monday after Clark issued a statement retracting his previous comments alleging that Pujols had used performance-enhancing drugs.