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Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Calcaterra: Astros prospect Jonathan Singleton suspended 50 games for marijuana

Fergie ferg, what’s up, baby?

Jerry Crasnick reports that Astros top prospect Jonathan Singleton has been suspended 50 games. Singleton’s statement:

“I was informed today that I have tested positive for marijuana,” Singleton said in the statement…

Singleton is not on the Astros’ 40-man roster. Had he been, he would not be suspended because baseball does not test guys on the 40-man roster for marijuana.

In other news, no one has been suspended for drunk driving in baseball ever.

Singleton, 21, hit .284/.396/.497 in the Texas League last year. Keith Law ranks him as the 46th best prospect in all of baseball.

The District Attorney Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:29 PM | 60 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: astros, drugs, jonathan singleton

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1. bookbook Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:39 PM (#4343653)

Absurd.

2. Yastrzemski in left. Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:41 PM (#4343656)

@1 - Agreed. Too bad he didn't play for the Mariners or Rockies.

3. Esoteric throws a 'hard slider' Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:43 PM (#4343658)

So dumb.

4. Blastin Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:44 PM (#4343661)

And here, Eso, we agree 100%. :)

5. YR Misses Reggie Bars Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:49 PM (#4343665)

Woah man, you harshed his mellow.

6. Cowboy Popup Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:50 PM (#4343666)

Wow, that's terrible. Sucks for him.

7. Don Geovany Soto (chris h.) Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:51 PM (#4343668)

Evidently he misunderstood when his coaches told him to try and hit .420.

8. Voros McCracken of Pinkus Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:54 PM (#4343669)

This kid better get his life together, because using that kind of drug only leads to failure.

9. Steve Parris, Je t'aime Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:57 PM (#4343671)

Should've stayed away from "Higher Learning."

10. Willie Mayspedes Posted: January 09, 2013 at 08:59 PM (#4343672)

How will this effect his hall of fame chances?

11. Bitter Calculus Instructor Posted: January 09, 2013 at 09:00 PM (#4343673)

How will this affect his hall of fame chances?

Edit: No Coke. I used the verb, not the noun.

12. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: January 09, 2013 at 09:10 PM (#4343680)

How will this aflac his hall of fame chances?

13. Willie Mayspedes Posted: January 09, 2013 at 09:34 PM (#4343695)

So mine was improper grammar? Damn you grammar police!

14. Poster Nutbag Posted: January 09, 2013 at 09:34 PM (#4343696)

This kid better get his life together, because using that kind of drug only leads to failure.

Totally....like that long-haired kid who won those two Cy Young Awards....Marijuana = Failure. Always.

15. Blastin Posted: January 09, 2013 at 09:40 PM (#4343701)

Timmy is a failure. Only two Cys and two rings? Please.

16. KT's Pot Arb Posted: January 09, 2013 at 10:15 PM (#4343724)

If I was this kid I'd fight it, I've heard these tests are rife with false positives. I have been told you can trigger it by eating poppy seed muffins, certain types of brownies, etc.

I shared an office once with a kid who liked to hand roll his own cigarettes out of a particularly fragrant type of Jamaican tobacco he called "ganja", and he was fired when he failed his test. I'm very sure it was a false positive because the kid didn't do any drugs, didn't even drink! His only vice was those damn natural cigarettes, but as he only smoked 7 or 8 a day I didn't mind much. After he was canned I was stuck with a guy who smoked 2 packs a day of Camels, ugh.

17. Dan Posted: January 09, 2013 at 10:31 PM (#4343738)

Can't they add him to the 40 man and invalidate this? I recall the Brewers doing that with a reliever whose name is eluding me at the moment. Jeffress or something?

18. base ball chick Posted: January 09, 2013 at 10:37 PM (#4343742)

OMFG!!!

an astro using a performance enhancing drug!!!! oh dear, jonathan singleton shooting up. it's so TERRIBLE!!!

what an imbezzle. who don't know that that stuff stays in your body and you get positive tests like MONTHS after using, just like deca durabolin. i wonder who was shooting it in his jonathan's ass in the bathroom stall..

19. Nasty Nate Posted: January 09, 2013 at 10:46 PM (#4343748)

I shared an office once with a kid who liked to hand roll his own cigarettes out of a particularly fragrant type of Jamaican tobacco he called "ganja"

And he drank a particularly fragrant type of juice he called "whiskey"...

20. NattyBoh Posted: January 09, 2013 at 10:48 PM (#4343751)

So how are the brownies at Minute Maid Park?

21. LooseCannon Posted: January 09, 2013 at 10:49 PM (#4343752)

They should test players on the 40-man roster for marijuana.

22. Swedish Chef Posted: January 09, 2013 at 10:51 PM (#4343754)

I recall the Brewers doing that with a reliever whose name is eluding me at the moment. Jeffress or something?

He had had two suspensions for 50 and 100 games and faced a lifetime suspension for the next failed test, this isn't quite as urgent.

23. Swedish Chef Posted: January 09, 2013 at 10:54 PM (#4343756)

They should test players on the 40-man roster for marijuana.

They don't test routinely for drugs of abuse, only on suspicion, but they are prohibited. Though you can't get suspended for marijuana, which repeat connoisseurs of other recreational drugs can be, only fined and lectured.

24. puck Posted: January 09, 2013 at 11:03 PM (#4343764)

@1 - Agreed. Too bad he didn't play for the Mariners or Rockies.

The Rockies' AA affiliate in the Texas league, too, though.

Edit: meant to link to this Simpsons video game but I couldn't find a video link. IIRC Bart yells "oh no, I'm in Texas!" just before he loses..

25. puck Posted: January 09, 2013 at 11:05 PM (#4343767)

Evidently he misunderstood when his coaches told him to try and hit .420.

The MLS schedule came out today; the season's first game between Seattle and Colorado is on 4/20.

26. Der_K Posted: January 09, 2013 at 11:16 PM (#4343773)

i wonder who was shooting it in his jonathan's ass in the bathroom stall..

i don't think that that's a traditional pot delivery system but - hey...

27. base ball chick Posted: January 09, 2013 at 11:24 PM (#4343777)

der k

here and i thought that was the objection to those performance enhancing drugs - getting it in the ass from some other guy, especially when bent over the toilet

still not getting how mary j wanna enhances anything but appetite

actually, he SHOULD get his ass slammed (hahaha) for something gonna effup his performance/reaction time. mary j wanna slows the reaction time worse than alcohol. boy ain't gonna hit SHTT but the junk food

28. base ball chick Posted: January 09, 2013 at 11:39 PM (#4343790)

natty boh

can't say bout the food in the Rich People Area, but the food on the concourses is REALLY awful. there is nothing i have ever eaten that wasn't just AWFUL. of course, i haven't had any ballpark food in maybe 4 years - it's expensive, VERY expensive. it is possible that somewhere, there is something to eat that isn't super salty and otherwise tasteless, but i doubt it

29. zonk Posted: January 09, 2013 at 11:42 PM (#4343792)

Instead of suspending people for pot - he actually ought to get 4 strikes per AB or something....

I mean legalize it, anyone know a guy, yada yada -- but I can't imagine it has anything but a negative impact on his performance... at least, that's what Geo Soto told me.

30. billyshears Posted: January 10, 2013 at 12:10 AM (#4343810)

This is obviously silly. But if you're subject to drug testing, just don't ####### smoke pot. I guess it's only a multi-million dollar career on the line though, so whatever.

31. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: January 10, 2013 at 12:49 AM (#4343830)

30: yeah. Without comment on our current drug laws, how ####### dumb is this kid? I work in an environment that federally requires random drug tests; I have a fraction of the money on the line, but I somehow avoid toking up in the interests of my career. If that amount of money isn't enough to get you to pass the joint, you may ne stupid or addicted or both.

32. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong Posted: January 10, 2013 at 01:16 AM (#4343836)

He may well be addicted. The Astros should send him to rehab.

33. Liver of blaspheming 'zop Posted: January 10, 2013 at 01:21 AM (#4343837)

Agreeing with 30. I used to like certain recreational activities, but once it came time to be a professional - you know, there are some fun things you don't get to do anymore as a big boy.

34. base ball chick Posted: January 10, 2013 at 01:22 AM (#4343838)

billy

yeah - the guy is the astros top prospect,m they are pimping him BIG time and he is THAT EFFING STUPID??? you know, i understand trying to sneak in a steroid or 2 in desperation to do whatever to make the bigs, even these days, but getting suspended 2 months for MARY WANNA???

it's SOOO stupid i can't even describe how STUPID it is. unless he is addicted to it and if he is he damm well better get detoxed and stay in NA or something.

pisses me off. of course, everything about the astros pisses me off these days

35. Jim (jimmuscomp) Posted: January 10, 2013 at 01:27 AM (#4343840)

pisses me off. of course, everything about the astros pisses me off these days

I will say, as an Angel fan, I am very happy to see the Astros on the schedule so often in 2013....

36. PreservedFish Posted: January 10, 2013 at 01:43 AM (#4343846)

It's tough becoming a "big boy" when you're 19 years old though. I mean, still stupid, but I do feel sorry for him.

37. Good cripple hitter Posted: January 10, 2013 at 02:25 AM (#4343867)

pisses me off. of course, everything about the astros pisses me off these days

What about the triumphant return of Alan Ashby? I might watch a few Astros games this year just to listen to him.

38. Walt Davis Posted: January 10, 2013 at 03:28 AM (#4343891)

They should test players on the 40-man roster for marijuana.

Well, ya gotta be high or delusional to wanna play for the Astros.

The Astros should send him to rehab.

Then shut him down 2/3 of the way through the season.

39. Phil Coorey. Posted: January 10, 2013 at 06:09 AM (#4343911)

I will say, as an Angel fan, I am very happy to see the Astros on the schedule so often in 2013....

It's like a 15 game head start for the remaining teams in the West

40. Double-Spin Mechanic Posted: January 10, 2013 at 08:00 AM (#4343916)

They should test players on the 40-man roster for marijuana.

Yeah! Let's search their houses for no reason, too!

Jesus Christ, since when does playing a game for money cost a guy his citizenship?

41. Ron J2 Posted: January 10, 2013 at 10:44 AM (#4343994)

I have been told you can trigger it by eating poppy seed muffins, certain types of brownies, etc.

Confirmed on an episode of Mythbusters, but:

Those are el cheapo testing kits (and even then, supposedly these are quite a bit better these days WRT to over-sensitivity)

The type of testing MLB does are designed to avoid everyday false positives.

42. John Northey Posted: January 10, 2013 at 10:53 AM (#4344003)

You Americans are funny. Suspend a guy for marijuana but drunk driving is ignored, guns are encouraged, and if a guy is beating his wife that also is A-OK by MLB rules. What a weird way to be.

43. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: January 10, 2013 at 10:55 AM (#4344006)

I'm not on a 40-man roster either. If baseball tests me, I'm doomed.

44. Bitter Mouse is a genre addict Posted: January 10, 2013 at 11:05 AM (#4344019)

You Americans are funny. Suspend a guy for marijuana but drunk driving is ignored, guns are encouraged, and if a guy is beating his wife that also is A-OK by MLB rules. What a weird way to be.

Word. I live here and I don't get it.

And 'KT's Pot Arb' you have been bringing it lately - go you.

45. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) Posted: January 10, 2013 at 11:08 AM (#4344025)

I'm not on a 40-man roster either. If baseball tests me, I'm doomed.

I like the idea of MLB Drug Testers showing up at random offices and testing people for drugs, PEDs, etc.

46. Don Geovany Soto (chris h.) Posted: January 10, 2013 at 11:14 AM (#4344033)

I like the idea of MLB Drug Testers showing up at random offices and testing people for drugs, PEDs, etc.

Long as it's not MY office, sure, what the hell.

47. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: January 10, 2013 at 01:12 PM (#4344172)

I like the idea of MLB Drug Testers showing up at random offices and testing people for drugs, PEDs, etc.

It's OK. I know our FedEx guy.

48. Astroenteritis Posted: January 10, 2013 at 01:20 PM (#4344178)

You Americans are funny. Suspend a guy for marijuana but drunk driving is ignored, guns are encouraged, and if a guy is beating his wife that also is A-OK by MLB rules. What a weird way to be.

No kidding. Try living here in Texas, though, and it's really crazy. Our new senator is a piece of work, and we've got the likes of Alex Jones running around. Get tired of explaining that, no, we are not all like THAT (insert crazy wingnut attribute).
Anyway, bummed about Singleton, because watching the development of the young guys is all Astro fans have to do these days, and this will slow him a bit.

49. bfan Posted: January 10, 2013 at 06:49 PM (#4344544)

Without comment on our current drug laws, how ####### dumb is this kid? I work in an environment that federally requires random drug tests; I have a fraction of the money on the line, but I somehow avoid toking up in the interests of my career. If that amount of money isn't enough to get you to pass the joint, you may ne stupid or addicted or both.

It reminds me of a great comment made by Sickels on Donavan Tate (who has also faced this problem). Sickels point is that Tate has been very irresponsible with his career, in continuing to light up after having been caught and lightly punished, once. Whether you agree or disagree on some philosophical basis with why alcohol is legal and pot is not, you know the rules and the consequences for not following them, and to do so to the detriment of your career just makes no sense.

50. Morty Causa Posted: January 10, 2013 at 07:05 PM (#4344551)

I like the idea of MLB Drug Testers showing up at random offices and testing people for drugs, PEDs, etc.

I don't follow tennis but someone I know who does says like as often as 10-15 times a year drug testers will simply show up anywhere and test you. Seems if you are serious about drugs, including PED's, that's what you do.

51. CrosbyBird Posted: January 10, 2013 at 08:56 PM (#4344631)

still not getting how mary j wanna enhances anything but appetite

In light of this, I think the legitimacy of Tony Gwynn's HOF case should be reconsidered.

52. CrosbyBird Posted: January 10, 2013 at 09:02 PM (#4344633)

Whether you agree or disagree on some philosophical basis with why alcohol is legal and pot is not, you know the rules and the consequences for not following them, and to do so to the detriment of your career just makes no sense.

Few people are more opposed to the War on Drugs than I am, but with few exceptions, you have to be pretty irresponsible to fail a drug test when your job has random drug testing.

It's a shame that one of the least dangerous and least addictive drugs stays in your system for the longest possible time.

53. Morty Causa Posted: January 10, 2013 at 09:47 PM (#4344652)

Hasn't recent study results said that marijuana damages the brain and affects IQ?

So, marijuana is this wonder panacea that has only this incredible beneficial effect with no harmful side effects whatsoever? Just as a threshold matter, how believable is that?

54. boteman Posted: January 11, 2013 at 12:32 AM (#4344732)

I don't get the business case for professional baseball testing for MJ. If the guy is a real pot head then his play should suffer to the point that he will wash out of professional baseball. "Problem" solved, right?

It's the antithesis of PED use. It's a PDD (Performance-Depressing Drug).

55. CrosbyBird Posted: January 11, 2013 at 04:50 AM (#4344810)

Hasn't recent study results said that marijuana damages the brain and affects IQ?

It's only one study, and there are a couple of problems with it, but the effect only was found for people who smoked while under 18, and fairly heavily.

What problems? Correlation/causation issues, mainly, especially with a difficult-to-measure metric like IQ. There may well be psychological or social factors that contribute to both cannabis use and reduced IQ. (People who suffer from depression, for example, can self-medicate with marijuana.)

So, marijuana is this wonder panacea that has only this incredible beneficial effect with no harmful side effects whatsoever? Just as a threshold matter, how believable is that?

Of course it is not. The primary method of delivery, smoking, is somewhat unhealthy for the throat and lungs (although there's some evidence that cannabis is negatively correlated with lung cancer). It impairs reaction time, concentration, and judgment. It is a significant demotivator.

The side effects are particularly low in comparison to other drugs, there's essentially zero toxicity, and overdose is practically impossible. The clearly documented positive effects are substantial: anti-insomnia, antiemetic, appetite enhancement, and ease of gastric distress; the "strongly suggested" effects are also pretty significant: anti-depressant, pain suppression, reduction of intra-ocular pressure (glaucoma), and reduced effect of neurogenic disorders or pain.

Cannabinoids really are pretty impressive drugs. Nothing is perfect, but we're talking about one of the best (if not the best) ratios of positive-to-negative effect medicinally. Plus it feels nice to get high (so I've heard).

56. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: January 11, 2013 at 09:18 AM (#4344836)

The primary method of delivery, smoking, is somewhat unhealthy for the throat and lungs

Can't remember the source now, but I heard about a 30 year (Swedish?) study done comparing non-smokers (so not MJ or tobacco) with pot smokers who smoked the equivalent of one joint per day over the 30 years. It considered smoking 2 a day for 15 years as equivalent, and so on. Anyways, at the end of the study, the pot smokers had higher lung capacity and volume than the non-smokers. I just Googled and found some similar results from other studies.

57. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

Posted: January 11, 2013 at 09:27 AM (#4344840)

Cannabinoids really are pretty impressive drugs. Nothing is perfect, but we're talking about one of the best (if not the best) ratios of positive-to-negative effect medicinally. Plus it feels nice to get high (so I've heard).

Legalized marijuana would be the best thing to ever happen to Hollywood. Even Gerard Butler movies might become watchable.

58. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: January 11, 2013 at 09:32 AM (#4344845)

Even Gerard Butler movies might become watchable.

He's really bad isn't he? He's got that puzzled, hurt, bewildered, defeated, Mel Gibson/abused dog look down perfectly.

59. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

Posted: January 11, 2013 at 09:37 AM (#4344852)

He's really bad isn't he? He's got that puzzled, hurt, bewildered, defeated, Mel Gibson/abused dog look down perfectly.

I don't know if it's him or the hopelessly awful movies he keeps getting cast in. Hollywood seems convinced we like him, though, so good for him.

60. Rants Mulliniks (formerly Cold Prosimian) Posted: January 11, 2013 at 09:50 AM (#4344862)

I don't mind him in a straight up action movie, but the romcoms are really bad.

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Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Calcaterra: Astros prospect Jonathan Singleton suspended 50 games for marijuana

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