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Sunday, January 27, 2008

SF Gate: Cust denies using steroids

Barnald passes along this “customary response”. (gag!)

“I was surprised and upset the way it came up,” the A’s designated hitter said. Later, in a question-and-answer session with fans, Cust termed it “unfair.”

Cust told reporters that he never has used performance enhancing substances, saying, “No. No. Not even one game.” And, he said, he does not remember having any conversations with Bigbie about steroids.

“He was a teammate of mine five years ago and we haven’t talked since,” Cust said. “I don’t remember any conversations about (steroids). He might have misinterpreted something I said, but I don’t remember anything.

“I read the report, and he said he had the locker next to me. I didn’t have a locker next to him. I don’t know how something like that gets misinterpreted, but I haven’t talked to him in five years. ... A lot of people say the same thing, that it seems weird my name is in there when there were other cases where there was a lot more (evidence) accrued.”

Repoz Posted: January 27, 2008 at 04:19 AM | 61 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: athletics, steroids

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1. DirtyJeeves Posted: January 27, 2008 at 04:57 AM (#2676827)

Jack Cust is the first person I would lie about.

2. Ray (RDP)

Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:04 AM (#2676830)

Who is Jack Cust going to believe -- himself, or the findings of a man with the unquestioned stature of George Mitchell?

3. Jim (jimmuscomp) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:12 AM (#2676835)

Kevin -

He'd have to hit about 600 more homers for it to be as big a thing as Clemens. These are different situations, completely.

If he did juice, he did it when he was shuttling between AAA and the bigs. Guys are clean now - most likely - cut the guy some slack.

4. Ray (RDP)

Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:17 AM (#2676838)

Jack, another thing you don't remember is that you were a member of the Orioles and a teammate of Bigbie in both 2003 and 2004.

Cust actually pinch hit for Bigbie in 2004...

In his only at bat of the season for the Orioles.

In April.

5. Ray (RDP)

Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:20 AM (#2676840)

And as long as you're focusing on minutia, Kevin, what would you say about Mitchell's fact-finding abilities if Cust is correct that he didn't have a locker next to Bigbie's?

6. Jim (jimmuscomp) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:50 AM (#2676850)

Bigbie in both 2003 and 2004

- K-Dizzle

Kevin, 2003 IS five years ago.

Happy New Year.

7. David Nieporent (now, with children) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:51 AM (#2676851)

Cust actually pinch hit for Bigbie in 2004...

In his only at bat of the season for the Orioles.

In April.

And 2003 was five years ago. So, IOW, Cust was right, and Kevin was wrong.

8. akrasian Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:51 AM (#2676853)

Well, Cust is publically denying a steroids accusation. Just proof that he did them.

9. Jim (jimmuscomp) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:13 AM (#2676864)

Right, Kev.

They were team-mates for 1 AB.

Way to stay classy, K-Dog.

10. David Nieporent (now, with children) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:16 AM (#2676867)

I forgot, Dave.

They don't have a math test on the LSAT's, do they?

No, they do have a logic test, though, which is why you're not a lawyer. But I'll put my math background up against yours any day of the week and twice on Sunday, as the saying goes.

11. Traderdave

Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:26 AM (#2676877)

I was at the A's Fan Fest today and saw Cust. Steroids, schmeroids, that guy didn'y miss a meal all winter. He's 30 lbs heavier and he picked it up at the steakhouse table, not the weight room.

12. Rafael Bellylard: Built like a Molina Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:36 AM (#2676884)

My pet peeve is with the headline. I'd prefer to see "Cust states he never used steroids". Using "denies" puts a connotation that doesn't belong there.

13. Random Transaction Generator Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:41 AM (#2676886)

My pet peeve is with the headline. I'd prefer to see "Cust states he never used steroids". Using "denies" puts a connotation that doesn't belong there.

The headline is correct.

He would only "state" it if no one accused him of it beforehand, and he was stating a "fact" that hadn't been brought up before.
He "denies" it because someone has already accused it and he is taking a negative approach to the accusation.

Example:
Out of the blue, the NY Post could have a headline that says "Albert Pujols states he never punched nuns."
However, if the previous day a reporter from the Post had implied that Pujols was a nun-puncher, then the headline would be "Albert Pujols deines he ever punched a nun."

14. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:49 AM (#2676890)

Until Albert Pujols sues the Pope, we all know what the truth is.

15. Ray (RDP)

Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:56 AM (#2676891)

And Pujols would then ban the NY Post from all future press conferences.

16. The Most Interesting Man In The World Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:57 AM (#2676893)

I was at the A's Fan Fest today and saw Cust.

I drove by the Coliseum on I-880 after having lunch with my wife in Alameda on our way to Castro Valley, and saw that the scoreboards had been activated, in January. Now I know why.

Would you say the event was well-attended? Was there talk about the trades of Haren and Swisher?

17. Traderdave

Posted: January 27, 2008 at 07:03 AM (#2676894)

It was the first Fan fest I'd been at in a few years but it certainly felt like a smaller crowd than years past. There was some Q&A;w/ Beane about those trades but during that time I was in the kid section with my daughter saw & only caught snippets.

18. HGM Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:06 AM (#2676904)

Wow. Are we really calling a guy a liar because he said "five years ago" when it was actually four? Jeez.

19. David Nieporent (now, with children) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:18 AM (#2676905)

Thought Riot: no. Kevin thinks <u>everyone</u> who denies using steroids is automatically a liar. (Except for people wearing a Red Sox uniform.) He could have said four years, five years, or anything else; it's the fact of denial that causes Kevin to assume guilt.

20. ?Donde esta Dagoberto Campaneris? Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:42 AM (#2676911)

Well, to be fair David, if Cust wasn't using steroids he would have demanded to play for the Red Sox, or he simply would have retired. Ergo, Kevin's logic is rock solid and Cust is obviously guilty. Plus, if you just watch Cust on TV, you can tell he's juicing.

Now, be a bigger man and apologize.

21. Fred C. Dobbs Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:42 AM (#2676912)

Kevin, a serious question- do you believe Johnny Damon may have done steroids anywhere between 2003 and 2005?

22. J. Michael Neal Posted: January 27, 2008 at 09:32 AM (#2676916)

Thought Riot: no. Kevin thinks everyone who denies using steroids is automatically a liar. (Except for people wearing a Red Sox uniform.) He could have said four years, five years, or anything else; it's the fact of denial that causes Kevin to assume guilt.

I have not used steroids. Well, except for that Nasonex prescription I use every day.

23. HGM Posted: January 27, 2008 at 09:34 AM (#2676918)

Thought Riot: no. Kevin thinks everyone who denies using steroids is automatically a liar. (Except for people wearing a Red Sox uniform.)

So I've gathered. I just found it ridiculous that that "error" even had to be mentioned >_<

24. 44magnum Posted: January 27, 2008 at 09:57 AM (#2676921)

I count myself lucky to have seen the Cust boner that brought the light back to NYC in August of 03.

25. Athletic Supporter leads the nation in drifters Posted: January 27, 2008 at 12:11 PM (#2676929)

I count myself lucky to have seen the Cust boner

Please, this is a family site. Jim, can't you do something about this foul language?

26. Belfry Bob Posted: January 27, 2008 at 01:17 PM (#2676932)

I have grainy home video footage that, when magnified, shows something that looks like it could possibly be interpreted as a syringe fall out of Cust's rear pocket when he took that belly-flop on his way home for the Orioles - so sure, I'd listen if George Mitchell called.

27. Dixiechick Posted: January 27, 2008 at 03:22 PM (#2676957)

F) the number of years over which Roger Clemens received injections of steroids and HGH

28. Hal Chase Headley Lamarr Hoyt Wilhelm (ACE1242) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 04:08 PM (#2676965)

G) How many times Kevin repeated fifth grade

29. Alex meets the threshold for granular review Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:33 PM (#2677002)

And we all know how hesitant you are to accuse players of using steroids without hard evidence...

30. susan mullen Posted: January 27, 2008 at 05:54 PM (#2677010)

Mitchell has very questionable integrity. Unless you're just going by the spin of the press releases. A lobbyist is a bribe-giver, and he was lobbyist for the tobacco industry. He's a life long back room power broker. As far as any so-called fact finding regarding Bigbie, Mitchell deserves no credit. Bigbie, like the rest of the "report" was just another client of either Radomski or McNamee, a case for which all the work was done by someone else, xeroxed, and handed to the politician. There would be no report without Radomski/McNamee. Politicians are in the business of buying and selling favors--that has no ethics about it. You don't remain on the board of another team and conduct an investigation like this, which he did. The NY Times is part owner of the team he directs. That's apparent in their coverage of this. He's also chairman of ESPN. So he's got every angle covered, before he has to dash to catch his train.

31. MM1f Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:15 PM (#2677015)

"H) The number of racial slurs ACE1242 has about Oscar Gamble on his webpage. "

WTF?
I don't see anything like this on ACE's page.

32. Steve Phillips' Hot Cougar (DrStankus) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 06:37 PM (#2677031)

A direct quote of Oscar Gamble himself? Racial slur?

kevin, you fail.

33. MM1f Posted: January 27, 2008 at 07:10 PM (#2677041)

"I mean his BTF profile."

Yeah, I know. Where is the racial slur?

34. MM1f Posted: January 27, 2008 at 07:16 PM (#2677045)

Yes, I know. How the crap is that a "racial slur"?

35. MM1f Posted: January 27, 2008 at 07:19 PM (#2677047)

Whatever, you're full of crap.

36. Steve Phillips' Hot Cougar (DrStankus) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 07:44 PM (#2677058)

kevin,

you continue to fail.

That wasn't a racial slur.

You know it, but rather than admit any mistake, you just keep crapping along.

Fail.

37. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:05 PM (#2677068)

Do you serve cheese with that whine, MM1f?

Oh, snap!

38. a bebop a rebop Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:28 PM (#2677078)

8 - 4 < ?

H) The number of racial slurs ACE1242 has about Oscar Gamble on his webpage.

Jesus Christ, k-man, you can't even get your "witty" jokes right. Even if it's a racial slur (and obviously it's not), it's still only one. Unless we're counting every word as racial slurs individually?

39. Steve Phillips' Hot Cougar (DrStankus) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:35 PM (#2677086)

kevin,

my handle has nothing to do with smell. It is a Lithuanian surname.

you fail.

40. Steve Phillips' Hot Cougar (DrStankus) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:40 PM (#2677090)

kevin,

Please don't slur the Lithuanian people like that.

41. Steve Phillips' Hot Cougar (DrStankus) Posted: January 27, 2008 at 08:49 PM (#2677097)

kevin,

54 is even worse.

How can I read this as anything other than a call for the genocide of the Lithuanian people?

42. The importance of being Ernest Riles Posted: January 28, 2008 at 12:05 AM (#2677178)

This thread really irritated me, but now I'm kind of sad that it died.

43. Crispix Attacks Posted: January 28, 2008 at 12:13 AM (#2677186)

Since the dawn of time, kevin has yearned to use steroids. His inability to profit by doing so has led to the burning lolocaust of anger which we see in thread after thread. Sadly, kevin is the very face of the Left today.

44. Gambling Rent Czar Posted: January 28, 2008 at 12:23 AM (#2677193)

kevin your ############# never ceases to amaze me.

45. A triple short of the cycle

Posted: January 28, 2008 at 01:48 AM (#2677249)

Sadly, kevin is the very face of the Left today.
Um, no thanks.

46. esseff Posted: January 28, 2008 at 01:59 AM (#2677256)

I think that the evidence against Cust was the thinnest of any of the players mentioned in the Mitchell Report. Basically, he engaged in some immature locker room boasting, and that was about the extent of it.

In fact, I think the evidence against Cust was much thinner than the evidence against the 20 players who were named on a list provided to MLB by lawyers for the busted Marlins bullpen catcher, who was judged to be a credible witness in an earlier MLB investigation. But because Mitchell's people weren't able to interview the bullpen catcher and assess his credibility for themselves, the players he named were given the benefit of the doubt and left out of the report, while Cust was included, based only on Bigbie's recollection of a conversation. There's no paper trail or other corroborating evidence against him.

47. HGM Posted: January 28, 2008 at 02:21 AM (#2677264)

The evidence against Cust was essentially the evidence against Brian Roberts - what Larry Bigbie said. I may be remembering incorrectly, but if my memory serves me correct, Roberts admitted to taking one dose or so of steroids, but denied another part of Bigbie's story. Make of that what you will.

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SF Gate: Cust denies using steroids

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