Sammy Sosa

[Guest Some Guy]

I just read an article in SI (it was the last page, I don't remember the writer's name) where the writer asked Sammy why he wouldn't voluntarily go take a steroid test to prove that he doesn't juice, as he claims. Sosa's reply was, "you're not my father," "You can't tell me what to do," and "this interview is over Motherfucker!" He also said that he only do what the Player's Union tells him to do. Are all MLB players such mindless sheep who follow everything the Union tells them and is afraid to do something without permission?

 

I think that Sammy, Bonds, Shefield, A Rod, Thome, and every other big name player would voluntarily go out and get tested to prove that they aren't using and to help the image of the game. The speculation has run rampant since Canseco and Camminetti opened their mouths and all the guys who have been asked have said they don't use and that they would br first on line to go get tested. Well I say put your money where your mouth is and do it.

 

What do you guys think?

[Guest Kingpk]

That was probably Rick Reilly's column.

 

Hey, there isn't a policy yet to test for steroids so you can't just force them to pee in a cup or jab a needle in their arm.

 

I think it would help baseball's image, but what would it do to Sammy's image if he turns up positive?

[Guest swan]

Rick Reiley was the guy. I think all those guys should get tested too. How many home runs were hit yesterday? 67 or something outragous. If they can't prove or refuse to prove they aren't juicing then any records should be thrown out this year. I hear there is a small movement for this. Personally, and just IMO, I think sammy is juicing. He started out as a 150-60 lb rookie with the Rangers to the white sox and now he is 230 lb ripped monster with the Cubs. I just don't see how it's possible. But it's just MO.

[Guest Some Guy]

It would hurt it, but he shouldn't say he isn't using if he won't prove it. I don't think he is on Steroids because he's never hurt so I think his image will be helped when he turns up negative.

 

I said volutary tests not forcing a needle in someone's arm BTW.

[Guest swan]

he's never hurt

True but he also isn't known to put his body on the line to catch a fly ball either.

[Guest dreamer420]

if what he is taking is illegal in major league baseball then it should be brought forward and sosa should get what's coming to him. if sosa is taking something that is completely legal to use in baseball then good for him. he's found a way to improve his game with having to cheat.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Sosa came out after the Caminiti story broke and said he'd be the first in line for a test. When Reilly gives him the opportunity to show he's clean, and help baseball's image he tells him to fuck off and mind his own business. You wonder why people might be suspicious of Sosa.

[Guest jimmy no nose]

Does anyone other than me honestly believe that Barry Bonds isn't using steroids? Everyone I know thinks I'm crazy, but Bonds hasn't gotten that much bigger, has always had pretty good power numbers and has only been placed on the DL once in his career. Thoughts?

[Guest dreamer420]

bonds is the only person that knows for sure. he doesn't seem to have gotten much bigger throughout this career though so i'd say he's probably clean.

[Guest Human Fly]

Rick Reilly walked up to Sammy Sosa and gave him information about where to get a steroid test, I would call that ridiculous. He might as well have given him a dixie cup and told him to go fill 'er up.

 

Sosa said that he would be the first in line if it was approved. It's not so if Sosa steps out and takes this test he makes all of the other players look bad. The media might like him, but a lot of players wouldn't like it. If he failed the test then that would obviously make him look bad and all of the other things that would go along with it. It was a lose - lose situation. I feel that Sosa probably thought that Reilly was trying to back him into a corner with what he said, I wouldn't have liked it either.

 

That being said, if steriods is that big of a problem that the media is saying it is, then there needs to be testing ASAP.

[Guest RobJohnstone]

jimmy I am with you. I think there are alot of players that are using them or have in the past, but bonds is not one of them. Without the poswer numbers he could easily concentrated on a speed game and still made the hall of fame, he is just that good of a player. I think sosa, thomas, giambi, mcgwire, walker haver used them or are still using them though. Until they test we won;t know, and even if they do test, there is always a way around the truth.

 

--Rob

[Guest DrTom]

Sosa doesn't want to take the test because it might expose him as a juicer. I don't think he still does it, but I'd bet he did some steroids in the past. I'm not sure how sensitive tests are, and how much past use they can detect, but Sosa's quite adamant denial is very telling.

[Guest DrTom]

"Everyone I know thinks I'm crazy, but Bonds hasn't gotten that much bigger, has always had pretty good power numbers and has only been placed on the DL once in his career."

 

He's definitely gotten bigger. Look at Bonds when he was with the Pirates. He was a leadoff hitter then, for chrissakes. It's not that he's massive now, but he's definitely bulked up significantly in the last eight years.

 

It's true that his power numbers have always been pretty good, but that 73 really came out of nowhere. Look at his numbers before that. There's nothing there that indicates he'd ever hit 60 homers, let alone set a record with 73.

 

Durability is often cited as a sign someone doesn't use steroids. However, Bonds has been bothered numerous times in the past few seasons by leg problems. They may not have required him to go on the DL, but they're still problems he didn't have in the past. I don't think advancing age is a compelling reason, since it's obvious Bonds keeps himself in excellent shape.

 

I think he's a juicer.

[Guest Mr. Slim Citrus]

How is the situation that Reily put Sosa in lose-lose, if Sammy's clean like he claims to be? The only way it could be lose-lose is if he's on the juice.

 

Reily may have been an asshole for asking the question, but you can't take away peoples' right to be assholes. Besides, Reily's character and the propriety of the question itself have no bearing on whether or not Sosa should have taken the test. I think the best case scenario would have been for Sosa to take Reily up on his offer; if he's clean, that is.

[Guest Human Fly]

Durability is often cited as a sign someone doesn't use steroids. However, Bonds has been bothered numerous times in the past few seasons by leg problems. They may not have required him to go on the DL, but they're still problems he didn't have in the past. I don't think advancing age is a compelling reason, since it's obvious Bonds keeps himself in excellent shape.

 

I think he's a juicer.

 

If that's your barometer for whether or not someone is using steroids then I suspect Ken Griffey Jr. has been using a whole lot lately.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

I was under the impression that Sosa volunteered to take a steroid test and Rick Reilly took him up on his word. He set up the whole thing and after everything was set up, he confronted Sosa, who flipped out on him. That's what I heard on ESPN, but that could be misinformation. I think Sosa juices and I think Bonds does too.

[Guest Choken One]

It might be just me but Bonds does not look like a juicer to me. He's didn't blow up quickly like Sosa seems to have along with McGwire.

 

Sosa is supposed to be Baseball's biggest face (The Rock, if you will) but having him exposed would turn Sosa into Hogan (exposed roider, loss of respect).

[Guest alkeiper]

Rick Reilly is an ass, looking for a story because he knows full well that no baseball player would take a steroid test, or any other test for that matter. Why not test Reilly to see if he's smoked pot? Besides, how do steroids help you judge the path of a baseball. The ball may go further, but you still have to make contact. Personally, I don't care who is/isn't doing steroids. I have better things to worry about.

[Guest Army Eye]

Rick Reilly is an ass, looking for a story because he knows full well that no baseball player would take a steroid test, or any other test for that matter.

Well, Sosa had just told him to his face, he wanted to the first guy in line for steroid testing. (the same empty statement that Bonds has made too)

 

 

Besides, how do steroids help you judge the path of a baseball.  The ball may go further, but you still have to make contact.

The ball goes farther, that's exactly the point! Instead of 30-35 homers you hit 60-70... surely you can see that's a tremendous difference.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Bonds is on the juice. Christ, most of the problems with his teammates could be attributed to 'roid rage.

 

Look at it this way. Before last year, Bonds had never hit more than 50 homeruns. Then last year, he hits seventy-fucking-three? Bullshit. Big Mac wasn't on the juice, as he was consistantly in the 50's and close to 60.

 

Sosa said what he said when Caminiti said that he was juicing, to make himself look good. Reilly was out of line for essentially daring Sosa to take the test. Sosa exploded, and he was wrong for that. Fuck privacy, test all of them.

[Guest Bosstones Fan]

Less us not all forget that we're talking about pro ball players who are taking ILLEGAL drugs!!

 

It wasn't against the law or an invasion of my privacy last week when my employer randomly picked people to take drug tests. How/why are ball players any different? If we're talking about testing for Andro or something, then the players might be able to claim invasion of privacy. But we're talking about an ILLEGAL drug here. To quote bleedthesKY27: "Fuck privacy, test all of them!"

 

Incidentally, I passed my drug test with flying colors, as I've never done any of that shit in my life. Thus, I knew I had nothing to hide. If all these ball players are truly clean, then they won't mind testing either.

 

So come on Sammy, step up to the plate. This is one die-hard Cubs fan who wants to see you silence the critics.

[Guest jimmy no nose]

I bet very few of them are actually on Illegal Steroids. There are most likely many players who take perfectly legal muscle enhancers that are illegal in other sports, but not in baseball. I'm not quite sure if all of this discussion is about illegal steroids or just muscle enhancers in general.

[Guest alkeiper]

The ball goes farther, that's exactly the point! Instead of 30-35 homers you hit 60-70... surely you can see that's a tremendous difference.

 

The point is, what is it about steroids that gives Sosa or Bonds the higher walk totals? I can take steroids all I want, but I still wouldn't hit a curveball.

 

Bosstones fan, your drug testing was a condition of your employment. Ballplayers are different in that they didn't agree to be tested for steroids, or any other drug.

 

Besides, the way our legal system is set up, your guilt has to be proven, not your innocence.

 

This is one die-hard Cubs fan who wants to see you silence the critics.

 

If Sosa came clean, he wouldn't silence the critics. They'd just move on to the next target.

[Guest phoenixrising]

I am curious if Bonds uses steroids or not. Before 2000, his career high in homers was 49. In 2000, he equaled that number in 100 games (missed a lot of time with injury). He follows that up with 73.

 

How about Brady Anderson? Career high was 20, then in 1996 he hit 50 as a leadoff hitter. Hmmmm. Of course, I could name dozens of cases where home run totals suddenly jumped - even before the current offensive boom. So we'll never know, I guess.

 

As for Sosa, never say something that you can't back up. He came out and said what he said, I really can't blame Reilly for calling him on that. If you can't back it up, don't say it.

[Guest jimmy no nose]

I am curious if Bonds uses steroids or not. Before 2000, his career high in homers was 49. In 2000, he equaled that number in 100 games (missed a lot of time with injury). He follows that up with 73.

 

How about Brady Anderson? Career high was 20, then in 1996 he hit 50 as a leadoff hitter. Hmmmm. Of course, I could name dozens of cases where home run totals suddenly jumped - even before the current offensive boom. So we'll never know, I guess.

 

As for Sosa, never say something that you can't back up. He came out and said what he said, I really can't blame Reilly for calling him on that. If you can't back it up, don't say it.

I'm curious as well, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Didn't Brady Anderson go back to hitting 20 a season again right after that? Probably went on the juice, then stopped.

 

Sosa never said anything that he hasn't backed up about steroid testing. He said if they decide to implement testing then he will be first in line, not he will take the test right now. You're not supposed to go against the union, especially in baseball. The union opposes testing.

[Guest gwf0704]

The point is, what is it about steroids that gives Sosa or Bonds the higher walk totals? I can take steroids all I want, but I still wouldn't hit a curveball.

 

Bosstones fan, your drug testing was a condition of your employment. Ballplayers are different in that they didn't agree to be tested for steroids, or any other drug.

 

Besides, the way our legal system is set up, your guilt has to be proven, not your innocence.

1)Well, it takes skill to hit a major league pitch so equating you to a pro ball player is foolish. Of course youre not going to get any bodybuilder of the gym and have him be an All Star baseball player but considering Sosa and Bonds do have the talent the fact is that Steroids makes the ball go farther when it connects.

 

2)To say someone didn't agree to be tested for doing something illegal thus they are not required to do so is a lame argument. It is illegal to smoke crack, shoot heroin, take steroids and beat up your girlfriend. "Sorry officer but you cant arrest me in the clubhouse after smacking my biatch around because its not in my contract" Like I said, seems lame.

 

I totally agree with you on 3rd point but the way Smarks react to Nash, Hall, X-Pac, Michaels and HHH that rule does not seem to apply in the Smark Board.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

I bet very few of them are actually on Illegal Steroids. There are most likely many players who take perfectly legal muscle enhancers that are illegal in other sports, but not in baseball. I'm not quite sure if all of this discussion is about illegal steroids or just muscle enhancers in general.

 

While there are supplements that are legal in baseball but not other sports, all steroids are illegal in the US. Steroids are only legal for medicinal purposes, not fpr enhancing an athletes physical attributes. Just because baseball has no poilcy in regards to steroids doesn't make steroid use legal.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Did anyone watch the best damn sport show period tonight. Everyone but the host made it out like Reilly was the devil.

 

This is all that fat fuck Donold Fehr's fault. The players are obviously sheep who have no independent thought and do whatever the union tells them to do.

[Guest alkeiper]

2)To say someone didn't agree to be tested for doing something illegal thus they are not required to do so is a lame argument. It is illegal to smoke crack, shoot heroin, take steroids and beat up your girlfriend. "Sorry officer but you cant arrest me in the clubhouse after smacking my biatch around because its not in my contract" Like I said, seems lame.

 

The analogy I'm looking at is cocaine is illegal for example, but the government can't come to your house and test you to see if you've been using them. They can't search your home without good reason for doing so.

 

A couple people brought up fluke seasons. Norm Cash in 1961 had a monster season completely out of line with the rest of his career. Why? He corked his bat. Albert Belle used to cork his bat allegedly. Where's the media coverage for testing bats? The point is, there's lots of reasons a guy can go on a homer binge without steroids. What about Roger Maris? He never hit more than 40 home runs in any other season. Where's the investigation?

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

I think it's an unfair request, not only for Sosa but for the rest of the players. Suppose Sosa did agree to this testing. Then the media will find a new target, and try to ambush him with "Sosa has nothing to hide, do you?" type crap. I'm not saying that players shouldn't be tested, but that's something that needs to be done through the CBA (the NBA, for instance, has rules in their CBA about weed IIRC). I think Sosa's comments are perfectly reasonable (basically saying that he doesn't have a problem with testing) but there's no reason he should be singled out.