Rodriguez Tested Positive for Steroids, Sports Illustrated Says

By Bob Bensch
Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003 while a member of the Texas Rangers, Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site, citing four unidentified people familiar with the results.
Rodriguez, who now plays for the New York Yankees, was among 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s 2003 survey testing, Sports Illustrated said.
He declined to comment to Sports Illustrated when asked about the report. Rodriguez won the first of his three American League Most Valuable Player Awards and led the major leagues in home runs in 2003, when he was playing shortstop. He’s due to make $32 million in 2009, more than any other baseball player.
“I am just shocked,” former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin said on MLB Network. “It’s just very disappointing. What he has done on the field, he’s a tremendous player. It certainly changes my view on some of his accomplishments.”
The report comes as Barry Bonds, the baseball’s career home-run leader, prepares for a March 2 trial on charges he lied to a grand jury about using performance-enhancing drugs. Steroids testimony to Congress from Roger Clemens, a seven-time winner of the Cy Young Award as his league’s best pitcher, is being investigated by a grand jury to determine whether there is probable cause to indict him on perjury charges.
Players union general council Michael Weiner had no immediate comment. Yankees spokesman Michael Margolis declined to comment. Scott Boras, Rodriguez’s agent, didn’t immediately return telephone or e-mail messages for comment, while Rangers spokesman John Blake said the club had no comment.
Survey Tests
The 2003 anonymous tests were done to determine whether there was a need for more complete testing. As part of the agreement to conduct the tests, players who had positive results can’t be punished.
Baseball and the players union agreed in 2002 to the sport’s first plan to randomly test players for illegal steroids the following season. The two sides then agreed in 2005 on a new policy that included penalties for first-time steroids offenders.
“Because the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be non-disciplinary and anonymous, we cannot make any comment on the accuracy of the report,” Rob Manfred, MLB vice president of labor relations, said in a statement.
“Any allegations of tipping that took place under prior iterations of the program is of grave concern to Major League Baseball,” he added.
Mitchell Report
Former U.S. Senator George Mitchell released a 311-page report on doping in baseball in December 2007 listing more than 70 current and former players, including Clemens. Rodriguez wasn’t named.
Rodriguez said in an interview with “60 Minutes” four days later that he never used steroids or human-growth hormone.
“I just hope this is an isolated thing, maybe he tried it,” former Yankees coachLarry Bowa, currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers, said on the MLB Network. “I know Alex and right now I feel sorry for him. If he did it, he has to face the music.”
12th in Homers
Rodriguez, 33, ranks 12th in major-league history with 553 home runs over his 15-year career. A 12-time All-Star, he signed a record 10-year, $275 million contract with the Yankees in December 2007.
Rodriguez was the first overall pick in the 1993 draft by Seattle and made his major-league debut the following year at the age of 18. In his first full season in the majors in 1996, he led the AL with a .358 batting average and 141 runs, while hitting 36 homers and driving in 123.
He became a free agent after the 2000 season and signed a 10-year, $250 million contract with the Texas Rangers, at the time the most lucrative deal in sports history. In his first season with the Rangers, he set a club record with 52 homers and 133 runs scored.
Rodriguez captured his first MVP award in 2003 after tying for the major-league lead with 47 homers, driving in 118 runs, scoring 124 runs and batting .298. It was to be his last season with the club, and he was traded to New York in February 2004.
Move to Third
Rodriguez cleared the way for the trade by agreeing to move to third base with Derek Jeter already at shortstop for the Yankees. During his first season, he became the youngest player to reach 350 homers and third-youngest to top 1,000 RBI.
He won the MVP again in 2005 and 2007. Following the 2007 season, he exercised an option to cancel out the remainder of his contract to become a free agent, before signing a new deal to stay in New York.
Former Yankees manager Joe Torre criticized Rodriguez last month in his new book, saying his addition to the team put a strain on the clubhouse. He also said Rodriguez was known as “A-Fraud” rather than his “A-Rod” nickname by his teammates and was obsessed by a rivalry with Jeter.