Minor League Pitcher Gets 100 Game suspension for Steroids

[Maccabee]

Diamondbacks minor league pitcher Angel Rocha was suspended for 100 games Tuesday, the toughest penalty baseball has levied for a positive steroids test.

Rocha was suspended for 15 games last June 6.
"We understand and support the commissioner's policy on this matter, and agree with the importance and impact of the proper enforcement," Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said in a statement." We will continue to make education a top priority for our players at all levels of our system."
Four players were suspended for 50 games each for testing positive: Los Angeles Angels pitcher Karl Jelinas, New York Mets pitcher Jorge Reyes, St. Louis outfielder Yonathan Sivira and San Diego pitcher Matthew Varner.
The penalty for an initial positive test this year was increased from 15 games to 50 for players with minor league contracts, and the penalty for a second positive test rose from 30 games to 100.
For major leaguers, the punishment was lengthened from 10 days to 50 games - but any test for major leaguers is treated as a first positive test. There were 81 suspensions last season for violations of the minor league drug program, and four minor league pitchers were suspended last week.

 

[Achilles13]

Wonder if he got busted for winny? Anywho, seems they will never learn.

 

[Siznoyton]

Why do they do drugs that have lingering metabolites?!?!?!?!

 

[RipdnTxs2]

They r great atheletes, not brain surgeons, with all that money u would think they would have people around them to help them make better decisions.....

 

[Berserk]

Sports... who can possibly compete these days without the use of steroids? I know if I were in the minors or even the MLB or any sport for that matter, there are so many athletes out there using AAS's just to stay ahead in the game and it's a must. For example, look at body building in the 60's and 70's, and now it's all about mass. Mass, mass, and more mass.

Any one ever check out the World's Strongest Man competitions? Do these organizations really believe that these men are all natural? I know it sounds like I'm cheering the athletes on, but I'm not. Because at the same time, these people are becoming bad role models. Teens look at an issue of a "muscle mag" and wishing to God that they could get that big. It's a let down, big time.

When I first started to weight lift, it was just shortly after I purchased my first issue of Flex. Don't get me wrong, the IFBB has some extrodenary athletes, but before I researched the use of steroids, I was actually naive enough to believe that those guys were "all natural". I don't know... I think the commissioner's decision was wrong, but so are the decisions of the athlete's who are irresposible enough to get caught.

Those are just my small thoughts. Sorry about the rambling.

 

[PumpingIron]

They r great atheletes, not brain surgeons, with all that money u would think they would have people around them to help them make better decisions.....

Most of these guys who are getting suspended are on minor league contract, which is not much money at all....


Berserk- I agree that roids are becoming a must in the world of sports. I also am not sure if I feel like that is the way things should be moving. But why do you say that these guys are bad role models? Becuase we live in a society that pushes athletes to hit homeruns, to lift ridiculously big boulders, to stop a guy on the defensive line that is 30-50lbs heavier and harder hitting then they were 10 years ago?

All of these guys bust thier ass' everyday to get where they are. And that is something good to look up to. I think we should put more focus on education of the masses then condemnation of the atheletes. But this is just my $0.02.

I'm just glad to see that baseball is taking a proactive step towards this so called problem. Now, I'm not saying this is even a problem, because I can't seem to make my mind up about roids and modern sport, but since the media has made is one, I think the solution and suspensions helps give baseball some credibility back...

:yawn: okay, time for some coffee!!!

 

[Berserk]

Sorry about that... I think I might have misled you. I agree with you. These guys really do bust their ass' out there, that I do agree. And I'm not saying that they shouldn't take roids (who am I), all I'm saying is that they should be more careful as not to get caught using. Society, the media, and the American government have created a double-edged sword. I mean, look at it, they want our athletes to be "good" role models and get that extra TD, but even though they know that athletes use, the government bans AAS's and classifies them "schedule III". "Get bigger and stronger and better, but don't use steroids," that's what they are basically saying.

All the media's hype about how "dangerous" steroids are... please! While the media is trying to force feed us into researching and believing their ****, it's them who need to research and see how useful they can be if used in a smart manor. Other countries must think that we, Americans, lack in intelligents sometimes. It seems as though we want others to do the thinking for us. When the media does a big story about the bad side effects or fuels the fire with parents and other adults with a news article about some roid rager who didn't know his limit. As you can tell, it upsets me.:rant:

I found this while browsing the internet:

01.18.06 - Steroid Users make an "Educated Choice"
An article by reporter Ian Gerard published in The Australian supports a growing body of research regarding the profile of the typical user of anabolic steroids -- research that "challenges the conventional wisdom that steroid users are angry young men prone to outbursts of fury." The survey, funded by the Australian government, found that a majority had a university degree or held down a professional job. "They are a very unusual group of drug users," said a study co-author. "They get an incredible amount of information about their drug of choice before they commence use and the vast majority of them try to use it as responsibly as possible." The survey co-authors found that this is "a group that has an interest in health and physical activity, they are very regular gym-goers, are interested in diet and nutrition and draw on all kinds of research." More than 90 per cent said the benefits of steroids outweighed any associated health risks. The research failed to document severe psychological side effects, such as so-called "roid rage." "This study showed that realistically if you're someone who has a temper this isn't the drug for you, but it's not going to turn a harmless man into a murderer," a co-author reported. The research was prompted by state and territory police chiefs to help focus law-enforcement operations against non-medical steroid users.

 

[idunk42]

Another thing with this is that if you look at the names, most of them dont seem to be of U.S. decent. This is in no way bashing people from other countries in anyway, but there's a good chance that they might not understand the rules. Especially if they are coming in from other countries, AAS might be legal. Their trainers might just give it to them like its no big deal until they are forced to take a drug test. Im not saying that this is for sure whats going on, but its a possibility.

 

[Berserk]

I think we should put more focus on education of the masses then condemnation of the atheletes. But this is just my $0.02.

By the way, Iron, I completely agree with that statement.:thumbsup:

 

[PumpingIron]

Another thing with this is that if you look at the names, most of them dont seem to be of U.S. decent. This is in no way bashing people from other countries in anyway, but there's a good chance that they might not understand the rules. Especially if they are coming in from other countries, AAS might be legal. Their trainers might just give it to them like its no big deal until they are forced to take a drug test. Im not saying that this is for sure whats going on, but its a possibility.

This is huge in MLB. A lot of the guys who got busted said they didnt even understand the policy or didn't know what the "trainer" was giving them due to the language barrier.

 

[PumpingIron]

Berserk - I must ahve misunderstood, becuase I def. agree with what you just said. Double edged sword...get better, but don't take anything to help...