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Alex Sanchez suspended 10 days for roids


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On the front page of ESPN.com...

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2029037

 

Devil Rays outfielder suspended 10 days

ESPN.com news services

 

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder Alex Sanchez was suspended 10 days for violating major league baseball's new drug policy, the first player publicly identified under baseball's tougher rules.

 

Major League Baseball announced the suspension Sunday. It begins on Monday.

 

Sanchez said he was surprised by the suspension, adding that he uses milkshakes and multivitamins to build his energy -- and blaming the positive test on something he bought over the counter.

 

"I'm going to fight it, because I've never taken steroids or anything like that," Sanchez said.

 

Sanchez said he was drug tested while he was with the Tigers.

 

It has been an emotional month for Sanchez. The center fielder was reunited with his mother for the first time in 11 years in mid-March. Five days later, he was released by the Tigers.

 

Sanchez had frustrated Detroit with his sloppy play in the field in the past, and did again during spring training.

 

Sanchez left Cuba on a raft 11 years ago, leaving his family behind. On March 10, Sanchez reunited with his mother and brother in Miami, where he has a house with his wife and twin boys. Sanchez's mother and brother escaped from Cuba by boat and spent time in Mexico and Texas before traveling by bus to Miami.

 

Besides Sanchez's defensive shortcomings, he also struggled to get on base when a bunt or single didn't get him on first base -- a big problem for a leadoff hitter. In 365 games, he has drawn 68 walks. His career batting average is .292 over four seasons in the majors with a .327 on-base percentage.

 

Sanchez batted .322 in last season, but his on-base percentage was just .335 because he walked just seven times and he played just 79 games because of leg injuries.

 

In 2003, he stole 52 bases in 101 games with the Tigers and 43 with the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Sanchez had a $1.35 million, one-year contract that was not guaranteed. By releasing him before March 18, the Tigers owe 30 days' termination pay, $221,311, instead of 45 days' termination pay, $331.967.

Edited by greasywheels121
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QUOTE(Kalapse @ Apr 3, 2005 -> 08:50 PM)
Remember steroids could help to boost your speed, so the fact that he only had 2 hr last year shouldn't be all that shocking. He's taking them for agility.

Also, I believe they can help your muscles heal faster (though obviously they don't help other parts of your body over the long term) -- and Sanchez had some muscle injuries last year. He was out from early August to the end of the season with a quadricep injury. Just a theory.

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Sanchez said he was surprised by the suspension, adding that he uses milkshakes and multivitamins to build his energy -- and blaming the positive test on something he bought over the counter.

 

"I'm going to fight it, because I've never taken steroids or anything like that," Sanchez said.

 

I believe him.

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a 10 day suspension is nothing..... its pretty pathetic on how small it is... If i had my way if you were caught once you would be out for the season if caught twice your days playing baseball are over... and if caught once while your still in the minors leagues your done no tolerance.

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Says he didnt take anything "incorrect", I'm one to believe innocent until proven guilty but come one here. A test is a test. You failed your guilty. I really dont believe any ball player when they say, they've never taken steriods.

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I'm not saying he's innocent. Just talking about the testing process.

 

I would like to know what the testing procedures are. If there is a second test conducted at a different lab and how accurate the tests are. Nothing is 100% accurate. 99.9 means one in a thousand will be wrong. Either a false negative or a false positive.

 

Isn't it poppy seeds that can trigger a false positive on some drug tests?

 

This also highlights how these guys have to be careful with over the counter typoes of stuff. I imagine some of these drugs are trying to mimick the real deal stuff, perhaps they come close enough to trigger a false reading.

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QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Apr 4, 2005 -> 04:36 AM)
a 10 day suspension is nothing..... its pretty pathetic on how small it is... If i had my way if you were caught once you would be out for the season if caught twice your days playing baseball are over... and if caught once while your still in the minors leagues your done no tolerance.

 

The problem with that is that there's still a flaw in the testing (I thought I heard on BBTN), and that there are still the possibilities of false positives.

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QUOTE(Texsox @ Apr 4, 2005 -> 08:23 AM)
I'm not saying he's innocent. Just talking about the testing process.

 

I would like to know what the testing procedures are. If there is a second test conducted at a different lab and how accurate the tests are. Nothing is 100% accurate. 99.9 means one in a thousand will be wrong. Either a false negative or a false positive.

 

Isn't it poppy seeds that can trigger a false positive on some drug tests?

You have to eat a whole crapload of poppy seeds (I've heard the equivilant of 18 poppy seed muffics) to test positive. So, yes it but in that case odds are you're on herion not going crazy at the muffin store....

 

And to be honest 99.9% accuracy is good enough for me--do they give them a second test (or do a second test on the sample) before kicking them out? That would clear out the problem of false positives....

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