A-Rod = A-Fail

[alby]

Alex Rodriguez was tested positive on two different occasions in 2003 for anabolic steroids.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3890785

Report: A-Rod tested positive in 2003

According to a report by Sports Illustrated, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003, when he was with the Texas Rangers and won the AL home run title and MVP award.

According to the report, which was posted Saturday morning on SI.com, sources told the publication that Rodriguez was on a list of 104 players who tested positive that year, when Major League Baseball conducted tests to see if mandatory random drug testing was needed.

In 2003, there were no penalties for a positive result.

Rodriguez, reached at a Miami gym for comment by Sports Illustrated, said, "You'll have to talk to the union."

Asked if there were an explanation for the positive test result, Rodriguez told SI: "I'm not saying anything."

Sports Illustrated also reported that it left phone messages for players' union executive director Donald Fehr, which were not returned.

Major League Baseball, in an agreement with the MLBPA, wanted to see if random drug testing should be implemented starting in 2004.

More than 5 percent of players in the majors tested positive in the '03 survey, and mandatory testing was implemented -- including provisions for penalties -- in 2004.

Scott Boras, Rodriguez's agent, did not immediately return calls from ESPN.com seeking comment.
Michael Weiner, general counsel for the players' union, declined to comment, and said he did not know if the union would have any comment Saturday.

Information from ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick was used in this report.

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I guess we always knew this, but this confirms it.