Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s 2003 "survey" testing according to the New York Times’ Michael Schmidt.
Schmidt, citing "lawyers with knowledge of the results" did not identify for which drug or drugs the Red Sox sluggers tested positive.
The information about Ramirez and Ortiz emerged through interviews with multiple lawyers and others connected to the pending litigation. The lawyers spoke anonymously because the testing information is under seal by a court order. The lawyers did not identify which drugs were detected.
The 104 names from MLB’s 2003 testing have continued to leak out. In June, Schmidt broke the story of Sammy Sosa’s positive test. Ramirez and Ortiz now join a list that also includes Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Grimsley, and David Segui.
In June, a bogus list caused a bit of a stir on the internet but was quickly discredited. The bogus list didn’t contain some players who had admitted being on the list (Grimsley, Segui) and included Bonds who we know was not on the list.
Bonds’ 2003 sample was retested as part of the BALCO investigation. It came back positive for THG, a designer steroid that was not detectable in 2003.
No one has really commented on the story so far. Ortiz is the only one quoted in the Times after being asked about the test/story.
"I’m not talking about that anymore… I have no comment. "
See Baseball’s Steroid Era’s running list of players who tested positive in 2003 for more information.
Sources
- Ortiz and Ramirez Said to Be on 2003 Doping ListNew York Times
- 2003 Anonymous MLB Survey TestingBaseball’s Steroid Era
