Jack Clark Fired Over Albert Pujols Steroid Allegations

((stltoday.com))

Okay...

Former St. Louis Cardinal player and now former St. Louis radio host Jack Clark was taken off the air after making allegations that former Cardinal and current Los Angeles Angel Albert Pujols took steroids.

The allegations appear to not be new. Clark appears to have made the references over several years before repeating them on the radio during his new radio shows first week.

He attributes the allegations to a former trainer of Pujols who he says told him that Pujols had been "Shot Up" multiple times.

Pujols for his part was tired of the allegations. So he made it public that he was going to file suit against Clark and his employer, WGNU Radio.

WGNU relieved Clark of his duties early Saturday morning.

You can read a detailed report of the back story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch RIGHT HERE

Why Clark continued and apparently continues to make the steroid allegations is unclear. However Pujols has never, to public knowledge, ever been considered a potential steroid user.

The whole thing sounds like some sort of beef between the two guys. In fact, you could make the argument Clark was trying to drum up ratings for his fledgling radio show which just launched August 1st.

Either way, the public dispute hasn't abated as Clark and the former trainer have been on TV telling their side of the story. The trainer, Chris Mihlfield denies ever saying it. Clark says he "Knows for a fact" Mihfield told him it was true.

---sigh---alb

Here's TJ Quinn discussing...
((HT: ESPN))

Reports: It's Done-12 Guys Suspended So Far in MLB (updated)

It appears at least 12 and probably 13 Major League Baseball players will have things other than baseball to keep them occupied over the next 50 games or so.

That's because MLB and the 12 players have agreed in principal to their suspensions in the Biogenesis/Steroids case.

Those 12 include:

Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers OF
Evereth Cabrera, San Diego Padres, SS
Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers, SS
Antonio Bastardo, Philadelphia Phillies, RP
Francisco Cervelli, NY Yankees, C
Jordany Valdespin, NY Mets OF
Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners, C
Sergio Escalona, Houston Astros (Minor Leagues), P
Fernando Martinez, NY Yankees (Minors) OF
Fautino De Los Santos, Free Agent
Jordan Norberto, Free Agent

The 13th, Alex Rodriguez, otherwise known as the only guy publicized on this, has not agreed, at least of this writing to the terms offered him.

He's let it be known he plans to be in the Yankees Starting lineup Monday night.

We'll see if that happens.

More as the day progresses.

(Update) Per commissioner Bud Selig, Mr. Rodriguez is suspended for the remainder of 2013 and all of 2014. However, he can play while appealing, which he plans to do. Selig said the length of the suspension was primarily due to Rodriguez and his associates obstructing the investigation.

(Update#2)--A Rod responds: "I am disappointed with the penalty and intend to appeal and fight through this process. I'm eager to get back on the field and be with my teammates in Chicago tonight. I want to thank my family, friends and fans who have stood by my side through all of this."

We wonder if his teammates feel the same way he does....

Also Monday afternoon, the MLBPA has come out on Rodriguez's side (natch). Said the director; "For the player appealing, Alex Rodriguez, we agree with his decision to fight his suspension. We believe the Commissioner has not acted appropriately under the Basic Agreement. Mr. Rodriguez knows that the Union, consistent with its history, will defend his rights vigorously."

Another Update: Nelson Cruz said he was sorry to his teammates and fired his agents...
Here's Hansen and Trahan...
((HT: WFAA-TV))

Godolphin Stable Trainer In Deep Trouble For Steroids (UPDATED With Suspensions)

((HT: Sky Sports/CNN Winning Post))

One of the trainers for a storied middle eastern stable is in deep trouble after the British Horse Racing Authority has published that Mahmood al Zarooni has been found to have given 11 horses in the 45-horse Godolphin stable anabolic steroids- namely ethylestranol and stanozolol.

One of the horses who returned a positive sample was American-born Certify who was unbeaten in four starts.

The BHA tweeted: "Full details of the charges being brought against Mahmood Al Zarooni and the date for the hearing will be published tomorrow morning."

The Sky Sports article references an interview with a trainer who sees this action as more normality than anomaly within the stable:

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Lincolnshire-based trainer James Given, who is also a qualified vet, said: "The number of horses that tested positive shows that it wasn't what one might term an error with a single horse.

"It is, without doubt, a performance-enhancing drug. It's not just active while the drug is in the body - and certainly many of these drugs will persist in the body for several months - but it's the effect on the muscle development beyond its natural capacity."

Shaji Mathew of Bloomberg says the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, is "appalled" over the charges:

“Sheikh Mohammed was absolutely appalled when he was told and this is completely unacceptable to him,” Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said a statement on the stable’s website. “This is a dark day for Godolphin. We are all shocked by what has happened.”

Sheikh Mohammed is the world's largest owner of race horses...

al Zarooni admits to committing a "catastrophic error" and claims not to have known he was breaking the rules at the time. All affected horses are being shelved and can not race until further notice...

Here's an interview Winning Post had with the top two trainers at Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor and al Zarooni, back in 2012...


THURSDAY UPDATE: al Zarooni has been banned from the sport for eight years and Godolphjon horses are not allowed to particpate in horse races for six months.

Part of the Paul Bittar (BHA Chief Executive) release says:

“The relevant Rules in this case are explicit in that the use of anabolic steroids in horses in the care of a licensed trainer is prohibited and that strict liability for everything administered to horses while they are in training lies with the trainer. The BHA’s investigation has established that the substances in question were administered on the instruction of Mahmood Al Zarooni. The full details of this will be formally addressed in the Disciplinary Panel’s findings, to be published in due course and once they are available.

“We believe that the 8 year disqualification issued to Mahmood Al Zarooni by the Disciplinary Panel, together with the six month racing restriction placed on the horses in question by the BHA, will serve to reassure the public, and the sport’s participants, that use of performance-enhancing substances in British Racing will not be tolerated and that the sport has in place a robust and effective anti-doping and medication control programme.

Here is the press conference announcing the penalties...
((HT: racingpostdotcom))

Cabrera Tried Fake Website To Distract PED Investigation (Really...???)

Apparently, so...

In an investigation by the New York Daily News, it was discovered that disgraced San Francisco Giants OF Melky Cabrera tried to create an artificial website describing a fake product in line with his intake...

Didn't work...and now Jeff Novitzky is looking into everything and everyone in Cabrera's past...

From the article:

Cabrera associate Juan Nunez, described by the player’s agents, Seth and Sam Levinson, as a “paid consultant” of their firm but not an “employee,” is alleged to have paid $10,000 to acquire the phony website. The idea, apparently, was to lay a trail of digital breadcrumbs suggesting Cabrera had ordered a supplement that ended up causing the positive test, and to rely on a clause in the collectively bargained drug program that allows a player who has tested positive to attempt to prove he ingested a banned substance through no fault of his own.

“There was a product they said caused this positive,” one source familiar with the case said of Cabrera’s scheme. “Baseball figured out the ruse pretty quickly.”

Here's KGO-TV's coverage when Cabrera got busted...


Nunez is falling on the sword where the website is concerned and is saying that Cabrera's agents have nothing to do with anything...

But the HQ thinks that this is barely beginning...

Developing: Melky Cabrera suspended for illegal substance--Shocking

((mlb.com))

Well, this certainly may explain why journeyman outfielder Melky Cabrera went from .260 hitting 4th outfielder to .330 hitting All-Star in one season.

The San Francisco Giants outfielder was suspended for 50 games Thursday after testing positive for Testosterone. For those wondering, it's illegal, a performance enhancing substance (think steroid).

Cabrera was leading the NL in hits with 159 and was the MVP in July's All-Star game.

Now he leaves the Giants in limbo, though they were surprisingly aggressive in adding OF Hunter Pence from Philly before the trade deadline which makes you "wonder" about things.

As for Cabrera, we find it amusing since previous to this year, he was a nobody. Baseball now being what it's become, anytime someone improves as dramatically as Cabrera has, it's gonna raise some eyebrows.

This time apparently, it was for good reason.

UPDATE--It appears there were rumors of this being true back in late July. In fact, reporter Andrew Baggerly of CSN Bay Area reported on it...and then issued a pubic apology for reporting it.

You can read that apology RIGHT HERE

And the San Francisco Giants issued a statement about today's events. It says about what you'd think it would say:

((From Press Release))

"We were extremely disappointed to learn of the suspension of Melky Cabrera for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention & Treatment Program. We fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance enhancing drugs from our game.  Per the protocol outline by Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement, the Giants will not comment further on this matter.”

Barry Bonds sentenced....sort of

Barry Bonds

There is almost an end in sight for the never-ending Barry Bonds steroid saga.

Yes, we actually thought it was over today when a U.S District Court judge in San Francisco sentenced Bonds to 30 days of house arrest, 2-years of probation and 250 hours of community service plus a $4,000 fine.

All because Bonds was convicted of giving misleading testimony in front of a grand jury.

However...

Shortly thereafter, the judge delayed the decision pending an appeal by Bonds, which could take upwards of a year.

Quite honestly, we aren't quite sure what the cost of this prosecution is, but is it really worth it? The grand jury appearance was 8-years ago. Bonds has already lost most all of his credibility which is a far greater punishment then being confined to his house.

But then again, who are we to say.