Ortiz Playing Dumb On Steroids

I figured with David Ortiz coming into town tonight, it was a good time to look back on the recent steroids revelation. The newest news is that the Red Sox were conducting their own investigation into steroids and found out that two of their security staffers were dealing steroids to players. One of those staffers is Jerry Remy's son! And who did he talk about steroids with, according to The Big Lead? David Ortiz's personal assistant. And who did Alex Cyr talk about steroids with, according to Deadspin? Manny Ramirez's personal assistant.

This once again proves that George Mitchell's investigation in Performance Enhancing Drugs in baseball, conducted while he was a member of the Red Sox organization, was a total sham and botch job. The fact that this investigation never made its way into the report is comical at best, and was probably well orchestrated. Also, the fact that the New York Times and Boston Globe has sat on these stories for a while, and have now released them after selling off part ownership of the Red Sox is also a bit fishy. They said they were waiting for more information. I think they just didn't want to affect their sale price. Either way, Ortiz's and Manny's name should have come out on that Mitchell Report. It didn't. Now it has.

By now, we should have had some answers from Big Papi (who had answers for everything else over the years). The Boston Globe and CNNSI's Fan Nation asks if Ortiz will ever come clean? But I sense something fishy is going on here as well. Via the Providence Journal:

David Ortiz vows that he has been trying to get information on the drug test he failed from the federal government, and that he simply hasn't been successful yet.

On Tuesday it was unclear whether Ortiz had actually made the effort yet, despite his repeated statements that he planned to request the information from the federal government. Ortiz, who wasn't in the lineup Wednesday because Tampa Bay was starting left-hander David Price, told reporters before the game that he was actively trying to get the test results.

"I'm trying," Ortiz insisted. "We'll know something at some point."

Ortiz wants to find out just what he tested positive for in 2003, and learn how he got onto the list of 104 players. To do that, he needs to see the list.

Really? Up until this point, I couldn't direct much hatred to David Ortiz. He killed the Yankees, but he did it in such a jovial, fun, easy-going way that but I *gulp* almost liked him. But now? This is getting a bit ridiculous. And a bit confusing.

I would like to translate this: David Ortiz knows exactly what he tested positive for and what he put in his body. But he's waiting to see what the MLB caught him doing so he can formulate his excuse. High testosterone level? Natural occurrence. Failed steroid test? Tainted GNC vitamins. HGH? One time occurrence from an injury. Stimulant? He was trying to lose weight.

I don't really care about steroids or who used them or why or how often. I just want people to stop hiding from their mistakes. Creating excuses. Blaming others. Trying to gain sympathy. Hypothezing about false negatives and wrong results.

"Big Papi" is no different, and neither is Manny Ramirez who has gotten off WAY too easily for being caught, now, twice for using illegal PEDs. Instead of actually coming out and admitting his mistake, David Ortiz is looking for a way out. For a man who scared a lot of people on the baseball diamond since 2003, that is nothing more than cowardice. Maybe we should call him "Little Papi" from now on.

 

Others: Tony Massarotti for The Boston Globe says that David Ortiz's real test is yet to come. Alex Bleth of "Bronx Banter" says that David Ortiz has yet to come up with an answer but seems to be getting a pass after the initial news cycle. The New York Times has an interesting article talking about betrayed "Red Sox Nation" is. Joel Sherman of The New York Post says that the NFL gets off easy in the PED discussion. Ken Davidoff of Newsday says that we say we don't care about illegal PEDs, but we can't stop talking about it (and has a great point about the government getting off too easy here). Curt Schilling, like the lying hypocrite that he is, decided to sort of defend David Ortiz on his blog after he railed Roger Clemens in the past (the user comments below are great though calling Schilling out on his bullshit). Doug Glanville has a very interesting OpEd for The New York Times titled "Confidential, With An Asterisk". (photo courtesy of the AP)