Looks like Canseco wasn't lying

"Palmeiro suspended for steroids


Rafael Palmeiro was suspended Monday for violating Major League Baseball's steroids policy, nearly five months after telling Congress that "I have never used steroids. Period."

Palmeiro two weeks ago collected his 3,000th hit, joining Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray as the only players with 3,000 hits and 500 homers.
Palmeiro, 40, is the seventh and highest-profile player to test positive under the major league policy adopted earlier this year.

MORE TO COME"

I think we all suspsected one of those guys, if not more, was lying. Palmiero such looks to have been caught. I wonder if Sammy Sosa will issue another "no habla Ingles" statement when asked about his alleged steroid usage. And maybe Palmiero will join Canseco on the "Surreal Life."

shines new light on HOF status.

We all know Sosa was on the 'roids. Just look at his numbers in Baltimore .236, 13 home runs, 38 RBIs. MVP type numbers if you ask me coming off numbers from just 2 year's ago of .279, 40 home runs, 103 RBIs

I wonder what kind of legal problems he may have for lieing to congress.

I was thinking the exact same thing. He has more to worry about than his 10 games now. He could seriously be in legal trouble. But probably will only do puclic service announcements telling how "it's not cool to use steroids and it's not cool to lie to the government" followed by some community service

Good point DMC. Right after the hearing McGwire was the one catching all the heat because he basically insinuated he used roids without ever actually admitting it, but at least he didn't lie in front of Congress. It might have made him look bad then, but three years from now, when he's still a free man and Raffy, Sammy and Bonds are rotting in federal prison for perjury, something tells me he won't look like biggest idiot of the bunch.

They say that if he took roids before the hearing he can be charged with perjury. If he took the roids since the hearing he can't be charged with anything

Mmm...I guess he was taking more than Viagra after all.

HAHAHAHA!!! I'm finally glad one of these guys got caught. Great.

I wonder what this means for his HoF status? I hope it earns him a Pete Rose-esque ban. That would really be a deterrent.

Me too and I don't know why. I was happy to hear it was Palmeiro and I don't know why. I have nothing against the guy, in fact I really respected him

I still think he will get into the Hall Of Fame although most probably not on the first ballot. As for legal problems, his testimony at the Congressional hearing was pertaining to his actions up until that time and I don't believe steroid use after the hearings can be used in a perjury charge. This really is a shame, because he seemed like a decent guy who played the game the way it ought to be played. On a brighter note, although Baltimore is in the midst of a pretty big slump anyway, his absence can only help the Blue Jays in the A.L. East.

Now how do we explain Giambi's surge of power? Maybe he has cleaned out his system and readjusted and this is the clean Giambi - OR - he's back on the juice.

It's actually going to be an interesting debate, I think...

Should we allow a player who we know cheated by using performance enhancers be allowed into the HoF? I don't think so. If we're going to ban Pete Rose for gambling on the game (which, by all accounts, he deserves to be banned), why shouldn't a player who has been proven a cheater be allowed into the HoF? I mean, I can see admitting Bonds because he hasn't been proven to be using steroids, but Palmiero has gotten caught. No doubt about it, he shouldn't be heading to the HoF, imho.

He attributes it to Don Mattingly and Reggie Jackson helping him, which is nice. But I think it's clearer than ever he's been pumping the 'roids again, no doubt. It's uncanny how he can go for a 1 1/2 seasons totally sucking ass during the whole steroid debacle, and now, randomly, he looks a little bigger, and is hitting again.

Coincidence? He's been working with Mattingly and Jackson the whole time, I doubt that it would take a year and a half for their coaching to sink in.

Giambi has got more juice than OJ Simpson.

I agree with that but it probably won't happen. Pete Rose was baseball's scapegoat/whipping boy. They'll probably let Palmeiro in and he'll probably say in a couple of days that he NEVER took steroids (period) and that whatever he was taking that was banned on the list, he took without knowing. Pla-eze, with all the steroids controversary going around, I know I'd be watching what I put into my body so there couldn't be any doubt about it!

As far as Pete Rose goes, there is no credible evidence that he ever bet on basball. Other sports, yes, but not baseball.

Now, I'm not saying that he didn't. I'm only saying that there is no credible evidence that he did.

In fact, in his agreement with MLB, which both Rose and then-Commissioner Bart Giamatti signed, contained a specific provision to the effect that there was no evidence that Rose ever bet on baseball, and went even further, stipulating that MLB would make no mention of the fact that Rose had "supposedly" bet on baseball, a stipulation which Giamatti imeediately violated.

I believe just game stats are not enough evidence that he took steroids. it might make him even more suspicious, but you can't be 100% sure just because the numbers are drowning.

I agree with TM.

Keep in mind that Sosa will be 37 years old in November. He's at an age where his stats could be expected to decline significantly, steroids or not.

I'm not saying that I don't think he used them. I'm just saying that his statistical decline is not good evidence that he did.

Sure you can't be 100% but it's VERY suspicious that a guy who hit 50+ homeruns for 4 (almost 5) straight seasons, to barely being at 15 homeruns at this point in the season, that's too big of a drop off.

Sure age could have something to do with it. But just look at Bonds, Clemens, Johnson, Sheffield who are 40 (except Sheff who's 38). Those guys should probably be outta the league by now and look at the numbers that they're still putting up

All players react differently to the aging process.

If you look through the record books at the pre-steroid days, you would find many examples of players whose stats fell off the table overnight due to age.

True players react differently (just look at Michael Jordan) and I know everyone suspects Bonds of taking roids. What about Clemens & Johnson though? Think they're juiced up? Plus, I know pre-steroid days many players would be lucky to play past 40

Would it surprise you if Clemens was?

Here's guy whose career seemed to be at the end of the line after his first two years with the Yankees (1999-2000) at age 38, after going 27-18 with an E.R.A. of well over 4.00.

Then suddenly he rebounds, going 68-22 the next four years, with an E.R.A. well under 4.00

No it wouldn't really surprise me if he was on them. Wouldn't he need something different than steroids though for the stamina? But you also have to look at the fact that he IS pitching in the NL. Look at how much Pedro's numbers have gone down since he switched leagues.

.... and stats of guys who could sustain. Nolan Ryan, truly amazing. He pitched for 27 years. At age 40-43 he was still pitching over 200 innings a year.

What makes Ryan all the more amazing is that one of the reasons the Mets traded him was his fragility early in his career.

Remember how he used to have to soak his hand in pickle brine because of the blisters he got every time he pitched?

"NEW YORK (AP) - Seattle Mariners pitcher Ryan Franklin was suspended 10 days for violating his sport's steroids policy, the eighth major league player caught under the tougher rules enacted this year prohibiting performance-enhancing substances.

The announcement Tuesday came one day after Orioles slugger Rafael Palmeiro was suspended after testing positive for steroids.
Franklin, a 32-year-old right-hander, is 6-11 this season with a 4.61 ERA in 22 games, including 20 starts. He was expected to talk with reporters later Tuesday.

"We are very disappointed to learn this news," Mariners spokesman Tim Hevly said. "But it's the direction of Major League Baseball, and, following its rules, we are not able to comment further."

I think it's funny though, today, there are comparing Palmiero's statements on Mike+Mike in the Morning.

Before congress, he said he "never took steroids," but now, he's saying he "never intentionally took steroids."
I think though his benefit of the doubt is harmed because, despite his credibility (or lack thereof), Palmiero was included in Canseco's book, he said he showed him how to inject, injection spots, etc.

Yeah his first statements were "I never took steroids. Period" Now it's "I never intentionally took steroid. Period" Maybe his next statement should be "I never expected to get caught taking steroids. Period"

Haha!

In honor of Raffy, whe should now answer all of our sentences with "period." Period.