Does anyone believe that Nelson Cruz is clean?

[Plympton91]

This quote from Lackey was in last nights game thread. I'm cross posting here because the topic needs more visibility.

@brianmacp: Asked about Cruz, Lackey said, "I've got nothing to say about him. There's things I would like to say, but I'm not going to."

Good for Lackey for almost going there. Anyone who thinks Cruz is "clean" has their head in the sand. He never tested positive before, so I'm sure he's now just using the same stuff from a more discrete supplier. I'd want no part of him; anything you win with him on your team smells of taint.

 

[fineyoungarm]

This quote from Lackey was in last nights game thread. I'm cross posting here because the topic needs more visibility.

Good for Lackey for almost going there. Anyone who thinks Cruz is "clean" has their head in the sand. He never tested positive before, so I'm sure he's now just using the same stuff from a more discrete supplier. I'd want no part of him; anything you win with him on your team smells of taint.

 
If Lackey doesn't cut it out with this crap, I'm going to start liking him.  When running the bases last night, Cruz sure looked - um - big.

 

[54thMA]

Well gee, let's see; nobody wanted the guy, signs for relative peanuts for one year, needs to prove himself to get another big contract next year; nope, I'd say he's as pure as the driven snow.

 

[Van Everyman]

Buck weighs in:

“Sometimes we need to check our own backyard before talking about someone else’s,” he said, making a not-so-veiled reference to David Ortiz being tied to drug use based on leaked information from a 2003 survey test.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/07/06/nelson-cruz-success-frustrates-john-lackey/y79Kh3qXDiLFQinxB4QpAK/story.html

 

[canderson]

Oritz went off on WEEI last night about this. I guess some MLBN idiots said Ortiz was giving a free pass since he "failed" the 2003 stuff.
 

 
In this country, nobody gets a free pass. He wants to make it sound like I got a free pass because nobody can point fingers at me directly. But the reason why I got that fake [expletive] free pass that he's saying is because they pointed fingers at me with no proof.
 
It's easier to do it that way than having something that they can say, 'Yes, you did this, you did that.' My [expletive], I call straight up bull. Let me tell you. You don't get no free pass here, especially a guy like me. I don't get no free pass. That free pass B.S. that they want to talk about over there, they can shove it up their [expletive].
 
What pisses me off is the whole thing about, why does my name got to be mentioned in that? What did I have to do with that? I saw on MLB the guys talking about it, and then they brought my name up, and one of the guys said that I got a free pass on that," Ortiz said. "It was the Lackey and Showalter thing, going back and forth. Showalter didn't say anything about me.
 
That's reality. You don't use the words that I get a free pass. You don't get a free pass on this. MLB don't play that B.S. MLB don't play that. There's a reason why I've been drug tested like eight times and we're not even at the break. Is that a free pass? There's a reason why I've been tested like 40 times since they approved the policy, the drug policy. Is that a free pass? They can get that free pass and shove it up their [expletive].

 

[Plympton91]

I love Papi as much as I love Pedro. They have no idea what that positive test was for; could have been marijuana for all we know.

 

[glennhoffmania]

Why do some managers feel the need to attack other players and stir shit up for no reason?  I can't imagine Tito or Farrell saying anything like the crap that Buck and Maddon have said.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I love Papi as much as I love Pedro. They have no idea what that positive test was for; could have been marijuana for all we know.

 
Neither does Ortiz. He once said it's possible he took a tainted supplement, but we're talking a) 2003, and b) back then there was no penalty for using, and c) he's been subjected to more than 60 tests since then and has never tested positive. He's never been told why he tested positive. He says he just got a blood test in Seattle on the last road trip. So much of Ortiz' frustration seems to stem from the fact that you can't prove a negative; how can any player prove he's clean other than passing all the tests given by MLB? If they pass them fans just figure he's on something undetectable.

 

[uncannymanny]

His test was "inconclusive" not "positive" I believe. I'd be pissed if I were Ortiz too, but OTOH he vowed he was going to get to the bottom of it and let it die on the vine instead.

 

[Reverend]

This quote from Lackey was in last nights game thread. I'm cross posting here because the topic needs more visibility.

Good for Lackey for almost going there. Anyone who thinks Cruz is "clean" has their head in the sand. He never tested positive before, so I'm sure he's now just using the same stuff from a more discrete supplier. I'd want no part of him; anything you win with him on your team smells of taint.

 
Ew.
 
 

 
Neither does Ortiz. He once said it's possible he took a tainted supplement, but we're talking a) 2003, and b) back then there was no penalty for using, and c) he's been subjected to more than 60 tests since then and has never tested positive. He's never been told why he tested positive. He says he just got a blood test in Seattle on the last road trip. So much of Ortiz' frustration seems to stem from the fact that you can't prove a negative; how can any player prove he's clean other than passing all the tests given by MLB? If they pass them fans just figure he's on something undetectable.

 
Yep. I'm with Plympie on Papi--people get on him for stuff that I think really stems from the fact that he is a man of great pride, which can have problems of course, but he's incredibly proud to play baseball for the Red Sox and a lot of good has come from that.
 
At some point, given all the testing, the burden of proof is on those accusing him considering the season he had last year. If he's using, he's really, really good at beating the system.
 
 

His test was "inconclusive" not "positive" I believe. I'd be pissed if I were Ortiz too, but OTOH he vowed he was going to get to the bottom of it and let it die on the vine instead.

 
MLB is a black box. I can imagine he thought he would and then realized he didn't have a chance.

 

[cannonball 1729]

His test was "inconclusive" not "positive" I believe. I'd be pissed if I were Ortiz too, but OTOH he vowed he was going to get to the bottom of it and let it die on the vine instead.

 
The whole problem is that there's absolutely nothing he can do.  The tests were (supposed to be) completely confidential - even from the takers - and if he says, "Can I see what I tested positive for?" (which it seems that he did), MLB has to say no.  Unless he can plant another well-placed leak like the one that leaked out the tests in the first place, I'm not sure what else he's supposed to do.

 

[gryoung]

If Ortiz's name shows up on the newest "list", would anyone here really, really be surprised?  Disappointed - sure, but surprised?

 

[CarolinaBeerGuy]

If Ortiz's name shows up on the newest "list", would anyone here really, really be surprised?  Disappointed - sure, but surprised?

Honestly? Yes, I'll be surprised because I think he's smarter than that. I think he most likely used along with everyone else, but I choose to believe he stopped a while back.

 

[JohntheBaptist]

If Ortiz's name shows up on the newest "list", would anyone here really, really be surprised?  Disappointed - sure, but surprised?

I wouldnt be in the sense that no one would surprise me anymore, but on the other hand, I do believe his version of the 03 test issue and don't see how he'd avoid getting caught for something all that time if he was using a substance that was ultimately discoverable by the process. Could he be out ahead of MLBs testing with some new substance? Sure. I dont think he is for my own reasons but I dont think were in a place where his or anyone else doing that should be surprising.