What the report did state was that Rodriguez had tested positive for Primobolan and testosterone. Fast forward to today’s Bronx Bombers mini-circus that was held under a tent (literally) and even though he didn’t acknowledge seeing the report, A-Rod says that he used injectible Primo, which he mistakenly said was called ‘Boli” or “Bali.” There was not one question concerning the testosterone. I’ll get back to this in a little while.

Rodriguez also brings a mysterious “cousin” into the picture and said that it was he who was his source, purchasing the steroids “over the counter in the Dominican Republic.” Here is where not knowing a thing about steroids showed once again. Throughout Latin America, steroids can be purchased at any “Pharmacia” as easy as a box of condoms. Even if you need to get a prescription, one can be had very easily. Still having trouble? Just pick up veterinary steroids “for your dog.”

By A-Rod telling a group of middle-aged, wide-waisted reporters that it was an over the counter, he is trying to semi-legitimize it.

Casper the friendly cousin and Rodriguez used these steroids for three years and, according to what he said today, used them only “two times a month.” Later on, he said it may have been “even once or three times a month.” He said that he wasn’t really sure of what he was taking (“I didn’t think that they were steroids“) and that “all these years I didn’t know that I did anything that was wrong,” but later on said, “We knew we weren’t taking tic tacs.”

Out of the many problems that we should have with this is that Rodriguez claims that he shot up so infrequently that he isn’t even sure if he benefited from it, only admitting that he felt more energy from it.

By using both Primo and test, A-Rod was stacking steroids and please don’t try to tell us that you had no idea what you were doing. That is as lame as Andy Pettitte saying he used HGH “only once.” If you are at the level that you’re stacking, you have graduated to a different level of steroid use.

The mere fact that A-Rod admitted to two other years different from the 2003 positive tests indicates that there is something still yet to come out. It would seem that A-Rod dabbled in 2001 and took it to another level two years later using a strong and expensive drug in Primo and stacking it with the granddaddy of them all, test.

Primo is a good cutting agent and stacking it with a mass builder such as test makes for a strong cycle. Using small amounts of Primo, such as “twice a month,” will not benefit the user too much, thus the seed A-Rod planted today. Injecting 350 mgs every other day is common and the stack with test propionate or enanthate is recommended.

Hardly the stuff of “amateur hour,” as A-Rod said he and his cousin went through.

Photo by Bill Menzel

According to a report on the Sports Illustrated website, “four sources have independently told” SI that “Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s ’03 survey testing.”

The previously stated anonymous testing was conducted after MLB and the Player’s Association agreed to it as a reference source if random drug testing would be necessary the following year.

The report further stated that Rodriguez told an SI reporter on Thursday that he was not saying anything about it and that the scribe would “have to talk to the union.” Subsequent attempts to receive a statement from Donald Fehr, the union executive director, were met with negative results.

When the test was given, Rodriguez was a member of the Texas Rangers and won both the American League Most Valuable Player Award and the home run title (47) that summer. During that offseason, he was dealt to the Yankees. Rodriguez tested positive for two types of steroids – testosterone and Primobolan, which is also known as methenolone.  

The list of player’s names that tested positive has been exposed as a result of a seizure by federal agents at a Long Beach, California lab that was one of two that performed the testing. They were investigating 10 player’s links to BALCO.

Due to more than five percent of players testing positive during the anonymous period, MLB instituted a mandatory testing program with penalties in 2004.

Photo by Joe Perricone