Performance Enhancing Drugs Still Rampant In Baseball Says Victor Conte

[23536]

http://wizbangblog.com/2012/08/18/p...-still-rampant-in-baseball-says-victor-conte/

The USA Today interviewed former BALCO chief Victor Conte who provided Barry Bonds with steroids and was sentenced to prison after another San Francisco Giant player, Melky Cabrera, was suspended for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy. They asked him how many current players are using performance enhancing drugs (PED’s), and his answer was shocking:

“I would say,” Conte said, speaking slowly, “maybe as much as half of baseball.”

Wait, you’re saying that 50% of baseball players might still be cheating today, when the steroid era is supposed to be over?

“I’m not going to name names,” Conte said, “but I’ve talked to a lot of top players in Major League Baseball, and they tell me this is what they’re doing. There is rampant use of synthetic testosterone in Major League Baseball.”

…”What these guys are doing is using fast-acting testosterone, creams, gels, patches and micro-dose injections,” Conte says. “They put this stuff on after a game, let it circulate in their blood stream, and eight hours later, it’s out of their system when they take a drug test. It’s so simple.

“There’s such a loophole, you really wonder if Major League Baseball has a genuine interest in stopping these guys.”

In a radio interview I heard on ESPN he elaborated. I’m summarizing his assessment from memory, but it adds further explanation to the linked story. MLB players can only be tested at the ballpark. Players know when they will have to be at the stadium, so they know when they need to be clean for the tests. The drug testing labs check a players urine for its ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone, which is normally 1 to 1 for adult males. A test is not considered positive until the ratio reaches 4 to 1, so players know the line they need to stay under. The fast-acting synthetic testosterone dissipates rapidly from the body, and sleep and hydration help speed the process. Conte says that six hours after the synthetic testosterone is taken it’s essentially out of the system as far as the drug test is concerned. It’s only if the players A and B samples exceed the 4 to 1 ration that the lab conducts a more precise isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) test to determine whether the testosterone came from outside the body. That’s the test that would catch all of the MLB users, but it’s not done until a player’s urine tests positive.

Knowing the times of the test and the acceptable limits, players can easily avoid detection and can keep elevated testosterone levels for as long as they want.

Where Conte charges MLB of hypocrisy is that 4 to 1 ratio and failure to use IRMS tests could easily allow 50% or more of MLB players to use synthetic testosterone without ever getting “caught.”

Jose Canseco, no ones idea of a model citizen, wasn’t wrong about steroids in baseball. MLB can attack Conte all they want, that doesn’t mean that he’s wrong either.

http://wizbangblog.com/2012/08/18/p...-still-rampant-in-baseball-says-victor-conte/

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

MLB has no interest whatsoever in stopping steroid use if makes money for their kingpins, which how can it not?

Wonder how Melky Cabrera got caught. He either made a stupid mistake with his regimen or pissed off the wrong people. Too bad, his average was almost .350, though I think he still has over 400 AB for the season, so it counts.

What I don't understand is why the Hall of Fame still puts steroid users on the ballot. They're not real human athletes, just chemical showmen. Despite all the scientific advances in training taking steroids still crosses the line in my book.

Maybe they should have two leagues, one for steroid users and one for people who want to prove their potential with human skills.

This is not fair
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&h...ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:148&tx=101&ty=71

 

[cj]

What does fast acting testosterone help do?

 

[Voxide]

MLB has no interest whatsoever in stopping steroid use if makes money for their kingpins, which how can it not?

Wonder how Melky Cabrera got caught. He either made a stupid mistake with his regimen or pissed off the wrong people. Too bad, his average was almost .350, though I think he still has over 400 AB for the season, so it counts.

What I don't understand is why the Hall of Fame still puts steroid users on the ballot. They're not real human athletes, just chemical showmen. Despite all the scientific advances in training taking steroids still crosses the line in my book.

Maybe they should have two leagues, one for steroid users and one for people who want to prove their potential with human skills.

This is not fair
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&h...ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:148&tx=101&ty=71

They are "human skills". You think you could just hop on a Test cycle and automatically start hitting like Bonds? If so, you're deranged.

Eventually people will realize that the ridiculously high standards that society holds these people to simply isn't possible naturally. That being said I don't necessarily agree with steroid use in any legitimate sports league other than than the IPA and the IFBB.

What does fast acting testosterone help do?

Not much to be honest. It will boost your aggression temporarily for the game but actual strength or performance increases will be negligible. If one wants to reap the full benefits, they must stay on permanently; which is horribly bad for your health and obviously isn't possible anyway if you are a tested athlete. They will still use anyway they can to use and not get caught positive which shows the degeneracy of the sport.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

They are "human skills". You think you could just hop on a Test cycle and automatically start hitting like Bonds? If so, you're deranged.

Eventually people will realize that the ridiculously high standards that society holds these people to simply isn't possible naturally. That being said I don't necessarily agree with steroid use in any legitimate sports league other than than the IPA and the IFBB.



Not much to be honest. It will boost your aggression temporarily for the game but actual strength or performance increases will be negligible. If one wants to reap the full benefits, they must stay on permanently; which is horribly bad for your health and obviously isn't possible anyway if you are a tested athlete. They will still use anyway they can to use and not get caught positive which shows the degeneracy of the sport.

No I don't, but I do think I could get a lot more muscle than I ever would going on any routine if I had a moderately rigorous routine and steroids; the same goes for just about anyone. Would you just look at Bonds in his twenties versus his thirties? His numbers are telling enough.

Might as well build machines that look like humans to play ball.

The standards are largely created by fellow players. They've gone up recently because the players don't care about integrity of the game when faced with more money, so cheat.

 

[paranoid android]

Players like Bonds piss me off. Anyone can get out and hit home runs pumped up on roids and amphetamines but Babe Ruth did it hungover or drunk as fuck. Now there was a guy with talent

 

[Voxide]

No I don't, but I do think I could get a lot more muscle than I ever would going on any routine if I had a moderately rigorous routine and steroids; the same goes for just about anyone. Would you just look at Bonds in his twenties versus his thirties? His numbers are telling enough.

Might as well build machines that look like humans to play ball.

The standards are largely created by fellow players. They've gone up recently because the players don't care about integrity of the game when faced with more money, so cheat.

Society and the fans play a big part as well. Everyone constantly talks about the biggest guys and who they think is the best. How do you think that makes them feel? Again, I don't condone AAS usage in sports but I completely understand why it happens anyway.

Anyone can get out and hit home runs pumped up on roids and amphetamines

That's ridiculously false. Like, so wrong it's practically hilarious to read. If that was just a joke, you better tell me now.

 

[-Guido-]

Anyone can get out and hit home runs pumped up on roids and amphetamines

Whoa, that is totally wrong. Steroids and amphetamines aren't magic. It takes practice to learn how to hit a home run, steroids and amphetamines just allow players to do it more often and easily once they practiced enough to learn how.

 

[-Guido-]

Maybe they should have two leagues, one for steroid users and one for people who want to prove their potential with human skills.

I would actually like to see that but lets remember here that people on steroids and people not on steroids still have the same skills ad learned them the same way/ The only difference is that the guy on steroids is obviously stronger and faster due to being augmented with hormones. However, just because you use steroids, doesn't automatically turn you into home run machine. It still takes practice and training.

 

[paranoid android]

Society and the fans play a big part as well. Everyone constantly talks about the biggest guys and who they think is the best. How do you think that makes them feel? Again, I don't condone AAS usage in sports but I completely understand why it happens anyway.


That's ridiculously false. Like, so wrong it's practically hilarious to read. If that was just a joke, you better tell me now.

Lol it was more of a generalization then a joke but yeah it was a joke none the less. Roids and speed do not create talent i don't care how much you take. No chemical on earth can make you hit a 90mph fastball over the fence if you do not have the ability to do it. Sure they may make you more able to run abit faster due to extra muscle (though too much muscle will slow you down) but that's that. As someone who has actually played alot of sports i do know that it really comes down to whether you have it or you don't. No amount of testosterone would make me hit anything other then someones skull with a bat so i stuck to hockey. Even in a sport as physical as that a good wrist shot is alot more or a edge then a vial in your locker. Goons don't last long even in hockey why because they have no talent

 

[Thanatos]

-Guido- did your name used to be ClubbingGuido?
Anyone that believes testing positives for PEDS should discredit their achievements are crazy. Baseball is a game of inches, Melky is immensly talented. If anything I bet the PED got him in a great mindset for the game and the batting cage.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

just because you use steroids, doesn't automatically turn you into home run machine. It still takes practice and training.

...yup

Society and the fans play a big part as well. Everyone constantly talks about the biggest guys and who they think is the best. How do you think that makes them feel? Again, I don't condone AAS usage in sports but I completely understand why it happens anyway.

No doubt there's a lot of pressure from the outside. I can't imagine that MLB players have their feelings hurt that often haha. I think they care more about money. That's why players, like Ichiro, who could obviously be depended upon to bat over .300 five years ago, continues to play despite his current .268 and the danger that his career average might fall below .300 (I kind of doubt this; its possible though). I mean come on, wouldn't you play at 38 even if you were guaranteed to put up shitty numbers if a team offered you 18 million? He and countless others readily made the trade-off.

Back when there was very little money in ball except for the league leaders, I can see players being more susceptible to outside judgement.

The achievements are clearly not based on the limits of one's own body if taking steroids. He should be banned forever.

 

[Thanatos]

Ichiro and a majority of players are in it for the glory. It's all about the rings.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Yup. A lot of glory batting .268 hitting ninth whereas he used to lead off and bat over .350.

 

[Thanatos]

He's on the Stankys now. He has the chance to win a championship, that's why he is still in the game. .268 really isn't that bad for such a vet anyways. I hate to say it but the Mariners arent winning the american league pennant anytime soon compared to New York.

 

[slimvictor]

What I don't understand is why the Hall of Fame still puts steroid users on the ballot.

Because it is simply not clear who the steroid users are/were.
A lot of names were released in the Mitchell report, but where is the concrete evidence?
What should MLB do, not allow anyone in the HOF just because their name is linked to steroids?
Spend millions dragging baseball's reputation down even farther to try and figure out exactly who used steroids in the 1990s? The US gov couldn't even prove that Bonds used steroids!
Meanwhile, those who are suspected of using steroids - without any evidence - are not voted in to the HOF by baseball writers who want to keep the hall clean.
It is a tricky and sad situation.

 

[slimvictor]

Players like Bonds piss me off. Anyone can get out and hit home runs pumped up on roids and amphetamines but Babe Ruth did it hungover or drunk as fuck. Now there was a guy with talent

Lol.
But seriously, Bonds comparing himself to Babe Ruth was ridiculous.
Babe Ruth was the first real home run hitter. Ha basically discovered home runs.

It would be like comparing Nirvana and Led Zeppelin.
(And I love Nirvana.)

 

[-Guido-]

-Guido- did your name used to be ClubbingGuido?

Indeed.

 

[Thanatos]

Thought so. You've had that Vegito avatar forever.

 

[23536]

Lol.
But seriously, Bonds comparing himself to Babe Ruth was ridiculous.
Babe Ruth was the first real home run hitter. Ha basically discovered home runs.

It would be like comparing Nirvana and Led Zeppelin.
(And I love Nirvana.)

Let's not forget that Bonds hit more home runs than any human being ever, and that he did so against modern (read: superior) pitching, and that he did so in modern ballparks (some of Ruth's home runs were shorter than 300 feet!)

I mean, Jesse Owens was once the fastest man in the world. Had he run the 100 meters in London 2012, he would've finished 3/10 of a second behind the slowest runner.