Who propped you up when you were stopped low

Big Papi in 2007.  Photo by Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission

Big Papi in 2007. Photo by Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.net and used with permission

I’d love to be one of those people not bothered by finding out that players have used PEDs but I’m not.  There have been times when I could make excuses and understand it but, generally speaking, it depresses the hell out of me that so many players decided to cheat on such a high level, leaving the players who didn’t cheat in the dust.

I’m also not one of those fans who says “never my guy”.  I’ve written before that I have a list of Sox players in my head that, if it became public that they used, wouldn’t surprise me.  Manny Ramirez wasn’t on that list prior to this year…neither was David Ortiz.

So the New York Times is reporting that “multiple lawyers and others connected to the pending litigation” have admitted in interviews that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are on the list of players who tested positive for PEDs in 2003.  Call me kooky but I’d like a little more proof than that before we go destroying a man’s reputation.  The fact that I’d like more proof than “some guys told us but we can’t tell you who and we can’t tell you what they tested  positive for” doesn’t mean I’m totally disregarding it.  I’m not.  It’s definitely worthy of being mulled over.  And if it turns out to be true, I won’t lie, I’ll be heartsick.  Saddened that someone I looked up to as a player is in the same group that I look down on for being cheaters.

Nothing, even news like this, will take away my euphoria over 2004 and 2007. (And I should point out that positive tests in 2003 don’t mean users in 2004.)   And if there is a Sox fan out there who didn’t think some of the players on those teams (at the very least the 2004 team or, really, the 2003 team) were using then they’re delusional….but Papi?  Of all the players, Papi?  It’ll really be a tough pill to swallow if it’s true.

Bonds had Fainaru-Wada and Williams showing me proof.  MLB outed Palmeiro.  Giambi, Pettitte and ARod all admitted (somewhat) to what they did.  I’m not happy with a couple of whispers slipped to the New York Times potentially destroying a man’s reputation.  So I wait.  I wait for Papi to give more of a statement than “I’m not talking about that anymore”.  He’s the one who told us he did it “the right way”.  I want him to tell us again.

I also want the list published in its entirety with MLB verifying that it is, indeed, the real list.  Enough of this dropping one name after another like someone slowly ripping off a bandage.  Let us deal with it all at once and finally try to move past it.

I’m a bit of a realist but today I’m going to be a bit of a cynic and wait to see if we get a real story out of this.

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