Sammy Sosa, nearly a Yankee in 2000, on list of 104

by 62 Comments

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According to The Times’ sources, Sammy Sosa is on the 2003 list of 104 failed drug tests. Michael S. Schmidt relies upon “lawyers with knowledge of the drug-testing results from that year” to unveil another name from the infamous and supposedly anonymous list. As Yankee fans may recall, Sports Illustrated’s Selena Roberts exposed Alex Rodriguez as the first of the list’s 104 tests to be identified. It really is just a matter of time before the other 102 names get out.

The Yankees nearly traded for Sosa in 2000. They offered up Jackson Melian, Jake Westbrook, Ricky Ledee and either Alfonso Soriano or D’Angelo Jimenez, but the Cubs wanted Alex Graman too. The Yanks thought the five-player price too steep and landed themselves David Justice instead. I’d say that worked out well for them.

Bruney activated; Veras DFA'd
Oppenheimer's Chat Wrap
  • Jake H

    crazy

  • Jeremy

    Not exactly the shocking revelation that ARod was, but sad nonetheless.

    That list is probably a who’s who of great 1990s players.

  • JohnnyC

    Whatever happened to Alex Graman?

    • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

      Holy crap, he’s the closer for the Seibu Lions.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Graman

      I was expecting “insurance salesman in Elkhart, Indiana”.

      • http://161stStreet.wordpress.com Chris A

        Maybe the Yankees can reacquire him for their bullpen. Haha, just a thought.

        • JohnnyC

          No, seriously. Chances are he’s better than Marte.

          • John

            Marte’s not bad when healthy

          • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

            No, seriously. Chances are he’s better than Marte.

            http://riveraveblues.com/2009/06/fan-confidence-poll-june-8th-2009-12861/#comment-419755

            [Damaso Marte is a Damn Good Reliever Name Drop #5 of 1000]

            • I Remember Celerino Sanchez

              Your link needs to be permanently attached to every new post on the site. In fact, Ben, Mike and Joe should find a way to make the first comment of every post, “Before you slam Marte, click on tsjc’s post:”

              This needs to happen.

              • Arod, all the time

                Yes, especially when he comes back and gets rocked. It’ll really come in handy then.

                • jsbrendog

                  oaktag.

                • Fred

                  Marte is awful.

      • http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

        Hot damn, two inning save in Game 7 of the Japan Series last year.

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Benjamin Kabak

      He’s 31 with a fairly successful stint in Japan under his belt. I can’t find his current stats, but he’s the closer for the Seibu Lions right now.

  • JohnnyC

    Of course, there are no Red Sox on that list. Honest to George Mitchell there ain’t.

    • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

      And if there are, they clearly didn’t use while in Boston, just before or after.

      /Gammons’d

      • whozat

        And if there are, they clearly didn’t use while in Boston, just before or and after.

        FTFY.

  • Manimal

    Shortly after hearing this news, Selena Roberts promptly announced her new book “Sammy”

    • Charlie

      IETC

  • I Remember Celerino Sanchez

    I was never a Sosa fan, and Justice really did the job for the Yanks, so I am in no way disappointed that the Yanks didn’t swing the deal for Sosa.

    But it’s interesting to look at the list and see how tough it is for prospects to actually amount to anything. For a deal for a guy who finished with more than 600 HRs to fall through for Alex Graman is pretty funny. And, of the six Yankee prospects, only one turned out to be All-Star quality (and he might not have even been part of the trade), one had a solid MLB career, and the rest were fringe or never-made-it guys.

    It’s something to think about when the trade deadline comes around, since I tend to lean towards the “keep the prospects” direction.

  • http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/413671602_daded72a81_m.jpg The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

    Sucks for The Honorable Special Ambassador Sosa.

    • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

      That’s not the only thing Sammy Sosa and Raul Mondesi have in common:

      They’re both fat.

      • http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/413671602_daded72a81_m.jpg The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

        Retirement = less baseball, more mofongo con camarones.

  • I DIDNT DO IT!

    Sammy…Yous got some splainin to do….

    • Stryker

      “baseball has been berry berry good to me.”

  • Charlie

    At this point I just assume that the majority of good players during the roid era used. By the way, A-rod’s still only hitting 230. Mike A, in a chat about a month ago you told me to ask you about A-rod’s average in a month. Now we’re here, so whadda ya think?

    • The Fallen Phoenix

      Although A-Rod’s line drive rate is down (which probably explains the dip in average), his power is still there, and his walk rate is up. Numbers are from fangraphs:

      2009: 18.1% BB, 17.2% K, 14.9% LD, .270 ISO
      Career: 11.2% BB, 20.8% K, 17.9% LD, .272 ISO

      Considering A-Rod’s probably not 100% healthy and working his way back, I’d be surprised if his LD% doesn’t get back to around normal levels by the end of the year.

    • John

      Still only .207 BABIP (Career .325) and he’s in a slump so his LD% has dropped 3% fr0m his career average of 17.9% to 14.9% but he’s still really unlucky. His BB/SO ratio is pretty good at 27/21 so I’m not worried. He said he feels like he’s just finishing Spring Training so I think he’ll get it together soon.

      A .280 avg. with a high OPS would be fine.

    • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

      ARod, OBP, 2009: .386
      ARod, SLG, 2009: .500
      ARod, OPS+, 2009: 132

    • Observer283

      Dude, seriously, BA is so 20th Century. His OPS is nearly .900. That’s means a heck of a lot more than his BA. If BA was the end all be all, Christian Guzman would have a lot more money.

  • younguns

    Anyone wanna throw out some names of juiced players from the 1990s & this decade who might actually get elected into the Hall of Fame?

    Anyone think Ricky Henderson might have been “augmented” during his long career?

    • John

      Big Sloppy

      • jsbrendog

        is not a hall of famer

        • John

          oh my bad, didn’t read that

      • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

        Andy Stankiewicz.

      • http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/413671602_daded72a81_m.jpg The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

        Lucky Pierre

    • cookie monster

      ripken

      • cookie monster

        agree with you.

        larry walker

    • Chris

      Nolan Ryan

      • Fred

        Ripken played everday. You dont think its semi conceivable he used?

        Ryan pitched for decades. It isn’t either?

  • http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/413671602_daded72a81_m.jpg The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

    At this point, I wish they’d just rip off the band-aid and release the entire list during the next offseason. I’m not saying this out of spite or schadenfraude, I honestly don’t care about this stuff. But let’s face facts – at this point, those other names WILL be leaked to the media eventually. I don’t want to have to sit through the outing of 102 more players from that list, one by one. Enough with this shit already. Just release the names, implement a heavy-hitting testing/punishment policy so the media can stop whining, and let’s all get on with our lives.

    • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

      You know who I bet is on the list?

      Bud Selig. Yeah, I said it.

    • Stryker

      at this point i’m more disgusted with the fact that names have been released from this list in the first place rather than being disgusted at the players themselves.

      • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

        Agreed. The Players Union seriously needs to sue somebody over this shit. This test was supposed to be anonymous and the results were supposed to be destroyed.

        • http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/413671602_daded72a81_m.jpg The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

          Yup, agreed.

          MASSIVE Players Union fail. All culpable parties should resign. Also a massive MLB fail.

          But, at this point, it doesn’t even matter if there’s an actual physical list out there, since apparently everyone and Popavero’s mother knows who’s on the F’ng thing already and they just can’t wait to open their mouths to the press.

          • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

            True.

            Names = Toothpaste
            List = Tube

        • Ivan

          The Players Union fucked themselves with not destroying those results.

  • Jesse Richards

    I agree with the Honorable Congressman. Rather than go through this whenever someone approaches a milestone or it’s a slow news week, just release the list have a mass apology and move on. That’s Tele-catharsis Kyle. Oh, Eric Gagne and Nomar Garciaparra.

    • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

      We need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, like South Africa post-apartheid.

      Get the names out. And absolve everyone of wrongdoing. Forgive and forget.

      • Andy In Sunny Daytona

        At least there were no rapes or arms cut-off…that we know of.

        • http://twitter.com/tsjc68 tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside

          Ty Cobb stabbed a guy.

  • Andy In Sunny Daytona

    I hope whatever lawyer failed to listen to a court order, gets his/her name put on a list too. The Barred from the Bar List.

  • Slu

    Not that it matters, but wasn’t Justice linked to PEDs as well?

    I am tired of all this as well. Not sure why I am even commenting.

  • Fred

    The leaker should go to jail.

  • Joba-to-the-pen

    Didn’t Hank Aaron hit he’s most homeruns in he’s carrer 47 at age 39 in the 70’s?

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Benjamin Kabak

      What are you talking about? That’s not even a sentence.

  • vinny-b

    “They offered up Jackson Melian, Jake Westbrook, Ricky Ledee and either Alfonso Soriano or D’Angelo Jimenez, but the Cubs wanted Alex Graman too”

    wasn’t it Brandon Claussen?

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Benjamin Kabak

      Not to obnoxious, but did you click the link to The New York Times article in that paragraph? It explicitly lays out the trade scenario.

  • vinny-b

    no. Didn’t see it.

    I only remember at the time, Peter Gammons saying “Brandon Claussen will not hold up this trade”. And predicting Sammy Sosa would be a Yankee.

    fitting.