Report: Sosa tested positive in 2003

Sammy Sosa tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003, The New York Times reported Tuesday on its Web site, the latest in a string of baseball stars implicated in the sport's steroids scandal of the past decade.

The Times said Sosa is one of 104 players who tested positive in baseball's anonymous 2003 survey, which has been the subject of a protracted court fight. The paper did not identify the drug.

Before 1998, nobody had ever hit more than 61 home runs in a season. After 1998, Sammy Sosa did it 3 times. Thanks but no thanks, New York Times, but this isn't exactly earth shattering news. Just like with Big Papi, if you stare at the graph of Sammy Sosa's home runs by year and unfocus your eyes, you can see the syringe coming out at you like in a Magic Eye picture.


Here's the real story, buried under the tiresome indignation of sportswriters regarding steroids: this positive test belongs to the same group of positive tests from which A-Rod's name emerged. I predicted back when news of the existence of this list first broke that it was only a matter of time until all the names came out. Now the rocks at the bottom of the pile are beginning to roll, and its only a matter of time until there is an avalanche.

If you are a baseball player, you know whether or not your name is on that list. Get out in front of it now. Don't wait for the avalanche to roll you under. The baseball public wants to forgive you, but you can't be forgiven until you admit you did something wrong. Take a lesson from A-Rod. No, I don't kiss yourself in a mirror in photographs for Details Magazine. What I mean is: A-Rod is going to be voted in by the fans as the starting third baseman for the American League All-Star team this year after being outed as a steroids user mere months ago. The fans want to forgive. If your name is on that list, give them the chance now.