[big'ol_freeper]

Wrong

[TBP]

It was survey testing, not "official" testing, because they hadn't worked out the protocols with the MLBPA yet, but it was to survey for performance enhancing drugs to see if there was a need for further tests and for a policy. As it turned out, there was.

[TBP]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/07/31/ortiz_confirms_he_tested_positive_in_2003/

“David Ortiz, the greatest single-season home run hitter in Red Sox history, yesterday acknowledged testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003”

Note that he admits testing positive for a PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUG, although he has disingenuously claimed that he has no idea how that happened. He doesn’t say he tested positive for Flonase. He himself admits that it was a PED>

Now, in 1991, then- Commissioner Fay Vincent sent a memo saying PEDs were against the rules, so it’s not as if nobody knew they were banned. (It’s just that no penalty had yet been established.)

NOte that all the other players identified from that list as testing positive are now known PED users — Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Larry Bigbie, Jason Grimsley, David Segui, and Sammy Sosa. But somehow, “Big Papi” must be innocent in your view.

I previously provided several other links on this.