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Re: Palmeiro still insists he never used steroids
Let me start by stating the following is my .02 on Palmiero.
Do I think he juiced? Or would cheat to reach his goal? Absolutely. Once a duche bag, always a duche bag.
My 1st personal encounter with Raffy was his 1st go round with the Rangers. He was signing at a card show - $3 admission got you an auto. While we were waiting in line, we here people grumbling as they are leaving the Auto table. Turns out, if you gave him a card to sign, he was bending EVERY card in half before he signed so people couldn't go sell their signed cards in the dealers room. JACK-ASS.
2nd time around was 2003 Spring Training at Surprise AZ. The wife and I were the only ones on the rail early and when Raffy went by, she had ONE card to have signed. He blew her off twice there (gave some excuse the 2nd time, then went and sat on the bench for 1/2 and hour while other players signed). Then he blew her off twice again at the batting cages and made another BS excuse that he was in a hurry for a meeting, went around the corner and sat on a bench for almost an hour while other guys signed.
3rd time - in CO during interleague w/ Baltimore. All 3 days... he hid out behind a column until his cab came and then claimed he didn't see us/hear us or he would have signed but now his cab was here. The whole time he was playing hide and seek, most of the rest of the team signed.
If he didn't want to sign, that's fine - but don't insult my intelligence.
Add to that the fact that when he became a FA, the Rangers made him an offer and he told them he was going to test the market (i.e. 'I want more money') so the Rangers made the same offer to Will Clark who accepted it. Then Palmiero becomes all Butt Hurt and calls both Clark (his 'friend' and teammate in college) and the Rangers all kind of nasty names stating that the Rangers left him out in the wind and that Clark 'stole his job'.
Anyway, that is where my Personal Opinion of the man comes from.
Do I think MLB protected him (to a point) for their own gain? Absolutely.
On July 15, 2005 he became only the 3rd player to have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
On August 2, 2005 MLB announced he tested positive for Steroids. Barely 2 weeks AFTER he hit the milestones? MLB would not state when the test occurred, but you can bet your @$$ it was well before July 15th.
MLB knew he had tested positive well before, but held back the results because they were making money (as well as the O's) putting people in seats to see him make history. Why kill the sacred cow when he was that close to hitting the historical numbers? After the fact, MLB has no interest whether he makes the HOF or not. Their only interest at that point is in trying to appear above board to Congress. And what better way to do that then offering up a guy who had just hit those milestones and was one of the biggest names in the game at the time?
MLB makes their money AND makes themselves look good to Congress. Win / Win for MLB.
And to address a few earlier comments (per the following article), Palmiero NEVER denied having Tested Positive - he only insisted that INGESTING them was an accident.
I'm sorry? You're a Professional Athlete. How do you NOT know what you're putting into your own body?
Anyway, here's the article:
As far as the poll, I didn't answer it because there wasn't a 'Who Cares' option.
I will say I think the timing is suspect at best. He's had 5 years to make a public comment, but he just disappeared and hid - just like when I was trying to get his auto - instead of trying to clear his name. He's just trying to get what he wants - again - by trying to sneak into the Hall by making an 11th hour plea.
Again, my .02 - do with it what you will.
- Smitty
Let me start by stating the following is my .02 on Palmiero.
Do I think he juiced? Or would cheat to reach his goal? Absolutely. Once a duche bag, always a duche bag.
My 1st personal encounter with Raffy was his 1st go round with the Rangers. He was signing at a card show - $3 admission got you an auto. While we were waiting in line, we here people grumbling as they are leaving the Auto table. Turns out, if you gave him a card to sign, he was bending EVERY card in half before he signed so people couldn't go sell their signed cards in the dealers room. JACK-ASS.
2nd time around was 2003 Spring Training at Surprise AZ. The wife and I were the only ones on the rail early and when Raffy went by, she had ONE card to have signed. He blew her off twice there (gave some excuse the 2nd time, then went and sat on the bench for 1/2 and hour while other players signed). Then he blew her off twice again at the batting cages and made another BS excuse that he was in a hurry for a meeting, went around the corner and sat on a bench for almost an hour while other guys signed.
3rd time - in CO during interleague w/ Baltimore. All 3 days... he hid out behind a column until his cab came and then claimed he didn't see us/hear us or he would have signed but now his cab was here. The whole time he was playing hide and seek, most of the rest of the team signed.
If he didn't want to sign, that's fine - but don't insult my intelligence.
Add to that the fact that when he became a FA, the Rangers made him an offer and he told them he was going to test the market (i.e. 'I want more money') so the Rangers made the same offer to Will Clark who accepted it. Then Palmiero becomes all Butt Hurt and calls both Clark (his 'friend' and teammate in college) and the Rangers all kind of nasty names stating that the Rangers left him out in the wind and that Clark 'stole his job'.
Anyway, that is where my Personal Opinion of the man comes from.
Do I think MLB protected him (to a point) for their own gain? Absolutely.
On July 15, 2005 he became only the 3rd player to have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.
On August 2, 2005 MLB announced he tested positive for Steroids. Barely 2 weeks AFTER he hit the milestones? MLB would not state when the test occurred, but you can bet your @$$ it was well before July 15th.
MLB knew he had tested positive well before, but held back the results because they were making money (as well as the O's) putting people in seats to see him make history. Why kill the sacred cow when he was that close to hitting the historical numbers? After the fact, MLB has no interest whether he makes the HOF or not. Their only interest at that point is in trying to appear above board to Congress. And what better way to do that then offering up a guy who had just hit those milestones and was one of the biggest names in the game at the time?
MLB makes their money AND makes themselves look good to Congress. Win / Win for MLB.
And to address a few earlier comments (per the following article), Palmiero NEVER denied having Tested Positive - he only insisted that INGESTING them was an accident.
I'm sorry? You're a Professional Athlete. How do you NOT know what you're putting into your own body?
Anyway, here's the article:
As far as the poll, I didn't answer it because there wasn't a 'Who Cares' option.
I will say I think the timing is suspect at best. He's had 5 years to make a public comment, but he just disappeared and hid - just like when I was trying to get his auto - instead of trying to clear his name. He's just trying to get what he wants - again - by trying to sneak into the Hall by making an 11th hour plea.
Again, my .02 - do with it what you will.
- Smitty
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