Earlier this week, the news broke that MLB was pursuing suspensions for more than 20 players in connection to the Biogenesis PED scandal. The Players' Association issued a statement the following day. Here's some more on the scandal…
- In his latest video piece for FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal says that the real story isn't the possibility of suspensions or the length of those suspensions. MLB has pursuing those suspensions for months, but now they have the cooperation of Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch. However, Rosenthal also adds that Bosch "isn't exactly the most credible character to walk down the street," meaning MLB will need more than just his word to issue suspensions. Rosenthal also reports that the Joint Drug Agreement gives Bud Selig the power to issue suspensions even in the absence of a positive test, if there is "just cause" and "sufficient evidence" of their usage and purchasing of PEDs.
- ESPN's Buster Olney appeared on the Mut and Merloni radio show in Boston to discuss the Biogenesis scandal yesterday, and WEEI's Kevin Dillon has the highlights. Olney said that if Ryan Braun is proven to have used performance enhancing drugs, he will become the Lance Armstrong of Major League Baseball given his adamant protest last February when he won his appeal of a positive test. Braun called the test collector into question and "tried to ruin this person," in Olney's words.
- Olney feels it could be months before any suspensions are issued, if they're issued at all. He adds that Bosch will need to produce evidence such as phone numbers, text message logs and other witnesses to build a legitimate case. Even then, the appeals process will be lengthy for each player who chooses to file one.
- MLB is conducting interviews with "tons" of people to compile enough evidence for a "non-analytical positive," writes Steven Marcus of Newsday. Canadian arbitrator Richard McLaren, who assisted on the Mitchell Report in 2007, told Marcus that "attempt to use, or possession, or attempting to possess an illegal substance," would qualify as a non-analytical positive. McLaren suggests that MLB will conduct interviews with Biogenesis employees, receptionists and others in an attempt to gain enough information.
- Diamondbacks setup man David Hernandez tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he thinks PED users should be banned from the game: “I think you should be out of baseball. It sounds harsh but at the end of the day you’re making it harder on somebody else who is trying to make it in the game… It’s not fair to all of us who have played the game the right way."
