Merloni: Sox never encouraged steroid use
Former Red Sox infielder Lou Merloni said he wasn't backtracking on anything he said on Comcast's "The Baseball Show" Saturday concerning a spring training meeting he attended in which he heard a doctor explain "and educate" how to use steroids properly without abusing them. But Merloni said that in no way did anyone from the Red Sox organization, or the doctor who spoke to that team that day, ever encourage the use of steroids.
Whether the Red Sox counseled players on how to use steroids remains a bone of contention between Merloni and former Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette.
"It was like teaching your teenage daughter about sex education," said Merloni. "The organization acknowledged that there were likely players using steroids and basically 'if you're gonna use them this is how you use them so you don't abuse them.'"
Merloni did not remember who the doctor was that spoke to the team but said that a former head trainer told Merloni that the team acknowledged that players were using them. Merloni said he couldn't remember when the meeting took place. He had been with the Sox minor league system in 1996-97 and was also with the Red Sox from 1998-2002. The general manager for most of Merloni's tenure was Dan Duquette, who had a strong reaction to Merloni's words yesterday.
"It's ridiculous. It's totally unfounded," said Duquette. "Who was the doctor? Tell me who the doctor is? If there was such a doctor he wasn't in the employ of the Red Sox. We brought in doctors to educate the players on the major league drug policy at the time at the recommendation of major league baseball. This is so ridiculous I hate to even respond to it."
Duquette added, "to suggest we gave counsel on steroid use is not accurate." Duquette said "I felt we had a responsibility to educate the players on steroid use and to emphasize to them that 1) it was against the law; 2) that it was against the rules because we had a testing program in place in the minors; and 3) to warn players of the health risks associated with steroid use."
Troy O'Leary, who played for the Sox from 1995-2001, was asked about a specific meeting where steroids were the topic of how to use properly was discussed.
"Don't really remember anything like that," said O'Leary. "I remember the normal union meetings in spring training where they'd talk about drugs and steroids, and I remember doctors talking negatively about them, but I don't remember ever hearing anything like 'OK, this is the right way to do steroids'. If that happened I missed that one. I'm afraid of needles so anything involving injection of anything, I wouldn't have done anyway."
Merloni said the following on "The Baseball Show" Saturday:
"I'm in spring training, and I got an 8:30-9:00 meeting in the morning. I walk into that office, and this happened while I was with the Boston Red Sox before this last regime, I'm sitting in the meeting. There's a doctor up there and he's talking about steroids, and everyone was like 'here we go, we're gonna sit here and get the whole thing -- they're bad for you.' No. He spins it and says 'you know what, if you take steroids and sit on the couch all winter long, you can actually get stronger than someone who works out clean, if you're going to take steroids, one cycle won't hurt you, abusing steroids it will.' He sat there for one hour and told us how to properly use steroids while I'm with the Boston Red Sox, sitting there with the rest of the organization, and after this I said 'what the heck was that?' And everybody on the team was like 'what was that?' And the response we got was 'well, we know guys are taking it, so we want to make sure they're taking it the right way'... Where did that come from? That didn't come from the Players Association."
Another prominent ex-player on the 2001 team does not recall such a meeting.
"It wasn't Dr. [Arthur] Pappas or anyone like that but I don't recall who it was," Merloni said. "We'd had many meetings and talks about how bad steroids were, but this one was different. It was the team acknowledging there were people taking it and they were trying to inform us about not abusing steroids. In no way were they telling us to take steroids or encouraging us to do so."
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Not buying Merloni's back tracking. I watched the show and he made the comment to make the point that baseball management was as/more responsible for the steroid era than the player's association. He was defending the players association against McAdams and Buckley who were claiming that they were the main problem. Merloni may have been indiscreet, and probably regrets making the politically damaging comment, but it is entirely believable. As to the steroids era in general, isn't it time younger reporters start asking what their older colleagues knew about steroid use back in the day. We all know that reporters keep the secrets of the locker room so they can continue to get access. It would be nice to see some investigation of the Boston sports press complicity in keeping the secrets. Merloni is back tracking to keep his job. How many are keeping, or have kept, the secrets for the same reason?
I also saw the show and Merloni is backpedaling as fast as he can. It;s weak. He stepped up and was definitiove about what he was saying and now everything went fuzzy. Sorry Lou but you were wrong & maybe even lied on multiple fronts in what you said & I hope for the integrity of everyone involved he loses his job.
Lou why didn't you kick the doctor out of the room? And why go on the record with this at all?Discression Lou ,my God.I just think these older generation guys just don't understand how p.c. the workforce is. Lou sounds almost as naive as Al Campanis.Things that were openly discussed in the old days will get you fired today.Loss of First Amendment? Well? Lou needs to realize todays ultra-liability,sensationalistic,multi-culti-sensative generation.Just a few weeks ago a minority comedian was crucified for crude comments against a minor-Miley Cyrus.
I like Lou, he has certainly done a nice job with his media gigs. This seems pretty fishy to me though. How can he come out and make an accusation like that but can't remember who the doctor was can't remember when it happened. Sorry Lou you're way smarter than that. I don't blame Duke for being royally p-o'd.
Now at least one other player came out and could not verify Lou's story. Could an apology be forthcoming?
I always liked Lou, but I give him 0% credibility on this. He obviously made this statement to get himself some attention. He offers no details or verifiable information. If he gets three or four other players who will go on record and back him up, fine. But for now this sounds like, at best, an attention-getting ploy, and at worst sour grapes for something that happened between Lou and the Duquette administration.
I dont see Merloni backpedaling at all. Perhaps a lack of recollection of "names" is in the interest of some discretion. I see nothing wrong with someone who has first hand knowledge of what went on behind closed doors coming forward and speaking, and the player who could not verify the story, was he even there at the time, since the "time" was not specified???
Come on people open your eyes and minds here! How is it that I listened to the same show you are all talking about and got a totally different take?? He clearly was trying to get a point across that everyone overlooked, owners were aware of what was going on with steriods for a long time. I actually dont think this is much of a story at all. Oh, and Cuke being p-o'd!! Come on what do you expect!!?? Him to come forward and say yeah thats exactly what I did and approved of??? WAKE UP!
Lou is a has been loser trying to get a little undeserved attention. His comments make absolutely no sense. He was an irrevelent replacement player who "hit" a whopping 14 HR's and 105 RBI's in his 9 illustrious years with every team in baseball including teh Yokohama Baystars. The best thing about his inane comment is that he has assured real sports fans that we will not have to listen to his dirval any longer. GOOD BY LOU. Try getting a job in LALAland counseling Manny on how to properly take steroids since you are the expert and he obvoiusly is not.
Lou,WTF????? Makes no sense at all!!!! Hopefully you didn't try to extend or prolong your career with the juice....Only you know,,,,wtf ,, how does it feel like to be guilty by association...?????????????? Lou, I have never ,or will ever ,associate you with phd,sss......Hopefully I'm wromg....
Suddenly he comes forward with this information after all this time. Why didn't he ever bring this up before?
If you think Merloni is losing his job over this, I've got a bridge to sell you. And to bring up his stats? Really?? Like that has anything to do with anything? He was a utility ballplayer; of course his numbers aren't going to be great. Does that mean he doesn't know what he's talking about? So good stats gives you credibility on this topic? I guess that means that guys like Bonds, McGwire, A-Rod, Palmeiro, and Manny are credible then since they have stats. What a "stupid idiotic comment to make"...
Lou may not be expected to remember the doctor's name, but he should be able to give names of many players who would have been there at the time. It should be easy to get a list of all the guys on the team at the time. Either those guys back him up or not - very simple. Since he didn't immediately suggest doing so, I'm very suspicious.
Lou, Lou you were a minor player and you are a minor player after your career, but even you have to have a big enough brain to know that if you make stupid comments and state them as facts you have to back them up. If this meeting stuck in your memory so well, why can't you remember the year or the doctor's name. Who else was there??? I mean your remember the doctors adivice so well but can't remember anything else??? I think you have been hanging around the Big O too long.
I too was listening to the show yesterday. I was thinking at the time "what are you doing"?? True, false, half-true...he made a poor decision telling that story. I like Lou. I think he's been doing a good job with his new career. I hope this doesn't hurt him too much.
Does anybody know what time it is....Does anybody really care??
of course it was discussed by the team. it's time the organizations take some responsibility starting with zelig. The duke is /was and always will be a massive joke. Any sox fan knows this. i'm amazed that he hasn't been institutionalized. Do we need a referendum to uncover the shocking truth that the duke did not know what he was doing?
I was really excited for Lou (only because he's a local guy) when he showed up on the Boston sports scene as a talking head and I was pulling for him to succeed but he's lost a lot of credibility with me. The steroid topic has been bantered about for a long time and Lou had plenty of opportunity on TV and the radio to make this statement when owners responsibility has been discussed. Why now and without any facts to back up his statement? When asked to back up his facts, all of a sudden his memory goes murky. Can't even remember what year it was, who was in the room, etc. but he can remember verbatim what this phantom doctor said. Smells rotten to me. We live in a litigious society, if you think the Sox or any team would bring in a doctor to tell players the proper way to shoot up 'roids, your wacky. I personally think Merloni was a user even though he said he "only" took amphetamines. If a guy would cheat and put speed in his system to get an edge why wouldn't he take 'roids? Plus you got to remember, Merloni was in the MLBPA so of course it's all the owners fault. Merloni is full of sheet. At least he's teamed up with another snake; Felger. They deserve each other.
I don't see anything inconsistent with what merloni is saying and what Duquette said.
It's like a converson with your teenage son about smoking pot. If you go in and strong arm , they arent going to listen. So you say, one puff like clinton and dont inhale wont kill you but constant use is not good.
merloni said as much.. the players were expecting the same ole crap but this time the doctor said ....the doctor realized the players didnt want to be preached at, and came at it from a different direction..the central message thats constant use is bad. Can't you dopes read?
C
Merloni has credibility and I believe him. It is time to realize the Sox organization that ended an 86 year drought was riddled with steroid users and cheaters. And unlike the Yankees, whose core (Jeters, Bernies, O'Neils) have never been accused, our two reasons for making the postseason and winning it all (Papi and Orteeze) are clear users.
Very sad day to be a Red Sox fan.
It could just be a simple case of misunderstanding the message. I have been to several workplace training meetings and there are always a few people that don't pay full attention and then completely miss the point of the presentation or the key take away point. Happens all the time. For example, maybe the speaker said something like, "I know that you know there are no long term affects from steroids, so I am not going to try to scare you with that. People have used them for one or two cycles and have not had health repercussions". That isn't encouragement, but rather acknowledgement of the situtation.
Recent history has proved where there is smoke there is fire. The people who have accused and admitted have not proven to be the liars in the steroid era. It's those that deny it that are ultimately found to be less than truthful.
So you chowdah's all of a sudden take the side of Duquette, who you hated almost as much as Billy Buckner. Typical. I'm just happy that I can now in good conscience start chanting 1918 again at Sawx-Yankee games.
I'm amazed that so many of you are more focused on Lou's job/career preservation than his decision to speak about this incident. Job preservation justifies silence? Is every whistleblower a self-promoting opportunist? How many employees of Bernie Madoff knew what was going on and said nothing? How many employees of Enron knew what was going on and said nothing? Yeah, that's right, let's crucify the whistleblower... and let's face it, I'd be surprised if any of his former teammates back his claim.
Doesn't anybody see that this is publicity for the new The Baseball Show? Lou makes a stupid comment and his name has been all over the news (even in the NY Post), always mentioning his role on the Baseball Show.
The guy should be fired...he's a fraud.
Doesn't anybody see that this is publicity for the new The Baseball Show? Lou makes a stupid comment and his name has been all over the news (even in the NY Post), always mentioning his role on the Baseball Show.
The guy should be fired...he's a fraud.
To all Red Sox fans,
Ortiz said this the other day;
"I try not to buy anything," Ortiz said. "I pretty much try to use what the trainer has here. If I fail [a test] over that [stuff], what can I say, but it's just crazy. You got to be careful."' (Red Sox Weigh in on Manny News - MLB.com 5/7/09)
"If I fail a test"? Mmmmm....
It's only a matter of time for "The Ortiz Revelations".
Brace yourselves.
I have been an avid fan of the Red Sox since 1948 or 49 and am still hooked. I am also a realist. Anyone who does not believe that the Red Sox are or have ever been capable of "arranging" for a doctor to discuss a reasonable use of steroids, in order to make the best of a bad situation is sorely naive. I would suggest that they probably also believe that the Red Sox, no matter how hard they tried, ever had an African-American player good enough to bring to the majors until Pumpsie. Get your heads out where you can see the light of day. It smells a lot better out here too. You sound like Yankee fans.
Best Post of the Day goes to ZOLA...So freaking true...
As a Yankee fan, I understand what Red Sox fans are going through right now. I'm sure many Sox fans feel as I did when revelations regarding Yankee players came out. When the revelations regarding ARod came out i felt an enduring sense of shock, betrayal and ultimately disillusionment with the team and baseball as a whole which unfortunately created wounds which have not yet healed. The reality is that all of baseball has been scared by steroid use and I'm not really sure how to come to grips with the knowledge that my favorite players have been abusers who artifically inflated their statistics and lied to all of us fans.
As a Yankee fan, I understand what Red Sox fans are going through right now. I'm sure many Sox fans feel as I did when revelations regarding Yankee players came out. When the revelations regarding ARod came out i felt an enduring sense of shock, betrayal and ultimately disillusionment with the team and baseball as a whole which unfortunately created wounds which have not yet healed. The reality is that all of baseball has been scared by steroid use and I'm not really sure how to come to grips with the knowledge that my favorite players have been abusers who artifically inflated their statistics and lied to all of us fans.
I guess the new slogan for the country will have to be... Baseball, Apple Pie and Steroids.
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