Palmeiro's season ended by Orioles

[Swiss]

Palmeiro's season ended by Orioles
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
September 23, 2005

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Rafael Palmeiro's baseball season is over, the Baltimore Orioles told him Friday, the result of a positive test for steroids that severely tainted his remarkable career and proved to be too big a distraction for his teammates to ignore.

``He won't be dressing for the rest of the year,'' Orioles executive vice president Jim Beattie said. ``We felt it wouldn't be appropriate for the organization.''

The abrupt end to Palmeiro's season came one day after it was learned that he cited a vitamin he received from teammate Miguel Tejada as possibly causing the positive steroid test. The Orioles said Major League Baseball absolved Tejada of any wrongdoing.

Beattie said the decision was made during a meeting he attended with owner Peter Angelos, vice president Mike Flanagan and manager Sam Perlozzo. Beattie said Palmeiro was disappointed to learn he would not be welcomed back.

``I would say he wasn't totally in agreement,'' Beattie said. ``He had his sights on finishing out the season.''

Beattie said Palmeiro would probably clean out his locker this weekend.

A phone call to Palmeiro's cell phone was not immediately returned. Palmeiro, 40, has not yet decided whether to return for the 2006 season. He hit .266 with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs this year.

Palmeiro received a 10-day suspension on Aug. 1 for using steroids. At that point, a season in which he became the fourth player in major league history to amass 3,000 hits and 500 home runs quickly began to unravel.

Upon his return, Palmeiro was jeered by fans at home and away. He went 2-for-26 with one RBI and wore earplugs during a game in Toronto before the Orioles finally sent him home on Sept. 5 for rehabilitation on his right knee and left ankle.

The first baseman was scheduled to return from Texas on Friday to finish out the season, but the Orioles decided against it.

Earlier, Beattie said baseball had cleared Tejada.

``They tested the stuff Miggy had and found out it was B12 and cleared it and that's the end of the story,'' Beattie said.

Palmeiro said he received vitamin B-12 from Tejada, a person familiar with Palmeiro's unsuccessful grievance hearing to overturn the suspension said on condition of anonymity because the proceedings were secret.

Tejada dismissed Palmeiro's assertion as implausible.

``Right now I'm in shock,'' Tejada, a former American League MVP, said after Baltimore lost to the New York Yankees on Thursday night.

``I've never given anybody steroids before,'' he said. ``I've been checked out three times already, and I'm clean. I've been clean all my life.''

Tejada said he gave Palmeiro the B-12 injection ``a long time ago.''

Vitamin B-12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells, and is commonly found in foods such as fish, meat, poultry and dairy products.

According to a person familiar with the investigation, Palmeiro listed the B-12 as a possible reason for the positive test but did not make any definitive accusation.

Palmeiro has not publicly discussed details of the testimony he gave during a grievance filed by the players' association to overturn his 10-day suspension, which followed a positive test for stanozolol. He testified before the House Government Reform Committee last March that he never used steroids and was interviewed by congressional investigators following the Aug. 1 announcement on his penalty.

Source

If your club doesn't trust in you... what about your baseball career and your HOF perspectives, Palmeiro?

[zer0dotcom]

You know things are going bad for you when your own team sends you home. At this point hough, RP is more of a distraction than anything. The O's aren't going to the playoffs, so RP isn't going to make much difference (not that he was playing well since his suspension.)

Saying that your test is the result of something a teamamte did is rather low., especially if it was something that happened some time ago, and you know ISN'T a banned substance.

At 40, I can't see him back next season now. If the O's are sending him home now, obviously they don't want him, and I can't see any other team that would now

[Cujo]

Good riddance, Raffy.

[HatCityEnforcer]

Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya, Raffy...

[Jigga]

Career: over

HOF: oh hell no

In the annals of history, his awesome numbers will be forgotten. He'll wear the scarlett letter "S" as the first "star" to be caught juicing.

[tp49]

It's possible that some team might pick him up next year cheap but he will now be labled a clubhouse cancer. His HOF chances, probably not voted in by the writers but the Veterans Committee could be his way in many years down the road.

[Swiss]

Career: over

HOF: oh hell no

In the annals of history, his awesome numbers will be forgotten. He'll wear the scarlett letter "S" as the first "star" to be caught juicing.

I think that there are two men before Raffy that were caught... but Raffy made the big news because:

- he had HOF numbers.

- he lied to Congress (and the common fan).

That is why he was imploded.

[Jigga]

I think that there are two men before Raffy that were caught... but Raffy made the big news because:

- he had HOF numbers.

- he lied to Congress (and the common fan).

That is why he was imploded.

Who were the two to be caught before him, Swiss? I'm only talking about "star" players. He wasn't the first to be suspended. He was either number 7 or 8 overall, but he's the biggest name thus far?

[OB33]

All I can say is wow. The Orioles have to be one of the biggest clubhouse implosions ever. Probably not THE biggest but definetly up there.

[Swiss]

I think that there are two men before Raffy that were caught... but Raffy made the big news because:

- he had HOF numbers.

- he lied to Congress (and the common fan).

That is why he was imploded.

Who were the two to be caught before him, Swiss? I'm only talking about "star" players. He wasn't the first to be suspended. He was either number 7 or 8 overall, but he's the biggest name thus far?

Oh, yeah... he is the first big name to be caught.

[infrared41]

It's possible that some team might pick him up next year cheap but he will now be labled a clubhouse cancer.  His HOF chances,  probably not voted in by the writers but the Veterans Committee could be his way in many years down the road.

I doubt anyone will pick him up. Once you sell out a teammate like Raffy did with Tejada, no one will want to play on the same team as him. Raffy broke rule number one in the law of the clubhouse.

I think in time his HOF chances will improve. By time I am talking like 25-50 years. Does he have a chance to be inducted before he dies? I really doubt it.

[Jigga]

I doubt anyone will pick him up. Once you sell out a teammate like Raffy did with Tejada, no one will want to play on the same team as him. Raffy broke rule number one in the law of the clubhouse.

I think in time his HOF chances will improve. By time I am talking like 25-50 years. Does he have a chance to be inducted before he dies? I really doubt it.

I guess once it's revealed that everyone in the "Steroid Era" was juiced up (including the pitchers), Raffy will have a shot, but you'll be right about it taking a loooooong time.

If he could still produce he'd have a job somewhere, but he proved he was DONE when he returned to the Orioles after the suspension.

[nsentv]

I have an interesting (I hope) question:

Who's worse? Palmeiro or Pete Rose?

[Cujo]

Who's worse? Palmeiro or Pete Rose?

Palmeiro. Hands down.

[BaltimoreFan]

This was the best decision by the Orioles. I thought this was going to be the year we finally broke .500, but so many things went wrong all at once. I think we still could have had a winning record, but the whole steriod thing messed the whole team up. If it were Sosa it wouldn't have made a difference, since everyone was suspecting him anyway. But I honestly did not believe Raffy ever did them (although I have to admit when he resigned last year I thought he looked slightly bigger). Good riddance Raffy. No HoF, and I hope Bonds, Sosa, and Giambi join you.

[BCBoy]

Career: over

HOF: oh hell no

AGREED

Palmeiro Sucks

Never liked the guy anyways

[redsfan39]

maybe the viagra messed with his system