Dominican player Robinson Cano denies PED suspension rumor

Dominican player and Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano along with his agent, Scott Boras, yesterday said there was no truth to rumors of Cano being suspended for performance-enhancing drugs. Boras, told The New York Daily News that the rumors were false. He had traced the allegation to a rumor that originated in the Dominican Republic, a reporter in the U.S. and a rival agent.

Hard to stop a 'rumor' originating from the Dominican Republic. The rumor mill and oral communication in general is one of the top forms of communication in the Dominican Republic. I have often told people that are trying to contact Dominicans in the Dominican Republic to just go down there and start asking people. If you know what city a Dominican person is in, then I bet you can find them in half a day just by asking the first people you come across in whatever Dominican city you may be in.

But the 'U.S. reporter and the 'rival agent' obviously lack integrity if they were involved in this rumor in any way.

Cano has never really been suspected of performance enhancing drugs. His numbers have been consistently awesome since he was in the minor leagues and there is nothing in his injury history to suggest PEDs.

That was not the case last month, when Dominican player Melky Cabrera got busted for PEDs and suspended 50 games. Cabrera was in the midst of his best year ever, and coming in his seventh full-time big league season, the jump in stats were an anomaly that may have suggested PED use.

Cano's friendship with the fellow Dominican baseball player Cabrera fueled the suspicion that Cano could have failed a PED test. But it appears that the rumors were entirely false, and Cano hopes to focus on making the playoffs this season with the Yankees.

"You can't control what people say," Cano told the New York Daily News. "There's a lot of negative stuff out there and I can't control that. I have to stay above that."

Dominican beisbol player of the week Robinson Cano, by Keith Allison on Flickr

Dominican player Bartolo Colon suspended 50 games for steroids

Once again we have a Dominican baseball player suspended for performance enhancing drugs. Bartolo Colon was busted and handed a 50-game suspension for a first time offender. That is the first time he has been convicted, not accused.

Just this past May, MLB investigated an off-season surgery on Colon's elbow. Doctors reportedly injected stem cells from Colon's back into his elbow, a procedure that did not violate MLB drug regulations. You would think he would try not do use illegal substances after that off-season, but in a statement he all but admits to the steroid use:

"I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A's. I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the Joint Drug Program."

I miss the days when players would at least lie and try and act like they had not been taking performance enhancing drugs. The Dominican Baseball Guy thought all along that is what the stem cells from his back that had him off to such a good season. But now I am not sure if it was the surgery or the PEDs or the fact that his is a really talented pitcher that led him to such a good year.

He has the surprising A's in playoff contention and is 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA. And he had a 20-plus inning scoreless streak this season. Now we will have to see what the A's will do without him because he will not be back until next year, because the A's are not making it to the second round of the playoffs.

Bartolo is from Altamira, Dominican Republic.

Dominican player Bartolo Colon suspended 50 games for steroids, photo by Keith Allison

All-Star MVP Melky Cabrera suspended for Performance Enhancing Drugs

Dominican baseball player Melky Cabrera, Giants outfielder and the All-Star game MVP this season, has been suspended 50 games for the use of performance enhancing drugs. MLB says he tested positive for testosterone. The suspension is effective immediately. He will miss the remainder of the regular season, and the first five games of next year or the playoffs.

Cabrera came to the Giants in a trade with Kansas City Royals last November that sent left-hander Jonathan Sanchez to the Royals. He has also played for the Yankees. He was having a career year, with the 2012 All-Star game MVP award and on pace for a career high in average, home runs, and RBI. But the numbers are not that far off his career numbers to say they were all due to the uptick in testosterone.

Who knows if he used an outlawed supplement in good faith without knowing or if perhaps someone advised him to take something with banned testosterone in it? The Dominican Baseball Guy would normally rush to condemn him as a cheater yet. But his response and that of the Giants is basically a tacit admission of guilt. Their responses are laughable.

Cabrera released through a statement: "My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down."

And the Giants said before today's game, "We were extremely disappointed to learn of the suspension of Melky Cabrera for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention & Treatment Program. We fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance enhancing drugs from our game. Per the protocol outline by Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement, the Giants will not comment further on this matter."

So, he used them and is admitting it? So, he was cheating the whole time and knew it? Perhaps he should have just kept his mouth shut and not responded. So, sad when players cheat the game like this. With that said I say make everything legal or make the tests way more stringent, a la NFL testing policies.

Cabrera is from Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic.

Dominican Melky Cabrera suspended for Performance Enhancing Drugs

Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon has 22 inning scoreless streak

On Tuesday , Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon scortched the Angels for seven innings, only surrendering one unearned run in his final inning of work. That unearned run ended his consecutive scoreless inning streak at 22.1 innings, but he does still maintain a streak of 22.2 innings without surrendering an earned run.

The amazing thing: Colon is in his 15th big league season and is two years removed from major elbow surgery. That surgery in 2011 was under investigation by MLB because it involved injecting his elbow with his own stem cells from his back. The Dominican pitcher Colon was eventually cleared in that case, and he pitched last year with the Yankees. He is back this year with the A's, and is having an even beter year, at 39 years old. Colon has nine wins and a 3.55 ERA in 23 starts and over 140 innings.

The even more amazing thing: according to Fangraphs he is pitching about 90% fastballs. Since Fangraphs began tracking pitches in 2002, no pitcher with over 100 innings has pitched that many fastballs. And Colon's fastball only averages 90 mph. 

How does he do it? He is doing what he has done his entire career, pounding the corners of the zone, and either getting called strikes or getting hitters to swing and make weak contact on pitches outside the zone.

Colon is scheduled to pitch next Tuesday on the road against the Royals, where he will attempt to lengthen his streak. He has a career record 170-122 and a 4.06 ERA. Very respectable numbers for a starter of his quality and longevity.

Bartolo Colon is from Altamira, DR.

Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon, by Keith Allison on Flickr

Another day, another Dominican minor league baseball player suspended for performance enhancing drugs

Cleveland Indians minor leaguer Harold Guerrero has been suspended for 50 games after a first positive test for performance enhancing drugs.  Harold Guerrero is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Dominican baseball players getting busted for performance enhancing drugs has been an ongoing issue, since the MLB implemented it's new drug testing program.  The most famous incidence is of course Domincian baseball player Manny Ramirez receiving two suspensions and abruptly retiring after the second 100 game suspension.  The Dominican Baseball Guy recently blogged about two Dominican prospects in the Twins system getting suspended for performance enhancing drugs.

Dominican baseball players are under a lot of pressure to produce, more so than most American players.  In many cases young Dominican players have the hopes of their whole family riding on their abilities as baseball players.  

Furthermore, young Dominican players are often pressured from their trainers, also known as buscones in the Dominican Republic.  Buscones get a bad wrap for only looking out for themselves, to the detriment of their players, but all the buscones that the Dominican Baseball Guy knows are truly out for the best interest of their players, not solely trying to make money off their players.

With that caveat mentioned, their are probably trainers that give their players banned supplements without the knowledge of the players.  The Dominican Baseball Guy would venture to guess that in many cases the buscones themselves do not even know a particular substance is banned.  Also, many drugs that require a subscription from a doctor are available over the counter in the Dominican Republic.

So, the classic, "I did not know that I put that in my body" excuse actually holds some weight when it comes to Dominican baseball players and performance enhancing drugs.  With all that said, the list of banned substances is surely made readily available to all players in the majors and minors, and the Dominican baseball players always have the option to ask a staff trainer about a particular product.

While the Dominican Baseball Guy feels for young Dominican players like Guerrero that get suspended, it is up to them to not put these banned products in their body, despite much of the deck being stacked against them.

Dominican Manny Ramirez, the most notable Dominican baseball player to be
suspended for performance enhancing drugs, photo by shgmom56 on Flickr

Twins' Dominican players news: Miguel Sano ready for first full season, Liriano inconsistent in Spring Training, two Dominican Summer League prospects get 50 game suspensions

Apparently yesterday was lets talk about the Minnesota Twins and all their Dominican baseball players.  First, the news broke that two Twins minor leaguers were suspended for use of performance enhancing drugs, both are young Dominican prospects.  Yeison Florentino and Ezequiel Zarzuela have both performed well with the Twins Dominican Summer League team, but have yet to make the trip to the states.  However, they are still subject to MLB drug testing as players in the Dominican Summer League.

Over the counter and illegal supplements are common in the Dominican Republic.  For years, trainers, also known as buscones, gave their players supplements and the players rarely followed up on what they were putting in their bodies.  Busones have admitted to giving their players animal steroids and other over the counter supplements that were not intended to be used for healthy humans.  Further, Many Dominican baseball players have tested positive for various drugs since the MLB drug testing program got under way, and that is only the ones that have gotten caught in recent years.

These practices have been slowing down in recent years, as buscones and Dominican players have become more educated as to the dangers of PEDs.  So, hopefully these two players realize their mistake and are able to share their experience with other Dominican prospects.

Second, it was reported that Francisco Liriano has been inconsistent in Spring Training.  Make that for his whole career.  Francisco Liriano was the AL Roookie of the Year and an All-Star in 2006.  He then missed all of 2007 with Tommy John surgery.  He had below average years after coming back in 2008 and 2009.  Rhen he got the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2010, after dominating in the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) that off-season.  And then he had a sub-par year last season.  So, his inconsistency in Spring Training is not surprising.  He is a serviceable end of the rotation starter, even when he plays bad, so he will get his chances this year.  Liriano is from San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.

Lastly, it was reported that Dominican prospect Miguel Sano will be playing his first full year with the Twins organization.  There was much hoopla surrounding the signing of Miguel Sano, and he was even featured in the Dominican baseball documentary Pelotero.  Miguel started in the Twins Dominican baseball academy and played in the Dominican Summer League.  He spent last year in short season Rookie and A ball, but will see a full season of A ball this year, and could easily move up the minor league ranks.  Sano talks about adjusting to a change of position (short stop to probably third), adjusting to the long season, and learning a new language.  The Dominican Baseball Guy agrees with most and sees Sano as a can't miss Dominican prospect, so we should see him in the majors soon.  Miguel Sano is from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.

Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon has stem cell surgery on elbow. Is this surgery a Performance Enhancing Drug?

Earlier this May, the Dominican Baseball Guy blogged that Dominican pitcher Bartolo Colon had off-season regenerative surgery using stem cells on his elbow.  Do you think this is in the same class as performance enhancing drugs?

Well, first off the Dominican Baseball Guy would say yes.  This surgery is not offered in the United States.  This type of surgery normally uses human growth hormones, but since MLB outlaws these hormones, the doctors used Colon's own stem cells from his back.  Sounds pretty similar to PED to the Dominican Baseball Guy.

But, the procedure is not illegal, under MLB rules.  So, the Dominican Baseball Guy cannot chide Colon for breaking MLB rules.  Much like in the pre-steroid era, Colon is playing within the rules, even though it may not be in the spirit of the game.

And most recently, the doctor who performed the surgery has said that up to ten pitchers have inquired about the surgery.  It is obviously against the spirit of "no PEDs."  Let's get this figured out and into the next MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement please, before we have a post-stem cell era.

Colon is from Altamira, DR.  He is in his 14th big league season this year with the Yankees.

 Colon with the White Sox in 2009, by Keith Allison on Flickr

Manny being Manny, Ramirez retires from MLB

It is a sad day in the world of the Dominican Baseball Guy.  His favorite player of all-time has retired, and the Dominican Baseball Guy does not see Manny Ramirez as one to go back on this retirement, especially since he faces a 100 game suspension if he does return.

Manny was the favorite player of the Dominican Baseball Guy first off because he could mash.  No one hits .312 lifetime with 555 home runs and 1831 RBI.  And he was not even a power hitter.  Ramirez generated all those home runs and RBI by hitting line drives, and thats what made him so exciting.  When he did hit a home run, they were just laser shots.

Of course he was also infamous for his on field antics, such as when he used to hang out in the Green Monster when he was in left field for the Red Sox.  The Dominican Baseball Guy was never more excited to see a game than when Ramirez was playing.  He played with a freeness that is unseen in professional sports, and the Dominican Baseball Guy thinks it is a shame that he got ridiculed for simply playing on instinct and having fun. See some of these videos on a recent Dominican Baseball Guy post.

Manny you will be missed, hopefully you can get together with the Dominican Baseball Guy and do an interview at some point.  He ends up as the all time Dominican leader in RBI and second in hits and home runs.  Manny is from Santo Domingo, DR, but grew up in New York City.

See the full article at the Dominican Baseball Examiner

Manny Ramirez, by shgmom56 on Flickr