re: Ryan Braun suspended for remainder of 2013 season

Ruth played against a bunch of white stiffs

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I just can't see it with the way MLB is testing now,

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I'll put it this way, if I knew the frequency or testing, when most of the tests are given and have a few days advance notice, I could juice and beat tests. I have no idea what MLB testing protocals are as far as frequency, randomness, and if players have any real advance notice, but there are plenty of steriod that have half-lives of a day or less.

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What I am curious about (and I guess I could research) is the supplements some of these athletes take from websites like bodybuilding.com because they are 100% legal for you or I but do they contain substances that would cause a suspension?

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In 99% of cases no. I don't keep up with MLB testing, but I am pretty familiar with UFC testing and the "high normal" range they allow for is MUCH greater than anyone could ever obtain from ANY supplement on the market that I am aware of. T-boosters sold OTC generally work on testosterone precursors or leutinizing hormone (LH) which stimulated the testes (nuts) to produce more T. You could swallow and entire bottle of the OTC stuff and still not exceed the "high normal" range MMA (and I suspect baseball allows for). The other way of failing the test is metabolites (lil particles not fully broken down) of synthetic steriods found in the blood. I suspect most athletes that juice are not dumb enough to take a synthetic (non-testosterone) steriod with a long half-life of easily detected metabolites anymore though. Pretty much all the failed MMA test these days are t-levels exceeding the "high normal" range.

Found this

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A report required from the independent administrator who oversees Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Program revealed on Friday that a total of 10,955 unannounced drug tests were administered to Major League players on the 40-man rosters of each club and analyzed from 2008-10.

That number includes 10,634 administered during the season and 321 during the offseason. Under the auspices of the program collectively bargained between MLB and the Players Association, tests are administered on the Major League level to detect a host of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), stimulants and other banned substances.

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Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Players Association and MLB, players can be tested for three classes of drugs: Drugs of abuse, performance-enhancing drugs and stimulants. All players are tested for PEDs and stimulants at least twice, once within five days of reporting to spring training. An additional 1,200 random tests are conducted throughout the year, including the offseason. Players are not routinely tested for “drugs of abuse,” which are defined as: Cocaine, LSD, marijuana, opiates, Ecstasy, GHB and PCP. Testing for drugs of abuse are conducted only if “reasonable cause,” as defined by the CBA, exists or if the player is already in the drug treatment program

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Good find...

So about 1600 tests per year (1200 + 400 for spring training) mandated, but about 3,000 per year in practice probably with a disproportionate amount given to certain players that have failed in the past or some other criteria.

Sorta confusing from the 2 sources. But if a player is getting tested on average 3 times a year randomly (no need to count the one they know about before spring training), yeah, I think the odds favor not getting caught for players using fast acting steriod that do not stay in the system long or if MLB is like MMA in allowing a very high "high normal" range, a lot could dance on that edge and get a significant advantage from "mild" juicing towards the high end of the range.

I dunno. I am just skeptical and cynical on this subject. There is a lot of money at stake.

And I will be honest too, if I had the ability to potentially make it as a professional athlete in a major sport, I would juice. Not saying that is right, but I would do it and take my chances for the potential payoff of millions.

why is this stickied? my SECOTB bikini thread is more pages and it's not stickied.

Braun remains a coward in the face of the evidence. Run and hide Brauny, run and hide. He did nothing honorable today.

Just out of curiosity, what are the opinions out there on what type of player Braun would have been (or will be) without PEDs.

You're right. I wasn't paying attention and was using 400 players instead of 1200.

One random test to skirt per year? Total piece of cake...

What a lying piece of shite some of these players are.

Luckily pro baseball is boring as shite.

50 games for first offense. The extra 15 was a plea deal for lying.

They couldn't give him 100 for a second offense because it wasn't a second offense, but they also wanted to punish him for lying. Braun didn't want this to effect next year, so he agreed to be suspended without arbitration for the rest of the season, hence 50 + 15.