DownSwinging.com

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were part of the 104 players named on what was supposed to be a confidential list of players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. At the time, both were members of the Boston Red Sox. This is now the third leak of players to reach the press, after Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa were named earlier this year. A list of the players circulated the internet at the end of June, but turned out to be bogus. This latest leak will surely cause a stir in Boston, where the Red Sox are already struggling offensively.

Let me start briefly with Ramirez in saying that this hardly is a shock to anyone. Since Ramirez was recently caught using PEDs, it seemed awfully unlikely that he didn’t begin taking them until testing had begun. I think most people assumed that Ramirez had been taking illegal substances for years, despite the lack of definitive evidence.

Ortiz is a different story. The poster child of Boston, the man almost single-handedly reversed the curse, has always been thought of as a stand-up guy and legitimate player…at least in New England that is. While this may have surprised some, I for one have been waiting for this day for quite some time now, despite hoping it would never come. But really, and I have been saying this for awhile now, I knew that in all likelihood Ortiz was a steroid user. His numbers perfectly resemble one, considering his struggles with the Twins followed by a late breakout in Boston.