Time: Torre's book reveals MLB, MLBPA knew about steroids in 1998.

Time magazine has a three page excerpt of Torre's book that tells the story of Rangers players union rep., Tom Helling, who announced at the winter 1998 Executive Board of the Major League Baseball Players Association that steriods were a big and growing problem. At those same winter meetings MLB had two doctors give a presentation expousing the virtues of testosterone! Selig, Orza and Fehr knew of the problem and did less than nothing about it. Who shamed the game Bud?

almost 3 years ago The Lip 9 comments 0 recs |

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Correction

It isn’t Tom Helling, its Rick Helling. I heard about this on WSCR this afternoon and if true, as Boers and Bernstein said, there is finally a hero in this whole thing. Helling stood up when it was unpopular to do so, in the depth of steroid madness. Good for him!

by dmlichte on Feb 25, 2009 11:21 PM CST reply actions

and he did so year after year.

He not only told the union of those who wanted to cheat, but of those who were torn, realizing if they didn’t, they couldn’t keep up with those who did. I’m shocked that we haven’t heard more from Helling through all of this.

"Enough foreplay- let's get crackin'"- Fred Garvin

by davidalanu on Feb 26, 2009 9:24 AM CST up reply actions

Surprised

Torre ruffled the waters with such a statement in his book.

"I like coconuts, you can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun" Widespread Panic

by Cubbie-Tim on Feb 26, 2009 8:11 AM CST reply actions

This paragraph

amazed me, can they really be serious about trying to compare steroids to tobacco

Orza infamously revealed the players’ position on steroids more blatantly in 2004, even long after the lid blew off the steroid epidemic in baseball. Speaking as part of a panel discussion in a public forum, Orza said, "Let’s assume that [steroids] are a very bad thing to take. I have no doubt that they are not worse than cigarettes. But I would never say to the clubs as an individual who represents the interests of players, ‘Gee, I guess by not allowing baseball to suspend and fine players for smoking cigarettes, I am not protecting their health.’ "

"I like coconuts, you can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun" Widespread Panic

by Cubbie-Tim on Feb 26, 2009 8:19 AM CST reply actions

I'm reading the book

and Helling stood up year after year trying to get the association to do something about the steroid problem. We can blame Bud all we want (and for the record, I’m no fan of his and he deserves his share of blame), but the MLBPA has just as much, if not more culpability. They wouldn’t even listen to one of their own members for a number of years. I think all the clean players should have been shouting at the tops of their lungs about the steroid problem – just like Rick Helling.

by DMCub on Feb 26, 2009 8:54 AM CST reply actions

how is the book so far?

"I like coconuts, you can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun" Widespread Panic

by Cubbie-Tim on Feb 26, 2009 10:12 AM CST up reply actions

Oops.

Meant to reply :)

by DMCub on Feb 26, 2009 1:24 PM CST up reply actions

Very interesting.

I have always respected Joe Torre, even though I despise the Yankees. I am getting towards the end of the book and am reading about Torre’s attempts at a contract extension before the 2007 season. Either I forgot about shift in power from Steinbrenner to his cronies, or I didn’t give it that much thought. Either way it is interesting to hear Torre’s side of how things went down.

I think it is a must read for hard core baseball fans (which I’m assuming most here are ;)

Maybe Al can give us a review???

by DMCub on Feb 26, 2009 1:23 PM CST reply actions