Comments on: Rios Released

By: Garrett DeOrio

Garrett DeOrio — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:35:22 +0000

Crediting you was the least I could do. Thank you a bazillion times for (now, tacitly) letting us use it. You do great work.

We were stoked about Rios, too. Oh well. I hate to admit it, but I think I’d be a lot more worked up over the apparent inconsistencies in the drug-testing regime had Rios been living up to the hype.

By: Deanna

Deanna — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:19:11 +0000

Yeah, I think it is pretty weird that they seem to always get a foreigner on every one of these tests. I don’t know how they select people to test, but you know, given the ratio of Japanese to foreigners, it seems odd how it’s worked out.

Shame about Rios though — I was excited about him coming to Japan and hoped he’d have a good year. And thank you a bazillion, bazillion, bazillion times for crediting me for the photo.

By: Garrett DeOrio

Garrett DeOrio — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:08:54 +0000

Ditto. If testing is truly randomized (which I highly doubt), then the obvious answer would be that use of the substances that are being tested for is less prevalent among Japanese players than foreign players. This could be the case, especially considering that there are more foreign players entering the later part of their careers, who could be looking for that extra boost.

Or it could be discriminatory.

Either way, the number of 1-gun ballplayers is finite, known, and monitored. To test all players would not be a herculean task.

By: John Lewis

John Lewis — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:59:19 +0000

Why is it that the only three players that have been suspended for illegal substance usage are all non-Japanese? (Gutthormson, Gonzalez, Rios)

I totally agree with Bobby V. that the if NPB is going to test players it should test ALL players rather than randomly choosing scapegoats.