8 Feb 2009

Magazine claims A-Rod used steroids

9:39 am on 8 February 2009

The New York Yankees baseball slugger Alex Rodriguez allegedly tested positive for two anabolic steroids in 2003.

Sports Illustrated, which quotes four independent sources, says Rodriguez's name was on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's 2003 survey testing.

Rodriguez, who has a chance to become the game's all-time home run champion, won the American League Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers that year.

Rodriguez has declined to comment.

While major league baseball's drug policy has banned the use of steroids without a valid prescription since 1991, there were no penalties for a positive test in 2003.

That year's survey testing was conducted as part of an agreement with the players' union to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug-testing across the major leagues in 2004.

The results were meant to remain anonymous.

New York signed Rodriguez in November 2007 to a 10-year, incentive-laden deal that could be worth as much as US$305 million, according to Sports Illustrated.