Despite the recent suspension of Phillies reliever J.C. Romero and former teammate David Ortiz’s claim of “tainted supplements,” Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who’s available to any team wishing to trade for him, remains a dedicated customer of Orrin Hatch’s favorite industry. From Bob Nightengale of USA Today..
There are different-colored pills, powders, liquids, proteins, caffeine concentrates and ginseng, products such as creatine, Triflex and xelR8 found at local vitamin stores. Most of the products have not been approved by Major League Baseball for use by players, Arroyo says. Some of the items have the potential to trigger a positive test under baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Arroyo takes them anyway.
“I have a lot of guys in (the locker room) who think I’m out of (my) mind because I’m taking a lot of things not on the (MLB-approved) list,” Arroyo says. “I take 10 to 12 different things a day, and on the days I pitch, there’s four more things. There’s a caffeine drink I take from a company that (former teammate) Curt Schilling introduced me to in ’05. I take some Korean ginseng and a few other proteins out there that are not certified. But I haven’t failed any tests, so I figured I’m good.”
In the interest of not writing one of those posts that makes it unnecessary to click over to the actual site where it appeared, you should really click over to the actual site where it appeared. There you can read Arroyo’s further comments about “andro” (sneak preview: ” I felt like a monster”), amphetamines and whether Manny might drop dead at 50.
I just hope this doesn’t diminish Bronson’s Hall of Fame chances. The Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame, I mean.
(H/T to @FriedmanHNIC)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo reaches into his locker, pulls down a clear cellophane bag and slowly opens it.
He shakes out the contents like a kid on Halloween night. There are different-colored pills, powders, liquids, proteins, caffeine concentrates and ginseng, products such as creatine, Triflex and xelR8 a whole galaxy of uppers, downers, screamers, laughers, plus a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls.
Not that he needed all of that for major league baseball, but once you get locked in to a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can.
But we know he doesn’t push it that far – if so, his music would be more interesting.
It’s not THAT tough to find out if a supplement is OK. Take some time to check.
MLB should come out with a list of supplements that are OK for major leaguers to take.
There is indeed such a list.