David Ortiz is no stranger to having his name linked to performance enhancing drugs. In 2003, Ortiz’s name appeared on a list of 104 Major League Baseball players who reportedly tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
Since then, Ortiz has been tested more than his fair share of times for banned substances. In fact, Ortiz thinks he has been subject to testing more than anyone in major league history. In a piece he wrote for The Players’ Tribune, the Red Sox slugger opened up about cheating and the perceptions people have of him related to gaining an unfair advantage.
In some people’s minds, I will always be considered a cheater. And that’s bulls–t. Mark my words: Nobody in MLB history has been tested for PEDs more than me. You know how many times I’ve been tested since 2004? More than 80. They say these tests are random. If it’s really random, I should start playing the damn lottery. Some people still think the testing is a joke. It’s no joke. Ten times a season these guys come into the clubhouse or my home with their briefcases. I have never failed a single one of those tests and I never will.
David Ortiz is among the more polarizing players in Major League Baseball. He’s brash and when he talks he draws an audience. As he noted, Ortiz is also in the group of people who have blossomed in their 30s, which is generally a cause for raised eyebrows and speculation of foul play.
Despite the constant chatter of cheating, Ortiz has carved a career that presents a convincing case for enshrinement into the hall of fame. Whether or not he one day ends up in Cooperstown, of course, remains to be seen. If Ortiz doesn’t, it’s likely that infamous list from 2003 will be a factor, even though 39-year-old still doesn’t know what it was that triggered the positive result.
