Before yesterday’s game with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Rick Ankiel and the general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Walt Jocketty, held a press conference to talk about Ankiel’s involvement with performance-enhancing drugs.
The jist of the press conference was that Ankiel said any prescriptions he has received have come from a doctor. Jocketty said that the organization will stand behind Ankiel during the investigation and he will cooperate in any way possible. Here is a look at the press conference.
Troy Glaus didn’t have any comments about his involvement in the probe before yesterday’s game with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The resounding sentiment around the Jays clubhouse yesterday was “No comment”. The Blue Jays player rep, Vernon Wells, offered this statement:
“I don’t know anything about it , except what I’ve read and heard,” Wells said. “I hate to see a teammate and a guy I know in a situation like that. I hope everything works out.
“You never think someone has done something like that. You just don’t judge people like that. Troy will have to deal with everything, with his name being brought into this. Like I said, I hope it all works out.”
MLB has asked to speak with both Glaus and Ankiel as to their involvement. I am sure the former senator from the great state of Maine, George Mitchell, will be giving them a call as well.
The problem right now lies in the fact that if they both did HGH, it was not illegal in baseball until 2005. If they did steroids, that’s another story. The only way to acquire these drugs is through a licensed physician who has treated the person. If either Glaus or Ankiel tried to circumvent this process, they could be in a lot of trouble.
The problem here is that they are supposed to be “innocent before proven guilty” but it’s rather the opposite , “guilty until proven innocent”, being shown. This is mostly created by the media who puts a different perspective on things.
Either way, it’s going to be interesting to see how this all pans out and if more names come out.
