Polk's and Clark's responses to Palmeiro's suspension....

[Greenhead22]

August 2, 2005

'I'm in a quandary,' MSU baseball coach says

By Ian R. Rapoport
irapopor@clarionledger.com

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball coach Ron Polk was giving two players a tour Monday of the indoor practice facility called the Rafael Palmeiro Center.

The $3.8 million building was made possible by a major gift from Palmeiro, the former Bulldogs and current Baltimore Orioles star.

Under that roof, which casts a shadow as long as Palmeiro's storied career, Polk was asked by one player if he had heard the news. Did he know that Palmeiro was suspended 10 days by Major League Baseball for failing a drug test?

Polk's response: "No way."

Many across the country probably reacted the same way after learning Palmeiro had become the seventh and most high-profile player to test positive in baseball's new drug-testing program. But Polk, who has maintained a close relationship with Palmeiro for more than 24 years, didn't take long to support Palmeiro's denial.



File photo/The Associated Press

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig (left) and former player Jose Canseco listen during a March hearing in Washington on steroids in pro baseball.

"I've always believed in Rafael Palmeiro and I continue to believe him," said Polk, who coached Palmeiro from 1982-85. "Maybe there was a mistake. Maybe there were traces of a prescription drug he was taking. I don't know. I'm in a quandary like everybody else."

Before he was taken in the first round of the MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs in 1985, Palmeiro enjoyed a highly decorated career at Mississippi State. In 1984, he became the Southeastern Conference's first triple crown winner, leading the SEC in home runs (29), RBIs (94) and average (.415). He was a three-time All-American, leading the Bulldogs to the 1985 College World Series.

It was just five months ago that Palmeiro pointed his finger at a congressional panel and emphatically said, "I have never used steroids. Period."

It was just two weeks ago that ESPN offered live cut-aways to Palmeiro's at-bats as he joined Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, and Eddie Murray as the only players to have reached 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

Palmeiro has long been considered a classy portrait of a major leaguer, with that sweet lefty swing and a steely resolve to keep plugging away that kept him off the disabled list in each of his 20 seasons. He has been a fan favorite wherever he's gone.



Templeton

His suspension Monday left many shaken.

"I was shocked," said Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton, who cautioned against making a definitive judgment because the full facts aren't in yet. "We want to support Raffy as he goes through this."

There had been questions about Palmeiro since former teammate Jose Canseco identified him as a steroid user in his personal memoir Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big. The two were teammates at the Texas Rangers in 1992 and 1993.

"Not long after I got (to Texas), I sat down with Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez and educated them about steroids," Canseco wrote on page 133 of his book. "Soon I was injecting all three of them ... until they became more familiar with how to use a needle and were able to do it themselves."

Statistical evidence from Palmeiro's career may add credence to Canseco's claims. Through 1992, the most home runs he had hit in a year was 26. He never had more than 89 RBIs. In 1993, he had career highs with 37 home runs, 105 RBIs, and a .554 slugging percentage.

While some were incredulous about the suspension, one former teammate wasn't.

"I don't really get surprised about any of this stuff going on with baseball now," said Will Clark, the six-time MLB all-star who played with Palmeiro at MSU. "The game has changed. Instead of out-thinking the opposition, guys want to out-muscle them."

Clark said the only performance-enhancing substance he took was "Coors Light-ostene."

When he heard the news, Clark immediately flashed back to Palmeiro's testimony to Congress.

"Wasn't it just a few months ago that he was testifying, saying he didn't do steroids?" asked Clark, who said he hasn't spoken with Palmeiro in about five years. "Now, not only does he face a suspension, but perjury issues as well."

Clark was asked if he believed Palmeiro's testimony.

"Next question," he said, laughing.

There are more questions. How does the news affect Palmeiro's legacy as a Mississippi State Bulldog? It doesn't, according to Polk.

Asked if the school should take Palmeiro's name off the indoor practice facility, Polk said: "Absolutely not."

Polk said he'd be "shocked" if Palmeiro used drugs while at Mississippi State. "Of course, I'd be shocked if he did it now," Polk said. "I'm a Rafael Palmeiro fan. Not only for what he did for us as a player, but also as a person and an alumnus."

Still, news of the steroids figure to hurt his legacy as a professional.

As former teammate Bobby Thigpen said earlier this year: "Even if he's innocent, it's too late."

[GordonGekko]

"I don't really get surprised about any of this stuff going on with baseball now," said Will Clark, the six-time MLB all-star who played with Palmeiro at MSU. "The game has changed. Instead of out-thinking the opposition, guys want to out-muscle them."

Good ole Will Clark, always willing to throw an old teammate under the bus

[Greenhead22]

As much hell as Raffy gave Will over the years, Will should be allowed to throw it back at him for a change. I've never cared for Raffy because he always wanted to one up Will every chance he got.

Raffy's still pissed because Will won the '85 Golden Spikes Award for the #1 player in college baseball.

[bigwater]

now gh22 ..

where do you get this. statement from..

you said that palmerio was still pissed about clark winning the 1985 golden spikes award... seriously gh22.. i mean lets think about that statement for a minute and then lets do some statistical research..

the year in question both palmerio and clark were juniors.. palmerio was coming off a sophmore season in which he had won the first ever and to my knowlegede only sec triple crown..

now look at palmerio's junior year... his batting average was over 100 points less that his sophmore year.. he hit less homeruns... i mean theres no real argument bout those facts... clarks numbers were superior his jr year to plamerios.. how could raffy be pissed.. maybe he should be pissed about not winning the award when he lead the sec in homers, rbi's and batting average..

palmerios a good guy who made a mistake.. i for one will stand by him .. and i think you should too...

[Greenhead22]

I ain't standing by him, sorry. He testified under oath that he had never taken steriods, ever. Well, Canseco said he had and now it's been proven. He just screwed up and got caught.

Raffy is also still pissed about Will sliding in the backdoor with the Rangers that year when they sent Raffy packing. That wasn't Will's fault, it was the organization's fault.

[bigwater]

gh22..

sure their not good freinds.. they don't speak.. but it was raffy who disclosed to clark about his dealings with the rangers..

anyway.. i don't agree at all with the statement that palmerio is still p.o.'d about not winning the 1985 goldens spikes award ..

[Bankermane]

i believe Raffy took a crap in the woods and wiped his booty with his hand. While cleaning his fanger nails wth his tooth, he got steroid juice in his mouff. Sounds logical to me. I believe him.

[Greenhead22]

Raffy messed up, needs to stand up, be a man and admit it. This will go away a lot quicker, take Jason Giambi for instance.

[Greenhead22]

I guess here's another "innocent" one.

Updated: Aug. 2, 2005
Franklin slapped with 10-day suspension
By Jerry Crasnick
ESPN Insider

Seattle Mariners pitcher Ryan Franklin has has received a 10-day suspension under the terms of Major League Baseball's steroids policy.

A day after baseball announced that Baltimore first baseman Rafael Palmeiro had failed his test, Franklin became the eighth player to receive a suspension under MLB's more stringent drug policy, which took effect in March.

The commissioner's office announced the suspension Tuesday afternoon. A representative from Franklin-Frye-McCann agency, which represents Franklin, said the pitcher would talk to the media after 2 p.m. ET in Detroit.

Franklin, 32, has a career record of 33-46 with a 4.19 ERA in six major-league seasons, all with Seattle. He is 6-11 with a 4.61 ERA this season.

The other major leaguers who have received suspensions for using performance-enhancing drugs this season are Seattle's Jamal Strong, Cleveland's Rafael Betancourt, Minnesota's Juan Rincon, Colorado's Jorge Piedra, Texas' Agustin Montero, and Tampa Bay's Alex Sanchez, who is now playing for the San Francisco Giants.

[bigwater]

your right gh22.. he'd prolly be better off to admit he was wrong and deal with it from there.

but please tell me you don't actually beleive that raffy's pizzed about not winning the 1985 golden spikes award!!!

[chopper30]

now gh22 ..

palmerios a good guy who made a mistake.. i for one will stand by him .. and i think you should too...

Well i for one am not!

[Greenhead22]

your right gh22.. he'd prolly be better off to admit he was wrong and deal with it from there.

but please tell me you don't actually beleive that raffy's pizzed about not winning the 1985 golden spikes award!!!

Honestly, yeah I believe it. That's when the friction first started.

[rebelduckaholic]

Raffy will say until he dies that he never knew what he was putting in his body was steroids.

[bigwater]

it funny all these years all you ever heard was how arrogrant and rude clark was.. and now palmerios the jack- booty... hum!!!!

wonder why palmerios jack-assedness wasn't brought up until this went down..

please giv'me a break.. thats the bes crap i've heard yet.. palmerio mad over clark winning the goldens spikes award...

we're all entiltled to our own opnions, but i'm standing behind him as a fan .. despite the fact that he's done a bad thing.. hell as a society we're a forgiving bunch..


choppar ,gh22,,.... did either of you guys see raffy play when he was at state???

[gator]

they're BOTH arrogant pieces of crap...

gator