ESPN.com is reporting that Rafael Palmeiro, who testified before Congress that he did not use steroids, has tested positive under Major League Baseball's substance abuse policy -- which tests for steroids.
Balls, Sticks, & Stuff's chief correspondant (my brother) points out that Palmeiro is a spokesman for the drug that begins with a "V" (I'd prefer if this site did not get Google hits for Viagra searches...doh!) and Randy Ruiz, a Reading Phillie (AA) claims that his numerous violations of the drug policy this year are due to use of The Drug that Begins with a "V".
Is it possible that "V" causes false positives? Doubtful, but on the other hand, why would Palmeiro make such public statements in front of Congress if he was taking steroids? Palmeiro is either very dumb or very unlucky.
Update: Jim Salisbury (Inquirer) votes for dumb:
If baseball had a test for stupidity, Palmeiro would have flunked that one, too. How, at his age, in this steroid-sensitive era, could he have committed this type of transgression?
