“The news blindsided me,’’ Ortiz said in a prepared statement after he hit a three-run home run to propel the Sox to an 8-5 victory.
Ortiz said the Major League Baseball Players Association later confirmed to him that the report of his positive test was accurate.
“Based on the way I have lived my life, I am surprised to learn I tested positive,’’ he said in his statement. “I will find out what I tested positive for. And, based on whatever I learn, I will share this information with my club and the public. You know me - I will not hide and I will not make excuses.’’
Appearing calm, though more reserved than usual, Ortiz declined to elaborate during a brief interview with reporters as the team prepared to depart for an eight-game road trip to Baltimore, Tampa, and New York. He faces no disciplinary action because there were no penalties in place at the time for steroid use in the major leagues.
In St. Louis, Ramírez told reporters that he would not discuss the drug test, according to the Los Angeles Times. “You guys want to talk about the game, what is happening now, we can sit down and talk for two hours,’’ Ramírez said. “If you want more information, call the union.’’
The news about Ortiz rocked the baseball world far more than the revelation about Ramírez, who earlier this month returned from serving a 50-game suspension with the Los Angeles Dodgers for violating baseball’s anti-doping rules this year. Ortiz, 33, one of the most beloved and charismatic stars in Sox history, had previously given every indication his name would never appear among the scores of major leaguers whose success has been tainted by steroid use.
The Times did not specify the drug Ortiz used or when in 2003 the test occurred. The paper attributed the disclosures to lawyers familiar with a list of more than 100 players who tested positive that year for performance-enhancing drugs. The lawyers requested anonymity because the list is sealed by court order.
