Three Braves Minor League Players Suspended For PED Use
by gondeee on May 21, 2010 4:36 PM EDT
in Braves Minor League News
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PrintThe Atlanta Braves organization has had its run ins with performance enhancing drugs in the past. The latest chapter involves three players from the organization's advanced A-ball club in Myrtle Beach. Second baseman Yoel Campusano, first baseman Gerardo Rodriguez, and shortstop Amadeo Zazueta have all been suspended after each player tested positive for an Amphetamine, a performance-enhancing substance.
According to the AJC, "The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced the immediate suspensions Friday and said the players violated the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program."
While Rodriguez is leading his team in homeruns, with 8, he is not hitting particularly well, just .239. He originally started out in the Yankees farm system, but signed with Atlanta in 2008, and experienced a boom in his homerun power. Campusano is one of the more promising second base players for Atlanta, though he is a bit old to be considered a real prospect. Zazueta is a minor league journeyman who who came to the Braves system this year from the independent leagues. He was originally an Astros farmhand. None of these guys are considered real prospects, and all are old for the league their playing in. Campusano and Zazueta are both hitting below .200.
They join Jordan Schafer, Tyler Flowers, Rafael Cruz, Matthew Small, and Brandon Monk as players who have been suspended from the Braves minor league organization because they violated the MiLB drug prevention and treatment program.
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Sad
I’m sure the pressure to perform is there, but hope these young guys finally get the message.
I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. ~ Crash Davis
by Old Braves' Fan on May 21, 2010 4:41 PM EDT reply actions
Sorry to be the blunt one
But after reading just the topic and then skimming the write up I was really glad not to find any of the names of our cherished all-star caliber prospects.
Go USA, Braves, BU Terriers, Irish, Caps, Colts, Hoyas, NU Cats, Wizards, DC United, Washington Freedom
BU Hockey: National Champions 1971, 1972, 1978, 1995, 2009
The Pelicans did not need this.
They’re already 15 GB and have far and away the worst offense in the league, and Gerry’s been their second best hitter.
It’ll be interesting to see the fall out of this for sure.
"Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, 1794
Everything made from oil and wood can be made from HEMP. It's the earth's number one bio-mass resource.
There's going to be a flurry of moves now!
Man I wish Salcedo was still stateside he’d probably be getting the call to Rome because some of the Rome guys will more than likely be moving to MB.
He is....
he’s in Orlando in extended spring training until the GCL season begins in June. I don’t think they will rush him past the rookie leagues this early.
by homerlanding on May 21, 2010 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions
We need clarification
Another post said he was in the D.R. and having trouble getting back into the USA.
Where is Salcedo?
Heyward is pretty good
No he's not
Salcedo went back to the Dominican to tend to family matters and is now having visa issues getting back.
I’d heard the plan was to start him in the DSL, they start May 29th.
"Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, 1794
Everything made from oil and wood can be made from HEMP. It's the earth's number one bio-mass resource.
That was not the plan
Even according to Wren and Almaraz. It may be now until he can get his visa issues ironed out.
Very sad to see, especially Gerry and Yoel. I get why guys take shortcuts, but I wish they’d just know better. And with these guys there’s the added pressure of making a living for their whole family, to keep themselves out of a third world country. This just sucks to hear.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
Amphetamine salts
For the average person, amphetamine salts would really lock him in and increase his concentration. It would also help him stay awake if he were tired from all the traveling, and there is definitely a lot of traveling in the minors. I imagine it would be difficult to stay on your A game if you’re constantly tired from not getting a good nights sleep because of all the cheap hotels and overnight bus trips. Amphetamine salts would keep you wired during the game rather than a little (or a lot) groggy. So to answer your question, I think they could certainly provide an advantage that some might deem unfair.
Be not simply good -- be good for something. - Thoreau
Tyler Flowers tested positive?
When? I missed this.
"Batting 4th and doing the catching, says here this guy weighs 210 pounds...I'm not buyin it! It's Brian McCann."
by Scott Coleman on May 21, 2010 5:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I want Gress tested.
I fed a fish to a pelican and Frisco bay and he tried to eat my cell phone he ran away
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
That’s all i have to say. This is just awful.
Don't stop...beleeevin'!
by MBL1 on May 21, 2010 6:23 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
So I guess the 50 game penalty...
… and accompanying BIG-TIME pay penalty STILL isn’t enough to clean up the game — even after multiple years of having the rule in place. I gotta admit, I don’t understand this, ’cause the threat of removing my income and livelihood for at half of the year would certainly be enough of a deterrent for me.
"I don't think there's any greater free-swinger in the game than Jeff Francoeur" - Tim McCarver, 4/17/2010
I'm not saying it's right what they didm
but, hypothetically, what if these players could not play the game at the level necessary to keep even a minor league job without the help of these substances? I’d love to think that every player in the Braves system is a paragon of morality, but maybe these players felt the risk was worth it because they wouldn’t cut it otherwise. Or maybe they just didn’t understand what they were doing was wrong. I remember there being a big to-do during the beginning of last season with the lack of guidance MLB players received during spring training on using banned substances. Guidance in the minors might be even worse, but I’m speculating there. Hopefully the Braves system will take this negative and use it as a teaching experience and will reassess how they discuss this topic with their players.
The threat of losing my income would scare the mess out of me personally as well.
Be not simply good -- be good for something. - Thoreau
One thing you really notice is that the vast majority of guys who get popped with the suspensions are foreign. You really have to wonder how much they understand what’s being told to them about what’s prohibited.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it: https://www.createspace.com/3407939
www.dropoutproductions.com
Or what is in any supplements, etc they take....
I had enjoyed watching Rodriguez work his way up the system. Hope he comes back strong.
There are no legal supplements that contain amphetamines
There are some herbal extracts that have ephedrine in them , but not in a big enough quantity to be useful for very long (weight loss products). As for amphetamines actually enhancing performance, that is debatable even short term as they tend to make your body want to crash, so you have to take more. To use them on a constant basis will in no way help performance as what you end up doing is beating a tired horse. I know from experience as the Army used to give us Dexadrine and Benzadrine in Viet Nam. I guarantee you don’t want to sit up all night in the jungle after being up all day as well wired up, talk about paranoia! The ADD drug ritalin is dexadrine just in smaller doses and in small doses it does help with concentration but if they need to stay awake you know coffee still works pretty good. Staying awake on any drugs long term will not help concentration as the brain gets burnt out and needs rem sleep. This information is 50 years old, when are we going to learn?
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