Yankees slugger tested positive for steroids

Published: 1:43PM Sunday February 08, 2009 Source: Reuters

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New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids in 2003 according to four independent sources, Sports Illustrated magazine reported on Sunday.

Rodriguez, who has a chance to become the game's all-time home run champion, won the American League Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers that year.

The magazine's website said Rodriguez's name was on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's 2003 survey testing.

Rodriguez, who has 553 career home runs, declined to comment. "You'll have to talk to the union," the 33-year-old told a Sports Illustrated reporter.

The magazine said calls to union executive director Donald Fehr were not returned.

While major league baseball's drug policy has banned the use of steroids without a valid prescription since 1991, there were no penalties for a positive test in 2003.

That year's survey testing was conducted as part of an agreement with the players' union to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug-testing across the major leagues in 2004.

The results were meant to remain anonymous.

New York signed Rodriguez in November 2007 to a 10-year, incentive-laden deal that could be worth as much as $305 million, Sports Illustrated said.

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