J.C. Romero was suspended for fifty games under terms of MLB’s drug policy. Just before it was handed down, Romero made his case public, the same one that the arbitrator rejected. With the NFL’s drug policy currently under attack in the Starcaps case, where six players took a supplement that was tainted with a diuretic but unknown to the players, this type of defense might hold water.
Until you learn what Romero tested positive for. According to multiple sources (and also reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer), Romero tested positive for 6-OXO Extreme, a product that enhances testosterone production in ways very similar to anabolic steroids. While legal and still available at your local GNC, 6-OXO Extreme* has always carried a warning that it could result in positive tests. If you look at the above link, you’ll be able to find the same warning in the online information.
But it gets better, or worse, if you’re Romero. 6-OXO is a product of Ergopharm. Ergopharm is owned and operated by a guy you might remember: Patrick Arnold. Yes, that one. Arnold was the source for the THG used by BALCO. Arnold served several months in jail due to his involvement and is now back in business.
If Romero didn’t know what he was taking, he sure got unlucky in picking the product marked “for hardcore users only” and with a connection that baseball fans would rather forget.
UPDATE: It appears the substance in the 6-OXO that caused the positive test is another one that Arnold is known for: androstendione. Here’s more technical info if you’re so inclined, from one of the best in that biz.
Romero, MLB, MLBPA, and GNC all refused comment for this story.
* This statement was updated for clarification. Please read comments for further info.
Updated. Yep, they got there first and had I known when I wrote -- I'm on vacation, so please excuse me -- I would have linked to it. Would have saved me a lot of calls!
JC, if you're going to take something, make sure it helps you get righthanded batters out. Seriously, don't these guys read the information about what they are taking? The info on the GNC website pretty much says that you are going to test positive if you take this stuff.
In response to my previous post --- In all fairness to Romero, we don't know what information was online at the time that he took the supplement. This one will be interesting to follow.
Will, fwiw, Gammons report on the issue says that the bottle Romero purchased (and brought to his arb hearing) did not contain the warning that is now up on the website, and which was on the more recently purchased bottle that MLB obtained:
"Curiously, the bottle of the supplement MLB had purchased contained the label warning: "Use of this product may be banned by some athletic or government associations." However, the bottle Romero had purchased and brought to the hearing contained no warning."
I'm not a conspiracy nut, but would there be any way to modify the label in such a way as to render that modification undetectable? Say, if Romero wanted to claim ignorance on a product...
The Players Union looks prety bad here. According to reports the Union had 6-OXO has being OK to use and then retracted that after Romero had tested positive. Looks like what luck Romero had was all bad.
In a conference call today not surprisingly G. M. Amaro when asked did he believe that Romero was " guilty" of this, could only respond that the team backs baseball's testing program. Yikes, don't want him on my side.
I apologize for the nitpicking nature of the question... is "androstendione" a typo for "androstenedione" (note "e" in 10th position) or a completely different substance?
Have you tried contacting Patrick Arnold yet? He's usually pretty open about his over the counter products on various "bodybuilding" forums.
Here's one if anyone's interested:
I find it sorta odd that some people in the media are trying to make 6-OXO Extreme out to be some kind of steroid or something.
In most bodybuilding circles, they seem to prefer it as a legal PCT alternative to Nolvadex. It's not like he got caught using OTC Superdrol or something. Christ.
Granted, he could have been using something else and just got caught using 6-OXO Extreme, but that would be just dumb. :o
21 comments have been left for this post.
Today's Philadelphia Inquirer has a lengthy article presenting Romero's side of the discussion, with some of these same points.
Updated. Yep, they got there first and had I known when I wrote -- I'm on vacation, so please excuse me -- I would have linked to it. Would have saved me a lot of calls!