A.J. Pierzynski, MLB refute rumors of PEDs
BY TONI GINNETTI tginnetti@suntimes.com September 7, 2012 9:16PM
A.J. Pierzynski
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Updated: October 9, 2012 3:08PM
An Internet rumor repeated on some sports-talk radio outlets accusing White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski of steroid use was debunked by Major League Baseball and by Pierzynski on Friday.
‘‘Apparently, certain people in the media — they know who they are and I don’t have to mention them by name — they just go ahead and run stories and talk about stories on their air without getting sources,’’ an irritated Pierzynski said before the Sox hosted the Kansas City Royals.
‘‘It’s a shame because people that don’t do anything, haven’t done anything, can be targeted, and you can say whatever you want on the Internet.
‘‘But that’s the life we live and the world we live in, and unfortunately it’s happened to other people and this time it happened to be on me.
‘‘It’s over with now, and hopefully people find something better we can talk about [on] the White Sox instead of something that is completely baseless.’’
Pierzynski is having his best power-hitting season with 25 home runs and 72 RBI, including a solo homer in the fourth inning Friday. But there never have been suspicions about him before, and MLB officials were said to have told Sox officials that he never has had a positive drug test.
Players are tested throughout the season. This season, Marlon Byrd, Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and were suspended 50 games.
