Marlon Byrd Brings Shame to the Red Sox With PED Use

Marlon Byrd has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for Tamoxifen, a performance enhancing drug that is typically used by women battling breast cancer. It also happens to be a performance enhancing drug that is banned by Major League Baseball.  A careless mistake and Byrd now joins the list of those shameful players who can be labelled as cheaters.  Shame on you Marlon Byrd.  Shame on you for again smearing a black mark on the game and now the Red Sox.

While there is much speculation about former and current Red Sox players that may or may not have used PED’s, this isn’t about digging up the past and recreating an argument that no one can surely prove. Rather this is about the present and the fact that Byrd knew what he was putting into his body while all along knowing that the substance he was using was on the banned list.

Byrd issued the following statement, courtesy of the Boston Herald:

"“I made an inexcusable mistake. Several years ago, I had surgery for a condition that was private and unrelated to baseball. Last winter, I suffered a recurrence of that condition and I was provided with a medication that resulted in my positive test. Although that medication is on the banned list, I absolutely did not use it for performance-enhancement reasons.I am mortified by my carelessness and I apologize to everyone who loves this game as I do. I will serve my suspension, continue to work hard and hope that I am given an opportunity to help a club win later this season.”"

There is sympathy for Byrd’s condition that he was forced to endure years ago despite not knowing the private details.  But there is no sympathy for the fact that he still used Tamoxifen despite knowing it was 100% illegal.  Whether or not he used it for performance enhancing doesn’t matter, especially given his numbers this season.  You could jokingly say that the drugs never helped him, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.  He is still guilty and is now known as a cheater.

Previous or current health conditions does not warrant the use of PEDs.  There is more than enough information available to all the players about what substances are ok and which are not.  Byrd chose to ignore that and he, like every other ball player and athlete know what they are putting into their bodies and need to be held accountable for it.  No exceptions.

While his tenure in Boston was a brief one, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture that his last uniform, at least for the time being was a Red Sox uniform.  It’s unclear if the testing was performed during his time in Chicago or Boston. It doesn’t matter.  He was using PED’s when he was playing in Boston and he will be tainted as a user with a Red Sox uniform on, bringing shame to the organization.  Shame that is undeserved.  It’s just a damn shame he is tied to the Boston Red Sox.