Rafael Palmeiro suspended for using steroids
{{date|August 1, 2005}}

[[Image:Rafael Palmeiro.png|thumb|right|200px|Oriole player Rafael Palmeiro at bat. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text of the GNU Free Documentation License GNU image]]]
[[w:Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore Orioles]] first baseman [[w:Rafael Palmeiro|Rafael Palmeiro]], one of only four players in the history of [[w:Major League Baseball|Major League Baseball]] to amass [[w:500 home run club|500 home runs]] and [[w:3000 hit club|3000 hits]], has been suspended for 10 days by MLB for a first violation of its new [[w:anabolic steroid|steroids]] policy. Palmeiro is the seventh, and by far the highest-profile player, who tested positive for steroids since MLB instituted its new steroids policy in 2005. 

In a conference call with reporters, he did not deny testing positive for performance enhancement drugs, but insisted that he had accidentally ingested them, and left the impression that the steroids were in a supplement that he had used.

On March 17, 2005, Palmeiro had testified before a [[w:United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]] hearing on steroids use in sports, opening his testimony by saying: "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never." Earlier in 2005, Palmeiro had been named as a steroid user by former major-league star [[w:José Canseco|José Canseco]] in his tell-all autobiography.

It remains to be seen how Palmeiro's positive test will affect his future election to the [[w:Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]. His statistics would normally make him a likely Hall candidate once he becomes eligible for election, five years after retirement. It is also possible that Palmeiro could face [[w:perjury|perjury]] charges for lying before Congress, but only if it could be proved that he had used steroids before his Congressional testimony. 

== Sources ==
*{{source|url= http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2121659&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233
|title= Palmeiro suspended for using steroids denies taken them
|author= 
|pub= August 1, 2005
|date=July 31, 2005}}

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[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Baseball]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball]]
[[Category:Maryland]]
[[Category:Baltimore, Maryland]]
Oriole player Rafael Palmeiro at bat.  of the GNU Free Documentation License GNU image
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro, one of only four players in the history of Major League Baseball to amass 500 home runs and 3000 hits, has been suspended for 10 days by MLB for a first violation of its new steroids policy. Palmeiro is the seventh, and by far the highest-profile player, who tested positive for steroids since MLB instituted its new steroids policy in 2005. 

In a conference call with reporters, he did not deny testing positive for performance enhancement drugs, but insisted that he had accidentally ingested them, and left the impression that the steroids were in a supplement that he had used.

On March 17, 2005, Palmeiro had testified before a U.S. House hearing on steroids use in sports, opening his testimony by saying: "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never." Earlier in 2005, Palmeiro had been named as a steroid user by former major-league star José Canseco in his tell-all autobiography.

It remains to be seen how Palmeiro's positive test will affect his future election to the Hall of Fame. His statistics would normally make him a likely Hall candidate once he becomes eligible for election, five years after retirement. It is also possible that Palmeiro could face perjury charges for lying before Congress, but only if it could be proved that he had used steroids before his Congressional testimony.
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