MLB Can't Clean Its Image Until Someone Releases the List of 104 Dirty Players

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

In 2003, a total of 104 Major League Baseball players tested positive for performance-enhancing substances. The results were supposed to be "confidential," but as everyone knows, they were never destroyed. Since the time the players were tested, a "list" has been passed around with the 104 players names compiled on it.

The names have slowly begun to leak out to the public.

On Thursday, The New York Times reported that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were both victims to this suddenly increasing occurrence. Although the names were never supposed to be publicly announced, both Ortiz and Ramirez are still guilty of testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. 

Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez are just two of the other major names in baseball who were also accused of having their names on the 2003 list. In June, The Times released Sosa's name, while in February, SI.com released Rodriguez's name.

Ortiz and Ramirez have been two of the best baseball players in the league from 2003 until now, but having their names released will most likely hurt both of their reputations.

In 2004 and 2007, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. Because two of Boston's best players were found guilty of testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, does that mean that the Red Sox championships have no meaning today?

It's very possible that Red Sox fans everywhere were not surprised to hear Ramirez's name released, but to hear Ortiz's is another thing.

"Big Papi", as he has been named, is one of the most loved players in all of Boston. To hear his name released had to be a real heartbreak for all Red Sox fans. And everyone knows about the Ramirez-Boston feud; I honestly doubt anyone in the city of Boston was shocked to hear his name released.

This brings up a huge point though: "Should all the names of the list be publicly announced so that one or two players are not singled out each month?"

I firmly believe that whoever has the sacred "list" should either release all the names on it or else destroy the document. However, by releasing just a few of the names, you have ruined the reputations of some of the sport's finest athletes.

Should you go about releasing all the names so that everyone's reputation is questioned, however?  

Everyone is being questioned already, so I say go on and release the names so that all of the innocent players are cleared. They won't be questioned any further and the ones who are found guilty will have to face the consequences.

This is a devastating time for both the game of baseball and MLB itself. What should they do to handle this problem? How can they control the names that are on the list from not being released?

They can't, but it really is unfair to slowly release just one or two names at a time.

I say release every one of the 104 names on the list and get it over with for closure to this era.

Those players will have to face the consequences, but at least all of the fans will hopefully be able to move on and enjoy their players.

It is truly unfair to the innocent players who are questioned each day about whether they took PED's.

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