Perez was grounded for 25 games on July 6th when he failed a stimulants test for the second time, and was technically still under suspension until after tonight's game against the Chicago White Sox.
He has been the only player stupid enough to get caught three times since stimulants were banned before the 2006 season.
(Updated)
Perez will miss the final 54 games of the regular season and finish serving the suspension next year. That is, if some hard-up team is desperate enough to sign a troubled utility infielder who bats under .200. The 34-year-old switch-hitter was hitting .172 with one home run and six RBIs in 64 at-bats for the defending AL Champs, with possibly his most memorable moment in a Detroit uni coming when he started a sweet double play to end the eighth inning of Justin Verlander's no-hitter earlier in the season.
He didn't always suck at life and baseball. Perez actually won a Gold Glove at shortstop in 2000 with the Colorado Rockies.
New information from ESPNdesportes this morning thanks to an irritated anonymous commenter: Perez said in an interview with ESPNdesportes that he has ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and was given a prescription for Adderall, an amphetamine. He claims he did not know his medication contained a banned substance and was unaware of the four failed stimulant tests he took this season.
[ESPNdesportes]
[Biz of Baseball]
10 comments:
The title really says it all.
Tweakers tend not to make good infielders.
He had to do something while sitting on the bench to stay awake
Perez obviously has a problem. He needs help more than anything, and hopefully he's getting it.
I believe players are referred to counseling after the first offense.
The writers of this blog should be ashamed of themselves. How about getting the whole story first? But I’m sure it is just so much easier to call a person a dumbass and stupid and to say that he sucks at life then to actually look for those little things called facts. Perez has ADHD and was taking medicine that was OK’ed by the team’s doctors. He’s not “troubled.” Nor does he have a problem and need help as another commenter has said. He’s a victim of MLB’s testing system and the quick judgment of small minded people.
Pardon us oh brave anonymous commenter.
This information was unknown to us at the time we wrote this post, just like it was to every other sports news outlet in the world until his interview with ESPNdesportes.
I do however, find it hard to believe that Perez didn't know his prescription contained amphetamines. Hopefully this will be a lesson to all players to double-check their medication with the commissioner's office before taking them and ruining their careers.
I'm glad his conscious is clean.
Welcome to the club, Nefi.
OH COME ON! Like Perez didn't know what he was taking? I don't believe that crap for a second.
You must be from Michigan, "anonymous" and if you are, what do you care? Neifi Perez wasn't doing anything in the way of helping the Tigers.
Thanks for the Update Sooze...we have been busy this weekend and didn't even see the ADHD comments by Perez.
That makes sense that he took Adderall which is a mixture of dextroamphetamines.
Perez should use a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption) which he fills out and submits to MLB.
It is silly that neither he nor the physician filled this form out. If it is true he has ADHD a doctor simply fills a TUE out and Perez can take the medicine (unless he is getting it from a trainer).
We (at Steroid Nation) wondered why Perez failed 3 tests. Guess he wasn't paying attention at the team seminars about TUEs:-)
We have treated professional athletes. It amazed us that trainer often somehow got prescribed drugs for MLB players, without a doctors prescription.
If Perez indeed has ADHD and takes Adderall therapeutically he should be reinstated.
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