Braves top prospect suspended ...

[flyer85]

for HGH use. Makes me wonder how they caught him as I didn't think there was a reliable test for HGH.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3336898

Outfielder Jordan Schafer, a top prospect in the Atlanta Braves system, has received a 50-game suspension for use of human growth hormone in violation of the minor league drug prevention and treatment program, commissioner Bud Selig's office announced Monday.

Jordan Schafer led the minor leagues with 176 hits in 2007.
Schafer, 21, is playing for Mississippi in the Double-A Southern League. ESPN.com's Keith Law recently ranked him as the 27th best prospect in the minors, and Baseball America rated him No. 25 on its list of the top 100 minor league prospects.

"We are extremely disappointed that Jordan has violated the Commissioner's Performance Enhancing Drug Policy," Braves general manager Frank Wren said in a prepared statement. "We are supportive of the program and will continue to educate all of our players. Earlier today Jordan asked to speak to his teammates to apologize for the mistakes he has made and for letting the organization and his team down. During his suspension, we will continue to support and counsel Jordan."

Schafer, a third-round draft pick by Atlanta in 2005, had a breakthrough season a year ago. After hitting .240 for Class A Rome in 2006, he batted .312 in stints with Rome and Myrtle Beach of the "high" A Carolina League. He led the minor leagues with 176 hits and ranked third with 49 doubles.

Schafer is known as a superb defender, and there was some thought in the Atlanta organization that he might be ready to supplant Mark Kotsay as the Braves' regular center fielder by the second half of this season.

His suspension for HGH use is effective immediately, according to the announcement from Major League Baseball.

[flyer85]

From Kevin Goldstein

Update: I guess I buried the lead here, as the question, as others more in tune with the world of drug testing than I am have pointed out — how did he get caught? HGH is not detactable under the current testing structure, yet there it is. Stories are beginning to come out of an investigation of Schafer and other Braves teammates that led to a confession from Schafer, but it sounds like this could get ugly, if these early stories are true.

[Gainesville Red]

Stories are beginning to come out of an investigation of Schafer and other Braves teammates that led to a confession from Schafer, but it sounds like this could get ugly, if these early stories are true.

I'm intrigued.

[RFS62]

Man, I'll tell you. We really need to pay attention to stuff like this.

The allure of enhanced performance and strength is so strong, that even the public humiliations the players have witnessed in the past couple of years aren't enough of a deterrent.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that an entire subculture of HGH use is still going on with impunity.

[OnBaseMachine]

It sure looks like ol' Ankiel is still using.

[rotnoid]

Originally Posted by RFS62

Man, I'll tell you. We really need to pay attention to stuff like this.

The allure of enhanced performance and strength is so strong, that even the public humiliations the players have witnessed in the past couple of years aren't enough of a deterrent.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that an entire subculture of HGH use is still going on with impunity.

My thoughts exactly. Just goes to show guys are still willing to take the chance to make it to the show. I don't think we'll ever know the full extent of PEDs in sports. Along the same lines, we'll also probably never see a day withouth them.

[Chip R]

I gotta admit that I didn't think these minor leaguers had the cash to buy this stuff. Obviously the kids who got big bonuses do but I didn't think the kids who were selected lower than 1st or 2nd had that kind of money. It's sad to see but not surprising.

[REDREAD]

Originally Posted by Chip R

I gotta admit that I didn't think these minor leaguers had the cash to buy this stuff. Obviously the kids who got big bonuses do but I didn't think the kids who were selected lower than 1st or 2nd had that kind of money. It's sad to see but not surprising.

Some kids in my high school had the money to buy them.
I don't know what the going rate is, but I don't think it's that outrageous.

[rotnoid]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

Some kids in my high school had the money to buy them.
I don't know what the going rate is, but I don't think it's that outrageous.

I'm no expert, but perhaps that's why they're getting caught. I'd imagine the undetectable customized version costs way more than the run of the mill stuff.

[REDREAD]

Originally Posted by rotnoid

I'm no expert, but perhaps that's why they're getting caught. I'd imagine the undetectable customized version costs way more than the run of the mill stuff.

That could be the case.
Also, there's probably been a culture in baseball of everyone looking the other way on this for so long, that they were probably pretty lax about hiding it.

This stuff has been in sports a long time. I had a friend that made the US Olympics weight lifting team and they tried to get him to start taking PEDs. They didn't believe him when he said he never used them. Then finally their response was "Well, just wait until you're on this stuff, then you'll reallly be strong".. He walked away from it rather than take it. This was back in the 80's (I don't want to give exact info and get someone in trouble, but it is true).