Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

A-Rod Buddy Is MLB Pariah

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 20, 2009 2:12 PM CST

(Newser) – A man who was once a close associate of Alex Rodriguez is suspected of trafficking in steroids and has been banned from non-public areas of big-league ballparks since 2001, the New York Daily News reports. Angel Presinal, called "an unsavory character" by one source, has been close to the superstar infielder since his days with the Texas Rangers and traveled with him throughout the 2007 season. "Several people have warned Alex about this guy," said another source.

Presinal was busted at the Toronto airport in 2001 with a bag containing steroids, drawing MLB's scrutiny. He implicated Juan Gonzalez, who was then with the Cleveland Indians and later played with Rodriguez in Texas. At the time, Presinal denied any involvement with performance-enhancing drugs: "“Don't get mixed up with any steroids or other stuff,” he said he told his young clients. He was not charged, “for reasons that still escape us,” said an MLB official.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Veteran baseball writer Ben Walker of the AP talks about Alex Rodriguez's press conference Tuesday, Feb. 18, in Tampa. (AssociatedPress)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

It's all clean work. And I always tell these kids that if they have a medical problem, to be responsible. Don't just talk to any doctor. Make sure you be careful. Don't get mixed up with any steroids or other stuff. - Angel Presinal

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Angels Land Albert Pujols for $250M

Deal is for 10 years, $250 million

(NEWSER) - The Los Angeles Angels made two huge splashes today, snatching up two of the biggest free agents on the market: Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. Pujols has agreed to a 10-year deal worth between $250 and $260 million, a source tells Yahoo! Sports . Depending on the exact number, it may be the second-biggest baseball contract ever—behind Alex Rodriguez's $275 million deal with the Yankees—and according to ESPN, it includes a full no-trade clause. More»

Rangers Tame Tigers 3-2 in ALCS Opener

Verlander and Co. can't get it done in rain-delayed game

(AP) - A few minutes past midnight, the Texas Rangers had one more victory over Justin Verlander—and the Detroit Tigers lost yet another wet playoff opener started by their ace. "If anywhere in the country has a drought, just bring me in and I'll fix that," Verlander said after the Rangers beat him 3-2 last night in Game 1 of the AL championship series opener. Before the game was interrupted twice by rain for a total of 1 hour, 50 minutes in the top of the fifth inning, Nelson Cruz broke a postseason slump with a home run and the defending AL champions scored all of their runs off Verlander. More»

Red Sox Miss Playoffs After 'Worst Collapse Ever'

Last-day losses cap miserable month for Red Sox, Braves

(NEWSER) - The Boston Red Sox are in the record books and out of playoff contention after a terrible night capped a terrible September. The Red Sox allowed two ninth-inning runs in a 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles last night, the AP reports. Minutes after the Red Sox trudged off the field—still tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the final playoff spot—the Rays secured the spot by beating the New York Yankees 8-7, having fought back from being down 7-0 in the middle of the seventh inning. More»

Yanks' Rivera Makes Record 602nd Save

Fans third Twins batter to ice it

(AP) - Mariano Rivera set the major league record with his 602nd career save, pitching a perfect ninth inning today to preserve the New York Yankees' 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. With fans standing and cheering from his first pitch to his last, Rivera retired Trevor Plouffe, Michael Cuddyer, and Chris Parmelee to end it. Parmelee looked at strike three—it appeared to be Rivera's signature cutter—as Yankee Stadium roared in approval. More»

Jim Thome Hits 600th Homer... Without Steroids

Baseball's 'nicest guy' joins select club

(NEWSER) - With two home runs last night against the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twin Jim Thome became the eighth ballplayer ever to hit 600 out of the park. Perhaps most remarkable about this feat is that he achieved it without steroids—unlike many of the other top sluggers of his era, writes Tom Verducci in Sports Illustrated . Indeed, “Gentleman Jim” has “so mastered humility that he has lasted all these years through the thorniest era in baseball history with nary a whiff of controversy or negativity.” More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website