Letters: Giving Alex Rodriguez the needle

1/16

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who has not played this season while recovering from hip surgery, was suspended until after the 2014 season by Major League Baseball over allegations of use of performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez will be allowed to play while his suspension is under appeal. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

2/16

Texas Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz, the MVP of the 2011 American League Championship Series, was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs. (Tom Pennington / Getty Images)

3/16

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was suspended 65 games on July 22, 2013, for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy. (Rich Schultz / Getty Images)

4/16

Oakland Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon was suspended 50 games in 2012 after testing positive for synthetic testosterone. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press)

5/16

Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta, a two-time All-Star who helped the club get to the 2012 World Series, was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs. (Leon Halip / Getty Images)

6/16

The San Diego Padres shortstop, who had a career-high 44 stolen bases last season, was suspended 50 games,/a> by Major League Baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press)

7/16

San Diego Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal was suspended 50 games in 2012 after testing positive for a high testosterone level. (Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press)

8/16

The New Yankees catcher, who has played parts of six seasons with the team but only 17 games this season because of injuries, was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs. (Brian Blanco / Associated Press)

9/16

Seattle Mariners catcher and designated hitter, who hit .260 with 15 home runs last season, was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs. He was sent to triple-A on May 20 and has since been sidelined with a torn meniscus in his left knee. (Stephen Brashear / Associated Press)

10/16

Former Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Rafael Palmeiro was suspended 10 days in 2005 after testing positive for a steroid. (Chris Gardner / Associated Press)

11/16

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Matt Lawton was suspended for 10 days during the 2006 season after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs while with the New York Yankees. (Ed Andrieski / Associated Press)

12/16

Former San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Guillermo Mota was suspended 50 games during the 2007 season for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs while with the New York Mets. He was issued a 100-game suspension in 2012 after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. (Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)

13/16

Former San Diego Padres center fielder Mike Cameron was suspended 25 games in 2008 after testing positive for banned stimulants. (Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press)

14/16

San Diego Padres pitcher Edinson Volquez was suspended 50 games in 2010 after failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs while with the Cincinnati Reds.

(Jim Rogash / Getty Images)

15/16

Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games in May 2009 for violating baseball’s drug policy. While with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011, Ramirez avoided a 100-game suspension when he abruptly retired following another drug policy violation. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

16/16

Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was suspended for the team’s first 25 games of the 2013 season after testing positive for an amphetamine. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)

Aug. 9, 2013 4:54 PM PT

The only people more hypocritical or dishonest than Alex Rodriguez are sportswriters, sports talk radio people, Bud Selig and anyone in Major League Baseball. They all keep saying they wish A-Rod would go just away, yet the writers dedicate a full column or page to writing about him, the talk-show hosts talk about him for an hour or more, and Selig and Major League Baseball ignore performance-enhancing drug users and even celebrated them when they resurrected baseball in the late 1990s.

Willis Barton

Los Angeles

Don’t be fooled by the suspensions of 12 players Monday. Why? Because MLB never actually caught these guys. With all the talk of drug testing, none of these guys tested positive. What that means is there are many, many more who are playing today that are still using because tests haven’t been developed yet. MLB players have proven they can juice and go undetected. That should be the scary thing to MLB, owners and fans.

Geno Apicella

Placentia

Seems to me that a specific phrase could be written into all sports’ contracts, not just baseball’s, that a drug violation shall void the contract. It could be written so that a team would retain rights to the player for the length of the contract that was voided so as to not lose the rights to the player. Perhaps, even, a player would have to come back and play under a provisional contract that would pay based on how well he performs after being drug-free for a year or two.

John Snyder

Newbury Park

Blue streakers

Don Mattingly’s candid admission that his job was in jeopardy, following Magic Johnson’s “It was never discussed,” underscores the role Donnie’s integrity played in the Dodgers’ recent turnaround.

John Chang

Torrance

Here is an amazing statistic about the Dodgers’ amazing streak. During the first 72 games of the season, the Dodgers’ record was 30-42. They won more games than that in their next 38 games, going 31-7.

Denis Robinson

Winnetka

Adrian Gonzalez would finish last in the Milwaukee Brewers’ sausage race and, at best, third out of four in the Washington Nationals’ dead presidents race.

Allan Kandel

Los Angeles

Fallen Angels

I don’t know where Mike Scioscia studied baseball, but you rarely see a lineup with an average .221 rally-killer batting third.

Al Kubera

Orange

Perhaps the Angels should try firing Mickey Hatcher again.

Ron Reeve

Glendora

On the grid

Gary Klein, a fine sports reporter for The Times, says that the Trojans should win their first four games versus Hawaii, Washington State, Boston College and Utah State.

Wanna bet?

Paul L. Hovsepian

Sierra Madre

Comparing Coach Mora to Coach Carroll [Aug. 7]? Mr. Dufresne, I interfaced with Pete Carroll. I knew Pete Carroll. Coach Carroll was a friend of mine. Mr. Dufresne, Jim Mora is no Pete Carroll.

Mark Larson

Newport Beach

I’m happy to see that the culture change at USC has been so complete that the entire Marqise Lee autograph incident can be discovered, investigated and closed all within a couple of days! It’s such a welcome departure after years of foot-dragging and obstruction on the multitude of other investigations they’ve had to perform.

Is it relevant that the Johnny Manziel autograph incident turns up new details every day, because the national sports media is investigating it (as opposed to the Aggies themselves)? Probably not, I’m sure everyone has complete and total faith in USC’s ability to investigate itself. After all, who has more experience investigating corruption than these folks? No one. Well done, guys.

David Hirsch

Ventura

Heaven forbid that anyone steal the “B”, “C”, or “S” keys from Chris Dufresne’s keyboard, since he’d be as incapable of writing a single column blessing his adored USC, and bashing his abhorred SEC and BCS as he, apparently, is with them.

Bob Jackson

Simi Valley

One very important piece of information that was left out of the Aug. 5 article about secondary ticket sales, at least in the case of USC, is that in order to even purchase season tickets between the 10-yard lines, you must have a Support Group membership. These memberships cost between $3,500 and $30,000 per year. So even if a ticket did sell for 300% over the printed price, it’s about break even for the season-ticket holder on the low end.

David Paul

Huntington Beach

Johnny Football might be a Heisman Trophy winner, but he clearly fell a few hundred points short of the Mensa Society. Come clean, Manziel: The cover-up is always worse than the crime.

Larry Yells

Hermosa Beach

No good answer

Question: What is the most annoying news article?

1. Anything about A-Rod and suspensions

2. Anything about Tim Tebow and his ability to play quarterback

3. Anything about Johnny Manziel (a.k.a. “Johnny “Clueless”)

4. Anything about any of the Kardashians

5. All of the above

Wayne Kamiya

El Segundo

It’s something

Las Vegas odds are out and the Lakers have been made slight favorites ... to win the D League.

Fred Wallin

Westlake Village

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