Chris Davis tested positive for amphetamines. (25 Game Ban)

[CA-ORIOLE]

You don't think it could be a case of hubris? He decided that he is so great that he didn't need any outside help and thus didn't apply for it. But then we he struggled he changed his mind?

Possible, but I'd lean the other way if I was speculating. In any event he made some poor choices.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Do you actually think I was suggesting that there is a conspiracy against the O's? I'm mocking some of the nuttier posts in this thread.

Very good then. I did not catch the sarcasm. I normally sprinkle in some hyperbole when baking my own.

[OFFNY]

Admittedly I have not read every entry in this thread. Having said that and even though this appears to be due to an oversight by Davis and him not getting the exemption like he had last year...does anyone else find the timing of this a bit odd? The Yankees come to town for 4 games barely hanging on in the chase for the post season. Now Davis tests positive?? Just me and my conspiracy theory running wild perhaps ...

I don't get this. What does it matter? Conspiracy about what?

You know, Joe Torre is pulling the strings for the Yankees. This is all a grand conspiracy against the Orioles.

Honestly some of the posts in this thread are insane.

I was briefly on the Torre-Yankees conspiracy bandwagon (half-serious, half-kidding) when I read RochKubatko's article about the straddling the plate rule.

Then when I read the actual wording of the amendment on the E.S.P.N. article, I quickly jumped off.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11496686/mlb-joe-torre-issues-memo-collision-rule-not-fast-umps

[atomic]

Maybe I'm a cynic, but I don't buy the oversight explanation at all. If he used it last year, then I suspect, he was taking it last year when he had the season of a lifetime and then the exemption expired. He had to stop taking it this year, sucked so bad but couldn't get another exemption for some reason, so he tried to get back on it on the low to try and get back on track.

That makes perfect sense. As if he couldn't turn it around this season he was looking at a big pay cut. I am sure the Orioles offered him a big contract but his agent talked him into turning it down. All these guys who have Boras as an agent are idiots. When someone offers you big money take it.

[CA-ORIOLE]

sar-casm: the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny

Source: Merriam-Webster

I didn't see that it met any of the latter requirements but I may have been mixed up with Denny.

[ExileAngelos]

[Austin]

I didn't see that it met any of the latter requirements.

Tough crowd. Is this a message board or an oil painting?

[CA-ORIOLE]

Tough crowd. Is this a message board or an oil painting?

..................both.

[notyourbuddy]

He's barely been league average this year anyway. Big time non-tender candidate even before he decided to cheat.

And with the way Pearce has hit the last two years he should probably be the 1B next year anyways.

[SteveO]

This is a rough blow for the team.

Not sure what the rationale is for letting a guy have a medication like Adderall one year and not the next unless CD and his representatives simply did not follow the correct procedure. There are very few indications for that medication that are short term in nature, 98% of the time its a medication indicated for long term issues that are unlikely to resole. ADHD is a prime example, one does not get ADHD and become cured lol.

I have no idea what the process is for therapeutic exemptions, I do not know why he would be denied for a reason other than procedural. On the bright side if it turns out he was denied access to a medication like this all season when he actually needs it, this could explain some of his struggles. On the dark side if it turns out that he was denied because he missed a deadline of some person arbitrarily decided that he did not need it when his physicians felt he did, that is ridiculous.

I have a hard time blasting a guy for using a prescription medication that he previously had permission to use. Yes he is responsible, yes it was an error in judgement but it is not as egregious in my opinion as getting busted for say steroids or say cocaine etc....Big blow

[Just Regular]

Or he resumed taking it because other areas of his life were impaired,

(as would be the case with adult ADHD- it affects ALL areas of your life, not just

work) and MLB was denying him necessary treatment. He might have

resumed taking it because of the impact of the untreated ADHD on other areas

of his life, even with the risks.

I can understand how things felt unmanageable to him this summer, becoming a parent, struggling on field, and perhaps using some energy on tobacco as well after Tony Gwynn's passing.

http://eutawstreetreport.com/chris-davis-id-like-to-give-up-smokeless-tobacco/

We recently saw Ron Washington taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. I guess it's unrealistic to expect Chris could have done the same as he was struggling, but in retrospect would obviously have been a good idea.

If he still needs the medicine for daily living, should we even root for him to come back?

[Denny]

Like OFFNY, I was half kidding, half serious with my "conspiracy theory" thoughts. My apologies for offending anyone on the board. I'll keep quiet in the future and sign off for now.

[Witchy_Chick]

Weams posted in the game thread that CD did not have the therapeutic-use exemption in 2013 or 2014.

[weams]

Also...Troy Patton, Gamboa...how many guys does it take to get busted before the Orioles crack down internally? The Orioles should have had a team meetings with every team in the organization to tell them they better get the exemption.

It's a union shop. The rules are handled by the MLB. Not the team. They are not permitted.

[SteveO]

He's barely been league average this year anyway. Big time non-tender candidate even before he decided to cheat.

And with the way Pearce has hit the last two years he should probably be the 1B next year anyways.

I have a hard time accepting that statement.

Till we know the facts, I am not willing to classify a guy as a cheater for using a prescription med that he previously had permission to use.

Depending on why he had permission last season and why he was denied permission this season would form that opinion. Lot left to know about this before we throw around the CHEATER label IMO