Chapter[ VI. Incidents Providing Evidence to Baseball Officials of Players’ Possession
or Use of Performance Enhancing Substances ]
Section[ B. Steroids Found in Boston Red Sox Player’s Car, June 2000 ]
B. Steroids Found in Boston Red Sox Player’s Car, June 2000
On June 30, 2000, a clubhouse employee of the Boston Red Sox, Carlos Cowart,
and a friend of his were sitting in Manny Alexander’s parked sports utility vehicle when they
were approached by Massachusetts state police officers. Alexander, then a utility infielder with
the Red Sox, was away with the team. The officers suspected that the car had been stolen, but, in
fact, Alexander had loaned it to Cowart while the team was away.
During a search of the vehicle, police discovered two hypodermic needles and a
bottle of anabolic steroids in the glove compartment. At least one news report stated that the
steroids were in an envelope addressed to Alexander, although we were not able to confirm that
assertion.260 The police applied for two criminal complaints against Alexander, for possession of
Class E anabolic steroids and for possession of hypodermic needles. Neither Cowart nor the
friend who was with him was charged with any offense. On February 28, 2001, the charges
against Alexander were dismissed for “insufficient evidence having been presented after
hearing.”261
Following the initial report of the discovery of steroids in Alexander’s car, Rob
Manfred of the Commissioner’s Office negotiated with Gene Orza of the Players Association to
260 See James C. McKinley Jr., Guessing the Score: Open Secret – A Special Report:
Suspicions Abound in Major League Dugouts, N.Y. Times, Oct. 11, 2000, at A1.
261 See Application for Complaint, dated Aug. 4, 2000 (containing subsequent
handwritten notes indicating dismissal).
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subject Alexander to a “reasonable cause” drug test for steroids. The Players Association and
Alexander ultimately agreed to such a test, but because negotiations were lengthy the urine test
was not administered until approximately 45 days after the incident. The test was negative for
steroids.262 According to Manfred, all evidence of the test was destroyed.
The Commissioner’s Office closed its investigation without determining who had
been responsible for the anabolic steroids and hypodermic needles being in the vehicle. No one
from the Commissioner’s Office interviewed either Cowart or Cowart’s friend about the incident
or their knowledge concerning the steroids and syringes. Alexander also was not interviewed
because, in Manfred’s words, “[t]his was the price of reasonable cause testing.”
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