It didn’t take long for the New York media to start grilling new Mets general manager Sandy Alderson.
Alderson hadn’t even made it through his first press conference as the Mets’ GM on Friday when, according to the New York Post, he was asked about his involvement with steroids in baseball when he was GM of the Oakland A’s from 1983-1997.
Alderson’s tenure in Oakland is perhaps best remembered by the ”Bash Brothers” combination of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire – two of the most infamous users of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball history.
“In a nutshell, I suspected Jose Canseco of doing steroids, but I never suspected Mark McGwire,” Alderson said. “It was a time as an organization we actually had begun to emphasize weight training as a part of a regimen that is now widespread, but at the time may have inadvertently gotten us involved with the steroid aspect.”
Alderson has long been considered one of baseball’s brightest minds, but has also come under considerable criticism for failing to take action against the spread of steroids in the 1980s, ‘90s, and early 2000s.
"We actually had a very active minor league drug policy at the time that included the prohibition of amphetamines," Alderson said. "But you're talking about a time in the late '80s when this issue was emergent in a general sense and there was a personal sense of a lack of awareness, lack of knowledge and ultimately a lack of tools to deal with the problem."
In addition to his time as general manager of the A’s, Alderson has also served in the Padres front office and in the commissioner’s office as executive vice president of baseball operations.
Alderson signed a four-year deal with the Mets on Friday, and will replace Omar Minaya, who had served as the Mets’ GM since 2004.
