Though the list is said to comprise 104 players, Ortiz — along with Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez and former Red Sox and current Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez — is doubtless one of the biggest and most recognizable names.
Red Sox fans have spent a month struggling with the issue of supporting a player — and fan favorite — who may have taken performance-enhancing drugs. But last Wednesday, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal agents were wrong to confiscate the list. In a 9-2 vote, the panel said the agents violated the players' rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The ruling is likely of little comfort to Ortiz as the court of public opinion made its ruling some time ago. Additionally, despite Ortiz's rights being violated with the confiscation of the list, the question of what triggered the positive test remains unanswered.
While the court ruling likely means fewer player names will be leaked, speculation about the identities of other players on the list will continue.
This latest court ruling may go a small way toward alleviating Ortiz's concerns about his privacy, but it does nothing to quell the questions that still surround one of Boston's most beloved athletes.
