On July 30, 2009, the New York Times breaks the story that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were on the list of 104 MLB baseball players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. Ramirez and Ortiz helped the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in 2004 and 2007, breaking an 86-year losing streak for the team.
Five other players have been tied to positive tests from the 2003 anonymous testing period: Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Jason Grimsley and David Segui. The test results were supposed to be anonymous but were seized by federal investigators. Ortiz and Ramirez were named by lawyers involved in litigation filed by the MLB Players Association, which wants the government to return the list of players who tested positive.
On Aug. 8, 2009, the MLB Players Association releases a statement condemning the decision by the New York Times to publish information that is sealed by a court order.