Ortiz and Ramirez tested positive in '03

Slugging stars David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, who helped deliver the Boston Red Sox their first world championship in 86 years in 2004 and a second title in 2007, are among the names on the list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to the New York Times

The Times, citing lawyers with knowledge of the results, reports that Ortiz and Ramirez were found on the list which, it was revealed in previous months, also includes Alex Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa.

While Ramirez was already linked to baseball's ever-widening steroids era after failing a drug test this season and serving a 50-game suspension, this is the first time Ortiz has been connected to performance-enhancing drugs.

According to the Times, the lawyers did not reveal which drugs the players tested positive for. Ortiz said "I have no comment" when asked about the matter on Thursday by a Times reporter in Boston. When Sports Illustrated reported in February that Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for steroids in 2003, Ortiz said any player who tested positive should be suspended for an entire season.

The list included the names of players who tested positive during survey testing, implemented for the 2003 season to determine whether or not baseball needed a full-fledged testing program. When enough players tested positive, a comprehensive testing program was put into place beginning with the 2004 season. Under the current rules, a first positive test mandates a 50-game suspension, but Ortiz and Ramirez are not subject to those guidelines because their positive tests came before the rules applied.

The results were never intended to become public and were supposed to remain anonymous. The federal government seized the results during an investigation into the use of PEDs in sports.

Ramirez, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, just returned on July 3 from his suspension. At the time, he said, "I want to make clear I've passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons." Ramirez has long been one of the game's premier hitters, and this season ins batting .327 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs in 48 games.

Ortiz took a different path to stardom. He had the best year of his Twins career in 2002, hitting .272 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs, but Minnesota released him that December. He signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Red Sox in early 2003 then put together a .288 season with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs, the beginning of a five-year stretch in which he had at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs every season. He was the ALCS MVP in 2004 as the Red Sox defeated the Yankees, becoming the first team in baseball history to overcome a 3-games-to-0 deficit. Ramirez won World Series MVP honors that same year after the Red Sox swept the Cardinals. Three years later, the duo again combined to carry Boston to another World Series title.

The duo was hailed was hailed as the best slugging tandem in decades, but they were broken up exactly one year ago Friday, when Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers. While Ramirez continued excelling leading the Dodgers to the NL West title, Ortiz endured a miserable stretch after suffering a wrist injury. He has slumped badly this season, batting a career-low .224 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs.