Major League Baseball players expect to discuss changes to the disciplinary portion of the game’s drug testing program when the union holds its annual executive board meetings in New York this week.
But any proposed changes from the Players Association’s side are likely to focus more on ensuring that offenders get caught than increasing the penalties for failed tests, baseball sources said.
Two prominent player representatives, Kansas City pitcher Jeremy Guthrie and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chris Capuano, told ESPN.com that they think MLB’s joint drug prevention and treatment program is having the desired effect as a deterrent to performance-enhancing drug use. Under the terms of the agreement, a first-time offender receives a 50-game suspension without pay. The penalty increases to 100 games for a second failed test, and a third positive test carries a lifetime ban.
...“There’s always something to be gained by using steroids or performance-enhancing drugs, and some players are going to feel like it’s in their best interests to take that risk,” said Guthrie, who serves as one of two MLBPA-wide reps along with Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees. “But I still think 50 games without pay is significant, not only in lost wages but in lost potential wages for a player.
“Melky Cabrera is a player who would have gotten a much longer contract if not for his positive drug test, so I think the penalties (for PED use) are significant. As such, the game is much cleaner, and MLB and the union are making the progress they hoped the testing would provide.”
Repoz
Posted: November 26, 2012 at 02:09 PM |
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1. J.R. Wolf Posted: November 26, 2012 at 11:41 PM (#4310238)I say also permaban anybody who ever played with the player who fails the test.
(and anyone who knows Lance Armstrong personally)
Wait, post #1 wasn't humor? It really is hard to "hear" the tone of some posts I guess.
I'll try to fit finding a solution into my busy schedule of not giving a #### about PEDS.
Why don't the Very Serious People ever bother the NFL about this crap? They use more drugs in a week than MLB does in a year.
Because the vast majority of NFL players are pretty much by definition livestock, or at least regarded as such?
Yes, but when I buy cheese the package has a little note saying that the cattle weren't given any growth hormones. You don't get that note on offensive linemen.
I support a much wider drug testing program in baseball. The ownership, the GMs, umpires, the commissioner, let's make sure we're sending an unequivocal message to the kids.
Apparently, no one feels like lying about offensive linemen.
I'm all for it. I will support a measure to test members of BBWAA for drug testing, if they pop positive for anything, they lose the right to vote/write for 1 year, second offense 5 years, third offense permanent ban.
As to whether any tests are ever given after an employee is on board (absent supposed cause, I guess, like DWIs or whatever), I have no idea. Wasn't at the paper here long enough to gain any sense of that.
Many places require a test before getting hired. Not the same thing as MLB which has ongoing testing (unless of course your paper required ongoing testing, in which case, never mind).
Maybe we can send Sammy Sosa to collect Rick Reilly's sample.
Agreed. We need people to take this seriously.
Anybody who jokes about PEDs should be permabanned from attending baseball games.
I mean, I'm pretty sure that the test wasn't to make sure that I _did_ do drugs, as you want a certain % of your software developers to be that exploratory adventurous type.
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