Baseball Needs A Real Drug Policy
By Jonathan Leshanski
November 18, 2003
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Well surprise, surprise, Major League Baseball and the
Players Union are arguing over the interpretation of baseball’s survey
of players for steroid use. What is indisputable however is that despite
baseball’s pitiful excuse for a drug policy that between 5-7% of
the players that were tested failed the tests and tested positive for
performance enhancing steroids.
Officially the tests are supposed to reveal a 5-7% use rate, however the
Players Union disputes the results and are saying the number is the lower
of the two and probably even lower than even that. That 5% number however
is a crucial one and in the next few days the Players Union is going to
have to take a stand on one side of the issue or on another. The decision
that they must make is whether to admit that 5% of players are doing steroids
or to fight to have that number reduced to so that it will fall under
5%. The reason is simple. If 5% or more of all players tested (all 1238
players on MLB rosters were tested once before the season and 240 were
tested randomly with a 60 day warning before the test actually occurred)
positive then MLB would institute a drug policy which includes punishments
and suspensions, if less than 5% were to test positive then only survey
testing without punishment could take place next season.
The fact that the anti-drug policy that will be implemented is a joke
has little bearing on the fact that relations between the Players Union
and MLB are so strained that the union regularly opposes anything that
MLB wants. This regular opposition is an unwise policy and I feel that
it is very short sighted.
I like to think that I am neither pro player nor pro management just pro
baseball and fairly objective. A union is supposed to protect their members
and one of the things they should be concerned with is the long-term damage
caused by steroid use on their members. Yeah, it’s nice to prevent
players from risking loss of income if they get suspended, but the issue
should be health first - both the health of their members and of the game
that just happens to generate the income of all their members.
Suspensions and fines are all well and good, but the issue needs to be
education as to the dangers of steroids, long-term health risks, and fixing
a zero tolerance policy when it comes to steroids. Performance enhancing
drugs are a cheat - and the issue should be addressed in the rules of
the game. Using any of these performance-enhancing drugs needs to be clearly
defined as cheating. It’s not fair to owners who pay salaries thinking
that they are getting an honest effort. It’s not fair to fans who
pay to see the games, to the kids who idolize and dream of becoming ballplayers,
and it’s not fair to all of the players in the game that are not
steroid users.
Will there be a scandal if one of the big names in baseball is caught
testing positive for steroids? You can bet on it. How many kids are going
to be shattered when their idol is publicly derided as a cheat? (editor’s
note: I will be shattered too!) If you think the Sammy Sosa corked bat
incident caused an uproar or Mark McGwire’s admission of taking andro
caused controversy - it will be nothing compared to what will happen if
a superstar tests positive for steroids.
Sadly, baseball’s punishment system, the one that had to be negotiated
between MLB and the players union, is absurd. This is not about addiction
and dependency because steroids are not addictive. It is about cheating
and the pressures of living in the spotlight. While steroids are not addictive
sometimes people need to be weaned from them after long-term use. Thus
a player does not have a dependency - except to his own need to be even
better than he naturally was meant to be.
On the first offense a player will receive counseling - no suspension,
no fine - no extra testing. A second offense brings a fine of up to $10,000
or a 15- day suspension - please note the up to in that sentence - the
fine and or suspension are not mandatory and could be appealed. A third
offense raises the stakes to a potential 25-day suspension or $25,000
fine. The fourth time - $50,000 or a 50 day suspension, while a fifth
positive (which would take a minimum of 2.5-6.0 years to detect under
the testing provisions as I understand from the press releases on the
drug policy - since players can only be tested once before the season
and only 240 an be tested randomly - meaning suspected dopers could not
be singled out for the “random” testing) would only bring a
fine of up to $100,000 or 1 year suspension.
This policy, as weak as it is, is the best MLB has ever done for a drug
policy. It still fails to address the issue of non-performance enhancing
or recreational drugs and it leaves MLB as the only major sport without
a policy on recreational drugs. More importantly it still sends the wrong
message to young athletes - that steroids and other drugs will be treated
with little more than a wink and a nod if they can reach the big league
level - and that getting there by cheating is not wrong.
Maybe that part of the problem is that there are not enough high quality
players to play for 30 MLB teams, but if that’s the case MLB and
the Players Union would be better served by agreeing to contract teams
then to be a poor model to young fans.
If the Players Union and ownership can’t decide on a drug policy
which is enforceable with real testing and some teeth maybe it’s
time that someone in congress or the senate stood up and took initiative
to legislate a drug policy for baseball. They have done similar things
with other industries and special interest groups in the past and due
to MLB’s exemption from the anti-trust laws they have the right to
do it for baseball. In doing so they might be doing the public a favor,
helping to set a better example for youth, and protecting all of baseball,
which I consider a national treasure, from itself.
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