April 30, 200521 yr From ESPN.com: Looking to stiffen the penalties for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball, commissioner Bud Selig has proposed a 50-game ban for a first offense and a lifetime ban for a third violation. Holy Sh*t.
April 30, 200521 yr Crazy. If you're going to cost a player and his team 50 games, you better have a way to eliminate all false positives. Sounds like Bud is just gestering to the fans and media and player union.
April 30, 200521 yr Author Full Article Now Up: Baseball commissioner Bud Selig asked players to agree to a 50-game suspension for first-time steroid offenders and a lifetime ban for a third violation. In a letter sent this week to union head Donald Fehr, Selig proposed a 100-game ban for a second offense. He also asked the union to ban amphetamines, to have more frequent random tests and to appoint an independent person to administer the major league drug-testing program. Under the rules that began this season, a first offense gets a 10-day suspension, with the penalty increasing to 30 days for a second positive test, 60 days for a third and one year for a fourth. For a fifth positive, the penalty is at the commissioner's discretion. Baseball currently has no penalties for amphetamine use by players on 40-man major league rosters. Amphetamines are banned for players under minor league contracts. "Last winter, we reopened our agreement to deal with steroids," Selig wrote in the April 25 letter, a copy of which was obtained Saturday by The Associated Press. "I am asking you now to demonstrate once again to America that our relationship has improved to the point that we can act quickly and effectively deal with matters affecting the integrity of our great sport." Reached Saturday, Fehr said the union was not yet prepared to discuss Selig's proposal. "We'll respond in due course," Fehr said, adding he anticipated replying early next week. Baseball players agreed during the offseason to reopen the drug agreement, which was not set to expire until December 2006. The new rules, which began in March, for the first time instituted suspensions for a first positive test for steroid use. The new agreement, not scheduled to expire until December 2008, has been criticized by many in Congress as not tough enough and several congressmen threatened to propose federal legislation. "I continue to believe that time is of the essence in addressing this issue," Selig wrote to Fehr.
April 30, 200521 yr Got the right idea...Players Union will come back with something a lot less though probably
April 30, 200521 yr There's no way this will ever happen. The union won't allow such a stiff penalty for first time offenders, and the fact that there is the ever present possibility of testing positive for a steroid although the substance was over the counter (as Alex Sanchez claims) makes for endless lawsuits when a player is talking about 1/3 of the season for a first time offense. MLB would serve itself better by making the testing process in place more thorough than by making the punishment more severe.
May 1, 200521 yr Both need to happen. There are way to many loopholes in the testing, and the penalties are too lax. Selig is on the right track. Stiffer penalties and a 3 strike rule are needed.
May 1, 200521 yr About freakin' time. However, I don't see the Union going along with this. Those punks would probably threaten to strike. And if they do, I hope the government steps in and puts them in their place.
May 1, 200521 yr This would be a good move, they have to make the punishment severe or guys won't be discouraged from using roids.
May 1, 200521 yr Author About freakin' time. However, I don't see the Union going along with this. Those punks would probably threaten to strike. And if they do, I hope the government steps in and puts them in their place. 759782[/snapback] Actually I think they are backed into a corner, powerless, and they will pretty much have to sign this thing. I think it will be passed.
May 1, 200521 yr About freakin' time. However, I don't see the Union going along with this. Those punks would probably threaten to strike. And if they do, I hope the government steps in and puts them in their place. 759782[/snapback] Actually I think they are backed into a corner, powerless, and they will pretty much have to sign this thing. I think it will be passed. 759840[/snapback] I think that they may go along with the three strikes and your out, but I just can't see them going from 15 days to 50 days for no reason other than that Bud's scared of Congress taking away MLB's anti-trust exemption. Make the system in place better if this is really about eliminating the steroid problem, don't just pump up the current system's punishments, because the problem here isn't that Alex Sanchez is playing again in Tampa, it's that people can take designer steroids and not get caught.
May 1, 200521 yr Now, pass this idea and start testing for HGH and we have a real policy and can go back to trusting the records that are set.
May 1, 200521 yr Buddy left some wiggle room. He isn't serious about 50 games. Does that include the All-Star Game???!!!
May 1, 200521 yr The only reason the player's union would refuse this is if a large percentage of them still intended to take steroids. If you do buy something OTC get it checked out. Know what you're buying and using. That's not a good excuse anymore.
May 1, 200521 yr The only thing the players can really contest here is the Alex Sanchez case, as TSwift said. If that's the case, they should have a clause in there that allows the players to appeal the suspension, as they do for normal suspensions. But I definitely think this is a step in the right direction and I hope it passes.
May 2, 200521 yr The only reason the player's union would refuse this is if a large percentage of them still intended to take steroids. If you do buy something OTC get it checked out. Know what you're buying and using. That's not a good excuse anymore. 760309[/snapback] Isn't that unfair for players who live and train in the Dominican and other latin countries where steroids are legal and the supplement industry unregulated? Especially the minor leaguers and first or second year players who don't make much?
May 2, 200521 yr The only reason the player's union would refuse this is if a large percentage of them still intended to take steroids. If you do buy something OTC get it checked out. Know what you're buying and using. That's not a good excuse anymore. 760309[/snapback] Isn't that unfair for players who live and train in the Dominican and other latin countries where steroids are legal and the supplement industry unregulated? Especially the minor leaguers and first or second year players who don't make much? 760803[/snapback] It's perfectly fair. If you want to play in the big leagues then clean up your act and do it on the up-and-up or else.
May 3, 200521 yr The only reason the player's union would refuse this is if a large percentage of them still intended to take steroids.? If you do buy something OTC get it checked out.? Know what you're buying and using.? That's not a good excuse anymore. 760309[/snapback] Isn't that unfair for players who live and train in the Dominican and other latin countries where steroids are legal and the supplement industry unregulated? Especially the minor leaguers and first or second year players who don't make much? 760803[/snapback] It may be slightly unfair, but its a lot more fair than letting those guys off the hook, while suspending American players.
May 3, 200521 yr The only reason the player's union would refuse this is if a large percentage of them still intended to take steroids.? If you do buy something OTC get it checked out.? Know what you're buying and using.? That's not a good excuse anymore. 760309[/snapback] Isn't that unfair for players who live and train in the Dominican and other latin countries where steroids are legal and the supplement industry unregulated? Especially the minor leaguers and first or second year players who don't make much? 760803[/snapback] Absolutely not. If they are going to play in the US, then they need to abide by the same rules. They have access to the same pharmacies in all the cities they visit as any other player. Just don't bring any medications from home if there is a concern.
May 3, 200521 yr and the fact that there is the ever present possibility of testing positive for a steroid although the substance was over the counter (as Alex Sanchez claims) makes for endless lawsuits when a player is talking about 1/3 of the season for a first time offense. 758898[/snapback] well, the NFL manages to suspend first-time offenders one quarter of the season without any problems, so i'd imagine if we do everything they're doing right now, we wouldn't have to worry about significant legal problems arising from handing players longer suspensions.
May 4, 200521 yr I thought the first time offense in the NFL was counseling and one game. 762144[/snapback] Nah Boston had his first offense this past season adn was four games
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