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 Shame

                                                      Mike DiPatri      03/11/04

Watching the Senate Committee hearings on steroid use in sports had to make any fan feel ashamed.  Mr. Fehr's comments that it is wrong to start testing players are completely outrageous!  He completely embarrassed Major League Baseball in front of the NFL and amateur athletics representatives.

The use of these drugs is supposedly not allowed.  But according to Mr. Fehr, the players are above that rule.  Senator McCain, the committee chairman, indicated that by not developing an adequate testing program, the league was aiding and abetting cheaters.  He is absolutely accurate in that assessment.  If the use of these drugs is prohibited, then their use is cheating.  If there is no way to get caught, then cheating is acceptable.  Among the definitions of cheating in the dictionary is "to practice fraud or trickery."  If players are allowed "to practice fraud or trickery," then are their accomplishments fraudulent?  By claiming that testing players is wrong, Mr. Fehr is really saying that it's acceptable for them to violate the league's rules.  In any other venue, a violation of the rules would result in punishment or disqualification.

What makes major league players so much better than everybody else that they don't have to obey the rules?  Why is it not right to test them to try to control the cheating that so many of them are guilty of?  The best Americans in the country are subject to testing for illegal drug use.  I am referring to the members of the armed forces.  Some may argue that these people are tested for really harmful things such as cocaine and other illicit drugs.  The people trying to make this argument should ask Lyle Alzado if steroids are harmful.  Oh yeah, that's right, they can't ask him because steroids already killed him.

This discussion does not infer that all players are using illegal substances.  The players not using do not have a problem with a testing program.  The players whom Mr. Fehr is trying to protect are those who are cheating.  Why protect cheaters?  That only reduces the credibility of the game and its players.  It also reflects poorly on those players who do not cheat.  It's no wonder players from other countries want to play in the Majors.  They can make up for a deficit in talent by cheating! 

So here's my proposed plan.  During the pre-season, 100% of the players test.  Players know this in advance.  It?s part of the rules.  The rules are not negotiable.  If they can't live with the rules, they don't play.  It's up to them.  McDonald's is always hiring, so surely they can get a job.  No player is grandfathered.  The rule applies to everyone.  After that pre-season testing, there will be random testing throughout the season.  Ten percent of players each month will be the requirement.  A positive test during the pre-season testing will not disqualify a player from playing that season.  He will, however, have to play for the league minimum.  Any positive test thereafter will disqualify him from play that season.  If he tests positive on the following year's pre-season test, he will find himself in Pete Rose land, never again to associate himself with baseball. 

The Senate Committee on the use of steroids in sports made good points during this week's hearings.  It indicated that if the league does not do something about the problem, then Congress would fix it through legislation.  It's rare to see politicians from both parties in such agreement about any issue as they are on this one.  Real fans of baseball hope the members of the committee are serious in their threat.  Major League Baseball has become the embarrassment of American sports.  Players will cheat to gain advantage.  Its union will protect them, thereby helping them to cheat, and the league stands by wringing its hands doing nothing.  It's about time for the league to s**t or get off the pot!