WASHINGTON, 19 March 2005 — Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig promised before US lawmakers here Thursday that he will suspend all players who test positive for steroids and make their identities public.
Loopholes in the exact wording of baseball’s union contract give Selig the power to impose only fines for doping violations, but he essentially asked for trust from the House Government Reform Committee probing steroids in the sport.
“I will suspend any player who tests positive for an illegal substance,” Selig vowed. “There will be no exceptions.”
Lawmakers looked into steroids in baseball in the wake of the BALCO scandal links to Barry Bonds, whose trainer faces steroid distribution charges, and accusations of 1990s abuses by ex-player Jose Canseco in a tell-all book.
US lawmakers ripped the policy as inadequate because according to the text, steroid cheats could be fined instead of banned, even though Selig and union leaders said that option would never be considered.
“There are so many loopholes it’s unbelievable,” committee member Stephen Lynch said. “I’m very disappointed. I think Congress has to act now. The time to wait has long since passed.”
Other flaws cited include inadequate supervision of players during tests and the fact that those caught won’t be named.
Baseball vice president Rob Manfred defended the measures, saying they gave Selig “the unfettered right to do what he has said he will do”.
Legislators voiced doubts that would be enough.
“We’re long past the point where we can count on Major League Baseball to fix its own problems,” ranking minority committee member Henry Waxman said.
“For 30 years, baseball has said, ‘Trust us’. The league hasn’t honored that trust, and it hasn’t acted responsibly to protect ballplayers. Baseball had a responsibility to do the right thing and it didn’t do it.
“As baseball did nothing over the years, the use of steroids by kids increased. Now America is asking baseball for integrity - an unequivocal policy against cheating.”
At the end of nearly 12 hours of testimony, Waxman said Selig might need to go to make effective change.
“Maybe it’s time for new leadeship for baseball,” Waxman said. “I don’t think baseball has been doing what it should.”
First-time steroid offenders would have a 10-day ban or $ 10,000 fine with gradual steps up in cost and days for repeat offenses. Compared to World Anti-Doping Agency regulations, a two-year first ban and life ban thereafter, it is weak. It pales compared even to betting on baseball, where the major leagues have a zero-tolerance policy.
Manfred pointed out that WADA has no labor union to placate, but players union boss Don Fehr insisted his side was not objecting to doping sanctions.
Fehr said credibility was so important that the union would waive the right to contest suspensions and that mandating bans would be the right choice.
When Selig said he was willing to remove the option of imposing only fines, Fehr cited the possibility of positives from inadvertent tainting of samples.
“That’s why you have an appeal,” said committee chairman Tom Davis. “Taking this out would be a major advance for everybody’s credibility. We’re calling on baseball to do more.”
