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MLB, Union announce tougher PED policy. Thoughts, particularly from the anti-steroids scolds?
Are you zealots finally satisfied with this updated policy? Note that it still falls well short of execution for a first-time allegation.
The summary: http://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/03...
The basics:
More than double (1400 -> 3200) in-season urine testing.
More off-season urine testing.
More in-season blood testing for HGH.
More advanced analytic testing.
Foreign free agents tested before allowed to sign.
(Here's your red meat, though to repeat, no death penalty.)
First violation: 80 game suspension.
Second violation: 162 game suspension, without pay (183 days, the official length of a championship season).
Third violation: permanent suspension.
A no-fault unintentional usage option, with evidence.
Suspended players ineligible for postseason play even if the suspension is expired.
Ineligible for full share of postseason pool money.
Teams to provide known-clean supplements.
New substances banned (and more to come).
Stronger confidentiality.
Read the more complete details or surf around for press releases, but this is, I think, a fair summary of bullets.
So, satisfied? Still not tuff enuff? Rant away.
I'm fine with this. It was collectively bargained, it has modifications that were needed to avoid another Braun or Rodriguez debacle, and it still doesn't have a death penalty that some people appear to crave.
Note that the "no postseason eligibility" penalty moves the punishment from being the only the player's burden to deliberately being the team's burden. And remember this could happen TO YOUR TEAM. Think carefully if you approve of this.
4 Answers
- FozzyLv 77 years agoFavorite Answer
Actually the length of suspensions are right in line with what I thought they should have been in the first place. I also like the idea that players would then be ineligible for postseason play as well. The addition of HGH blood testing also makes a ton of sense as well.
I'm not real crazy about the unintentional usage option. My objection to that is more that most of the torch carrying mob will grumble about there being a double standard. All I would take for that sort of talk would be someone like Braun or A-Rod using that option successfully while another player is denied. And I would think someone whose most important asset is his body would be damn sure about what he did or did not ingest.
The most encouraging part to me is that he players approved of it. I've always felt that any real change needed to come from the players themselves. It appears the players are now sort of policing themselves to a much larger extent.
- ?Lv 77 years ago
Look at it this way, if you had a drug problem, would your company give you 80 days off without pay for your first offense, and then one year off for your second offense, and not dump your a$$ until your third offense? Of course not, you'd be gone the first time.
If they applied this theory in MLB, the steroid problem would CEASE immediately! Still not enough teeth in the policy, but, like you said, its a start!
- Jake No ChatLv 77 years ago
They are making the changes for the good of baseball, so it does not matter what I think. There still may be holes in it, but it does send a clear message to the fans and the players, let's keep it clean for the sake of all involved.