Baseball’s Black Eye

The House Committee on Governmental Reform has subpoenaed several baseball players and may soon call out baseball officials to answer questions on steroid use by players. Baseball is fighting the summons, and a lot of sports people are complaining that Congress has no business getting involved, and are simply grandstanding for votes. Maybe they are grandstanding, but how quickly we forget that baseball, “America’s Favorite Pastime” was granted an anti-trust exemption by Congress in the early 1900s. Perhaps Bud Selig and the owners should “play ball” with Congress because the anti-trust exemption certainly isn’t in the players (or fans) best interest. It’s Selig and the owners that have the most to loose should Congress decide that baseball isn’t “just a game” and is indeed a multi-billion dollar corporation and not worthy of this exemption.

Seven active or former players, including Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Jose Canseco, and four baseball executives, including Rob Manfred, executive vice president for labor relations in the commissioner’s office and players’ association head Donald Fehr, have been told to appear Thursday. Also subpoenaed were Rafael Palmeiro, Curt Schilling, Frank Thomas and Jason Giambi. Canseco has asked for immunity so he can testify fully.

I’m no fan of government intervention, but I welcome these Congressional interviews. Only because MLB isn’t policing itself! If you think I’m crazy consider the penalties for steroid use:

• First positive test for steroid use would result in treatment
• Second positive: 15-day suspension or fine of up to $10,000.
• Third positive: 25-day suspension or fine of up to $25,000
• Fourth positive: a 50-day suspension or fine of up to $50,000
• Fifth positive: a one-year suspension or fine of up to $100,000

Of course, the suspensions would be without pay.

So what MLB is telling us is that the penalty for the first time caught knowingly “cheating” is counseling? The player has to be caught cheating five times before the organization considers suspending for a season??

And you’re telling me, the Giants are going to suspend someone like Bonds for a year? Gimmie-a-break! He’d be levied the fine and that would be it. Still, $100 thousand is a hefty sum of money, right? Considering Bonds earned $18 million in 2004, that so-called hefty fine represents just one-half of one percent (0.05%) of his income. Ouch!

Dick Pound, World Anti-Doping Agency chairman, slammed baseball’s testing system and scale of penalties for steroid use. Pound told the Associated Press, “I think it’s an insult to the fight against doping in sport, an insult to the intelligence of the American public and an insult to the game itself.”

To put this in perspective, under the Anti-Doping Agency’s code, which has been adopted by most Olympic sports, an athlete faces a minimum two-year ban for a first positive steroid test and a life ban for a second.

Now, let’s see if I can get this straight…

Jose Canseco retires and writes a book. In this book he states that he used steroids and estimates that 85 percent of players do. Ken Caminiti has also admitted to using steroids. So far, these are the only two who have admitted knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. But recent drug testing revealed 5-7 percent of major league players popped positive for steroids. Incidentally, this test included pitchers who do not benefit from steroids, so the percentages are probably larger for the big hitters, and this test was conducted after the anti-steroid policy was announced in 2003.

And what about Barry Bonds? Who denied using steroids, but during his grand jury testimony in the 2003 BALCO steroid distribution case, he admitted using a clear substance and a cream given to him by a trainer. He reportedly said he didn’t know they were steroids. (BALCO owner Victor Conte was indicted for illegal steroid distribution). Bonds was also said to have received human growth hormone, a very powerful steroid that can’t be distributed without a prescription. Still he categorically denies knowingly using steroids.

So, does Bonds use steroids? I think the answer is as plain as the nose on your face. After all, Barry Bonds became a client of BALCO in late 2000. Since becoming a BALCO client, he gained 20 pounds of muscle, and his performance soared. He jumped from 46 homers to 73 at age 36, and his win shares jumped from 32 to 54 from 2000 to 2001. He has won the MVP every year since, at ages 36-38. According to Stats, Inc. he had never hit a homer over 450 feet before then, whereas he has now done it 21 times. And who says your performance diminishes as you get older?

Truth be told, except for Canseco and Caminiti, we don’t know who uses or has used steroids. What if we find out that Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire use them? How will it affect their records? Will their records be revoked? What about the fans? What about the kids who look up to the Sosas and McGwires? What message do these players send to them? If you cheat, you’ll get your name in the record books or better yet, the “Hall of Fame” in Cooperstown!

Shame on them!