Joe in Philly
Jan 12 2005, 07:49 PM
The players and owners have come to an agreement.
There will be an announcement Thursday. QUOTE
The agreement will include penalties for first-time offenders, an AL player said on condition of anonymity. Other details, such as the frequency of tests, were not immediately available.
Adam
Jan 13 2005, 11:30 AM
The rank & file players deserve a great deal of credit for this. Don Fehr wouldn't have pushed for a change in the policy without various players wanting a new, tougher policy. I guess their sense that all players were being tarred with the broadest of all possible brushes finally got to them. Unlike other negotiations where both sides give a little to get a little, in this, it looks like the players gave a lot & asked for nothing in return.
~Adam
[ January 13, 2005, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: Adam ]
Joe in Philly
Jan 13 2005, 01:06 PM
At an article on ESPN.com it says that the new steroid penalty "falls far short of the World Anti-Doping Agency's code, which has been adopted by most Olympic sports. It says the "norm" is two-year bans for a first positive test and a lifetime ban for a second, unless there are mitigating circumstances." Apparently MLB will announce that the first offense will result in a 10-day suspension, and a year-long suspension will only occur after the fourth offense, down (or up?) from the fifth offense in the current policy. Also, while they're adding more steroid-type substances like THG to the list of banned substances, there's nothing about stimulants in the new policy.