Major League Baseball finally gathered up some balls and stepped to the plate Tuesday. According to The Associated Press, the MLB Owners and Players Union have agreed to beef up the leagues steroid policy in a big way. In response to consistent prodding from Congress (who apparently had nothing better to do, namely Republican Senators John McCain and Jim Bunning, MLB has finally agreed upon a proposal similar to, if softer than, the current proposed legislation on Capitol Hill (not to be confused with Tal’s Hill in Houston, which is equally as miserable).
A first positive test under the new guidelines will carry a 50-game suspension, a 100-game suspension for the second and a lifetime ban for the third positive. While not identical to Congress’ proposal which would carry half-season, one season, and lifetime bans for each subsequent positive, it should be enough to quiet any detractors.
According to The Associated Press, the new agreement is likely to be announced late Tuesday and also includes previously absent amphetamine testing as well as penalties for possession and distribution of banned substances. Players will also be tested more frequently: one test during spring physicals, at LEAST one during the regular season (with additional random testing possible) and off-season screening. Quite a step up from last years one per-season and off-season tests.
…Shall we all stand and applaud? Well, what about a collective sigh of relief? Tangled in a web of lies and accusations of heros turned cheaters, baseball has been sporting a big black eye since the ’99 discovery of then Home Run Champion of the World Mark McGwire’s bottle of then-legal Andro. The problems no doubt go back much further, likely well into the 80’s, but weren’t so painful until Jose “The Chemist” Canseco walked back into our lives and wrote us a crap-tastic book.
Eventually, however, the steak MLB had used to cover the black eye wouldn’t cut it anymore. In January they gave us a toothless excuse for progress complete with a 10-game slap on the wrist for first time abusers. Congress, to their credit, spotted the problem right off: Ghandi was more frightening than these penalties.
For all their faults, Congress is largely responsible for the progress we have today. The new agreement satisfies everyones needs: baseball gains back a measure of respect, the players get a pat on the back for forcing their union to do the right thing, Congress gets something right, and the fans can feel more assured of fair play than they’ve been able to in decades.
Though perhaps they didn’t want to, baseball delivered. For that, I suppose they deserve to be in The Clear…or was it The Cream?…for at least a day.
By Sam Miles