MLB’s attitude towards steroids is very similar to that of Manny Ramirez (who said he didn’t owe the fans an explanation for his suspension) — we’re above you and we don’t have to be accountable. When you’re talking about a regular season that has 162 games, a 50 game suspension is less than a third of the season. That’s not much. I don’t understand how MLB deems that an appropriate deterrent for someone contemplating juicing. It’s a simple matter of risk-reward and right now the reward still greatly outweighs the risk. Nevertheless, MLB continues to turn its head away from a tougher policy when pressured by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency):
The president of the World Anti-Doping Agency urged Major League Baseball to adopt its code, which includes a two-year suspension for an athlete’s first positive test.
MLB and the players association have toughened their drug rules three times since their initial agreement in August 2002, and MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred quickly dismissed criticism by WADA president John Fahey, calling him “sadly misinformed.”
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“It is absurd to suggest that ‘recently published books’ — which allege steroid use that occurred years ago — have any relevance to our current program,” Manfred said. “As demonstrated by recent events, when a player tests positive, the penalty is public and severe.”
Sadly misinformed? Oh yeah, why don’t you talk to the Manny Ramirez or Alex Rodriguez fans who were crushed to find out “their guy” was on steroids and then tell me who’s sadly misinformed. It’s the public, the people, the fans — we’re the ones getting crapped on. I understand that the cheaters will always be a step ahead of the testers because developing tests is a reaction, but just for the peace of mind of fans, why can’t they adopt a harsher penalty policy? I don’t have a problem with the testing, it’s just the deterrent. 50 games isn’t enough — you need to threaten a player’s livelihood. You think Manny’s worried about his mid-season vacation? Heck no. But you take two years out of his career and I guarantee you he’s thinking twice before he tries to get knocked up with triplets again.
