Baseball Musings: Drug Deal

January 13, 2005

Drug Deal

Here's the press release from Major League Baseball on the tentative agreement reached with the MLBPA.

The agreement provides that every player will undergo at least one unannounced test on a randomly selected date during the playing season, and creates an additional program of testing randomly selected players. The agreement places no specific limit on the number of additional tests to which any player may randomly be subjected, and further includes random testing during the off-season, irrespective of a player's country of residence.
The agreement contains revised disciplinary penalties for positive test results, with first time offenders now being suspended for ten days. Second-time offenders will be suspended for 30 days. Third-time offenders will be suspended for 60 days. Fourth-time offenders will be suspended for one year. All suspensions will be without pay.

The agreement, when coupled with federal legislation going into effect this month, will broaden the list of banned substances in Baseball to include not only steroids, but steroid precursors and designer steroids such as THG, as well as masking agents and diuretics.

I'm really against a suspension on the first offense, simply due to false positives (if anyone knows what the rate of false positives is on the various steroid tests, please pass it on). Someone who doesn't use steroids is going to lose ten days pay for some false indication. And because they are testing for so many different compounds, false positives are going to be that much more likely. I personally believe the penalty for a first offense should be more extensive testing, maybe twice a week for six months. That way, if it is a false indication, there's no public stigma attached to the player.

Here's the ESPN report on the matter. Tom Glavine sums up the player's side:

"Everybody believed that the program we had in place was having an effect and definitely it was doing what it was designed to do," Mets pitcher Tom Glavine, a senior member of the union, told AP. "But having said that, with the stuff that was going on and whatnot, it forced us to take a look at revising it or making it a little tougher. It was not a question anymore if that agreement was going to be enough. It was a question to address some of the new issues that came to light and get our fans to believe we were doing everything we could to make the problem go away 100 percent."

Posted by David Pinto at 03:32 PM | Cheating | TrackBack (1)

Comments

There are an awful lot of masking agents, including OTC cold medicines. And diuretics include things like coffee. It'll be interesting to see how the impelementation unfolds. I suspect there will be some player initiated lawsuits.

Posted by: Robert at January 13, 2005 03:52 PM

I agree about the first time offense suspention. While I am all for being tough on steroids, false positives are as far as I know a reality in all drug testing of all kinds. Particularly when you are searching for masking agents and the like. There should at least be a requirement for a second verification test shortly after the initial test with a list of food items to avoid. This second test should take place before a first test result is made public or there is a suspension.

Posted by: seamus at January 13, 2005 04:09 PM

Yeah, I'm sure that they aren't just going to start suspending people immediately upon a positive test. I'm sure that they'll be able to retest or something like that. I can't imagine the Players Union wouldn't stipulate that as a condition.

I want to see a list of the things they are testing for. They always use the term "steroids" when steroids are totally old school. There are so many more compounds out there that are better than steroids for performance enhancement. Cycling tests for increased levels of red blood cells. I wonder if MLB is going to get into stuff like that.

Posted by: sabernar at January 13, 2005 04:32 PM

Tom Glavine, who is "Everybody?"This statement of
yours is such a jumble of nothing, including that the
previous system "definitely was doing what it was
designed to do." To be accurate, it was a bunch of
lies. You're not to be taken seriously about anything
ever again.

Posted by: susan at January 13, 2005 10:02 PM

I think it's long overdue, and about damn time. False positives? Redo it on your own dime. I have no patience for guys that cheat.

Posted by: Al at January 13, 2005 10:55 PM

""We have agreed on a new, much tougher drug-testing program that is designed to rid our game of performance-enhancing drugs."

--Bud Selig

Without a ban of greenies, too, three words should be added to that quote: "...that the general public is aware of."

Posted by: Matt at January 14, 2005 01:06 AM

Can players also request for doping tests to prove their innocence? Like Sosa was challenged to a couple of seasons ago?
Any player who makes a sudden improvement next season will be viewed suspiciously and he might want to clear his name.

Posted by: William K. at January 14, 2005 04:01 AM

Al's statement is one of the most ludicrous I've ever heard. Someone who gets a false positive is not cheating. There still should be some right to due process.

Posted by: David Pinto at January 14, 2005 06:18 AM

What really matter here is how soon before a test will a player know about the test. Detection times are know throughout the steroid world. If players know they are to be tested, they will use steroids that will be free from their system quickly. Here are some steroid facts: (See Propionate 2 weeks or andriol-1 week)

Detection times

Boldenone Undecyclenate 4-5 months
Clen 4-5 Days
Ephedrin 6-10 Days
Halo 2 months
Proviron 5 weeks
D-Bol 5 weeks
Methamphetamin 6-10 Days
Primo Depot 4-5 weeks
Deca 18 months
Nandrolon Phenylprop 12 months
Anavar 3 weeks
Anadrol 2 months
Winny oral 3 weeks
Winny inj 2 months
Test cyp 3 months
Test enat 3 months
Sustanon 3 months
Test Prop 2-3 weeks
Andriol 1 week
Tremolon Acet 4-5 weeks
Test supspenison No metabolites. t/e should
be back to normal in days.

Factors which influence the detection times
Metabolism
Fluid intake
Tolerance to the drug
Frequency of intake
Duration of intake
Body fat
Potency of drug
Dosage

Posted by: John at January 14, 2005 11:19 AM

Thanks, John. Do you have a link to where this info is published?

Posted by: David Pinto at January 14, 2005 11:23 AM

Just go to yahoo and type steroid detection times. You will find a ton of info. You will get steroid sites, articles and others, but most all have the same detection times.

The real problem with a freebe first test is that if you test positive, you stop the drug imediately. The you go in for your second test a week later, and they will find nothing.

Nice steroid testing plan. I'm sure the player has to have some time to react, how long is that period. I know that everyone is thinking that MLB and the players union would never create a plan that gives the players enough time to get off the drug, right?

Posted by: John at January 14, 2005 11:35 AM

David, I never said a false positive is cheating. I'm just not worried about false positives. I am worried about the integrity of the game, and with this strict policy, it is stronger than ever.

Posted by: Al at January 15, 2005 12:49 AM

An Intro to Stats textbook will give you what you need to determine (Bayes theory of probability) that only about 1/3 of all of those who are being identified by the minor and major league "steroids" testing are actually "cheating". The other 2/3 are false positives. Ignorance and hysteria reigns supreme here!

Posted by: Mike at April 13, 2005 08:57 AM