Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
June 11, 2006
Punishment Loophole

Peter Schmuck explains the loophole in the MLB drug testing policy that MLB is trying to exploit with Jason Grimsley:

Call it a loophole if you want. Major League Baseball recently embarked on a wide-ranging investigation to determine the true extent of the sport's steroid problem, but it appeared powerless to punish past offenders because the collectively bargained anti-steroid program requires a positive urine test to trigger specific disciplinary action.

That might have changed when Grimsley was caught with a smoking gun called human growth hormone, according to federal agents.

Since hGH is banned under the current program but is not detectable with a urine test, the door appears to be open for baseball commissioner Bud Selig to discipline Grimsley for possession and admitted use of the synthetic hormone, which is illegal unless prescribed by a physician.

The players union will have little choice but to try to prevent Selig from setting a precedent that might be applied to players who are proved to have used other substances either during the steroid inquiry by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell or the ongoing federal investigation that stung Grimsley.

The rumor is that Selig wants to suspend Grimsley for 50 games, even though with Jason out of baseball it would be a symbolic gesture. Then if Mitchell uncovers wrong doing, those players can be suspended as well.

If the point of the investigation is to find out what happened in the past, this is the wrong move. If players believe they are going to be punished if they co-operate, they'll keep their mouths shut. But if the Mitchell investigation is designed to punish past offenses, then Selig should certainly go this route. He needs to understand it will make Mitchell's job much more difficult.


Posted by David Pinto at 09:17 AM | Cheating | TrackBack (0)
Comments

punish past offense is pretty stupid.

and i sure don't hear buddy boy talkin bout punishing
1 - tom house, who admitted using roids
2 - ken caminiti, who admitted using roids
3 - jose canseco, who admitted using roids

if it turns out that most of the ballplayers were on SOME illegal PED, what is bud gonna do?

it's gonna look bad if he punishes just one (barry lamar) and he's gonna look like senator mccarthy only worse if he wants to punish everyone for using in the past

Posted by: lisa gray at June 11, 2006 11:14 AM
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