MLB Strengthens Lead On Drug Testing - Gary Armida's Blog

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Gary Armida's Blog

MLB Strengthens Lead On Drug Testing Stuck

Posted on January 11, 2013 at 11:21 AM.

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The Hall of Fame voting may have turned out to be a negative for Major League Baseball, but Bud Selig and Michael Weiner took a historic step the day after the zero vote ballot. Major League Baseball and the Players Association announced that they have modified the joint drug prevention agreement to add in-season, unannounced blood testing for human growth hormone. Perhaps even more significant, the modification also will allow the drug testing agency to track player�s baseline testosterone levels. With the new agreement in place, Major League Baseball now has the most thorough drug testing policy in Major League sports. While some will say it has come too late, the significant strides made by the Players Union under Michael Weiner should be celebrated.

�I am proud that our system allows us to adapt to the many evolving issues associated with the science and technology of drug testing. We will continue to do everything we can to maintain a leadership stature in anti-doping efforts in the years ahead,� said Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. The point about being able to adapt is important and should be an indication that the Players Union is finally on board with full testing. Since Michael Weiner has taken over as the MLBPA Executive Director, the association has been proactive with drug testing. The Union has submitted to every level of testing once they were secure that the process would be fair. Under the previous leadership, the Players Association resisted and declined every form of sensible drug testing. Perhaps it is changing with the times, but the leadership of Michael Weiner has resulted in real change. It is welcome change.

�The Players are determined to do all they can to continually improve the sport�s Joint Drug Agreement. Players want a program that is tough, scientifically accurate, backed by the latest proven scientific methods, and fair; I believe these changes firmly support the Players� desires while protecting their legal rights,� said Weiner.

Donald Fehr, the previous Executive Director, always cited privacy issues when it came to drug testing. Weiner has perhaps seen the bigger picture and realized that this issue was more about the integrity of the game and the players he represents than it is about a possible invasion of privacy. Perhaps that characterizes Fehr unfairly as he might have just been waiting for better, more reliable, and more secure tests to be available. Whatever the circumstance, Weiner has brought the Players Union to the forefront drug testing. For all of the players who have complained about steroids and being labeled, they have finally spoke loud enough.

The new testing won�t solve the current Hall of Fame issues, but it will allow Major League Baseball to move forward in a way that will allow more fans to have confidence that the game they are seeing on the field is clean. Even with the random urine drug testing, there was always the feeling that the players were ahead of the testing. HGH wasn�t tested. Last season, Major League Baseball did have announced blood testing in Spring Training, but since the tests were known, a player could still hide it. Now, theoretically, there is no hiding it.

It would be foolish to think that the new testing policy will catch everything. New drugs, new masking agents, and new ways to beat the tests are likely already available. The drug industry is always working. The testing is always adapting. The new testing policy is the latest adaptation. From the actions of Michael Weiner and the Players Union, they will continue to adapt the testing.

The more important aspect of this is the establishment and tracking of a player�s testosterone level. With artificial testosterone becoming the drug of choice, having a way to check spikes in a player�s level is another great addition to help police the game. With the latest additions to the protocol, Major League Baseball has come from the inept handling of steroids as recently as 2003 to leading the way in professional sports. Often, sports commissioners are prone to hyperbole when it comes to their actions. Bud Selig is actually correct in his praise. �This agreement addresses critical drug issues and symbolizes Major League Baseball�s continued vigilance against synthetic human growth hormone, Testosterone and other performance-enhancing substances,� said Selig.

Vigilance is a strong word, but no other professional sport has something remotely close to the type of rigorous, advanced testing protocol that Major League Baseball has. Since being embarrassed in front of Congress all those years ago, Major League Baseball has turned itself into the ideal. The NFL and NBA will have to make serious changes just to match Major League Baseball.

The fallout should be obvious. There should be less instances of HGH use. Players experimenting with testosterone therapies should become fewer. The game should continue its evolution back to its more traditional roots. Fans should be able watch a game without that lingering doubt about the authenticity of a performance. We all should be able to invest a bit more.

Maybe the most important impact is on the younger generation. The past few generation of young athletes have grown up watching a sport where cheating has been rewarded. The bigger an athlete got and the more home runs he swatted, the more money he made. Like many players in the game, the young athlete received a message that he had to cheat in order to compete. Hopefully, that is no longer the feeling.

It has been a long road with performance enhancing drugs and Major League Baseball. That road has not ended. But, the industry has finally responded and responded well. The latest additions to the testing policy are significant and worthy of praise. The testing is as current as it can be. It finally tests for everything that is currently known. All of that should give fans a bit more peace when watching a game. It should restore what the sport has lacked because of the cloud of drugs: absolute integrity.

SOUND OFF OS: Does Major League Baseball�s new drug testing policy do enough to make you believe that drugs are no longer a major factor in the sport?

Gary Armida is a staff writer for Operation Sports. He also writes for fullcountpitch.com. Catch up with him on twitter @garyarmida

Comments

# 1 speels @ Jan 11

I like this. The fact that they are allowing this is huge. This is the only way for the MLB to fight back from the steroid era. The funny thing is, until the NBA, NHL, or NFL has someone come out with a "Mitchel Report" they can continue to hide behind the unknown. I can't imagine what would happen in the US if they found rampant use of steroids in the NFL.