Selig On Steroids: THREE STRIKES AND YOU’RE OUT

Bud Selig, MLB Commissioner, is proposing a new and more firm steroid policy for Major League Baseball. Its would consist of a 50 game ban for first time offenders and a lifetime ban for third time offenders.

ESPN (AP) Baseball commissioner Bud Selig asked players to agree to a 50-game suspension for first-time steroid offenders and a lifetime ban for a third violation under what he called a “three strikes and you are out approach” to doping.

In a letter sent this week to union head Donald Fehr, Selig proposed a 100-game ban for a second offense. He also asked the union to ban amphetamines, to have more frequent random tests and to appoint an independent person to administer the major league drug-testing program.

“Third offenders should be banned permanently. I recognize the need for progressive discipline, but a third-time offender has no place in the game,” Selig wrote to Fehr. “Steroid users cheat the game. After three offenses, they have no place in it.”

It is about time baseball took the steroid issue seriously. The previous policies that were implemented were at best a joke.

Under the rules that began this season, a first offense gets a 10-day suspension, with the penalty increasing to 30 days for a second positive test, 60 days for a third and one year for a fourth. For a fifth positive, the penalty is at the commissioner’s discretion.

Baseball currently has no penalties for amphetamine use by players on 40-man major league rosters. Amphetamines are banned for players under minor league contracts.

The integrity of Major League Baseball, its players and records are all in question that this point. The present day situation within baseball and they records that have fallen should all be questioned. It is obvious to any honest fan of the game that baseball has a serious steroid issue. That in turn is funneled down to the minors, college, high school Nd even middle school as a cheat at any cost in order to win and succeed. It is about time that Bud Selig has taken this issue seriously with its far reaching affects.

“It is my strong opinion that, regardless of whatever incremental progress we may have made under the current agreement, we continue to have a serious integrity issue with regard to our current policy and our great game,” Selig wrote. “Prompt, decisive and dramatic action is needed to address the use of performance- enhancing substances because of the unfairness of such use to the rest of our players who want a level playing field.”

It will be interesting to see how far off the home run rate will be over all in baseball and for individual players. We could institute the “RED” rule that states after the tough steroid policies are put in place, the amount of HR’s players hit will be considered the average that they would have hit over the past 5-8 years. Do you think anyone will be hitting 67 or 70? I do not think so either. On a personal note any HR record either for a season or a career that counts HR’s prior to these steroid policies is not valid. It’s a shame that someone like Hank Aaron may lose his record to tainted home runs.

However, it will be interesting to see the Player’s Union reaction to this harsh and fair policy. Some how I just don’t see them agreeing. Will they do whats right for Baseball, or just its millionaire players?

Hat Tip: OTB