MLB Drug Policy a Losing Situation

By Thomas Fischer
April 11, 2005

The positive test results of Alex Sanchez proves what a joke the Major League Baseball drug testing system is. Are we honestly to believe that a man of Sanchez stature and physique are such that he could possibly be using performance enhancing drugs? It is highly unlikely that his appeal will be successful because the MLB policy does not allow for the release of the named substance Sanchez tested positive for. Still Sanchez faces a ten day (or is it ten game?) suspension and the forfeiture of $32,000 of his $600,000 salary for the 2005 season.

If his appeal overturns his suspension then what does that say about the MLB drug testing policy? It is a lose, lose situation. If Sanchez' suspension is upheld then he is the first victim of the rediculously ineffective policy that doesn't even check for hGH (human Growth Hormone). If his suspension is not upheld and he has already served the 10 day suspension then his team has suffered losing the centerfielder for 10 games needlessly.

Major League Baseball must fix this problem and the solution is ever so simple. They need to institute an Olympic type drug testing policy if they ever want to rid their sport of the illegal substances that have been banned not only by MLB but by the government of the United States. A new system should include a general and a specific testing system with random testing done as it is now. If the system catches a player testing positive then more specific testing should be done on that player privately until a definite substance can be determined. Then if the player actually does test positive for a banned substance and there is virtually no chance of a false positive result then and only then should a public statement be made regarding the player.

As far as punishment goes the current policy of 10, 30, 60 etc. days is no good, and definitely is not enough of a deterent to players. To send a message that this substance abuse will no longer be tolerated the first suspension, after the general and specific testing results have been confirmed, should be a one year suspension. Any subsequent positive test should be met with a 15 year suspension which would guarantee that the player would never play again.

Since Sanchez' appeal is still pending at the release of this article and it is anyone's guess what will come from this specific situation, but it has to be noted that Major League Baseball is a long way from solving their problem.