southsider2k5 Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 He is banned from international play for two years, and his penalty from MLB? Nothing. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=1707589 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aboz56 Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 So what's the point of testing if there is no penalty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Hudler Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 So what's the point of testing if there is no penalty? First of all, without it written into the agreement that failing an USOC test would count the same as failing an MLB test, there is nothing they can do to him. If he failed an MLB test, that would be a different case. One can make a case that since MLB sponsors their players in international competition that they would honor the results of those tests, but if that is not the way the deal was written up, then MLB can't do anything. Secondly, the International drug testing policy is tight as hell. A guy can flunk a test by taking over the counter cold medicine or too much caffiene. Yes, MLB's policy is a joke, but it is brand new. They basically are trying to take care of the biggest stuff. Like it or not, their testing won't be as comprehensive as the IOC. So it is important to note why a player failed an International test, not just that he did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john2499 Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 What the hell kind of treatment ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 The International drug testing policy is tight as hell. A guy can flunk a test by taking over the counter cold medicine or too much caffiene. Yes, MLB's policy is a joke, but it is brand new. They basically are trying to take care of the biggest stuff. Like it or not, their testing won't be as comprehensive as the IOC. So it is important to note why a player failed an International test, not just that he did. The IOC's regulations are nothing compared to those in place for cycling. I'm a cyclist, and follow the European race scene as closely as I do White Sox baseball, and I can assure you that cyclists are the most tested athletes in the world. The UCI's suspensions may not be as harsh as the IOC, but 1 positive test will still make you ineligble foro competition for a calendar year. A typical day on the Tour de France will see 25-30 people tested of the 189 riders to start. Top 10 finishers on the day Top 3 in overall standing Top 3 in standings of three different categories Plus random tests of about 10% of the remaining riders. That number goes up if positive tests are found. Over 24 days that means everyone is tested, multiple times. Lance Armstrong has been tested, on average, over the last five years, 17 out of the 24 days on the tour. Cycling is a small sport that doesn't make a lot of money for anyone involved. And they have found the resources to make it the cleanest sport around because they can't live with the perception that it's not an honest competition. Baseball, on the other hand, makes everyone rich but the fans.Why would they want to change that with lower homerun totals and less fan interest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Hudler Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 Baseball is a different issue. They can't just blow up the sport as we know it because it is too big. They also have the players union involved that wants to protect the interest of the players and doesn't want such comprehensive testing. Baseball is attempting to take care of the problem slowly and quietly. For many it is too little and not fast enough. I understand that. But if I were the higher ups in baseball and I was involved in teh players union, I might make the same choices. Hopefully over the next several years, they can get a hold on the problem and it will go away. Might not happen that way, but baseball needs to baby step this especially with the problems the union poses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Baseball is a different issue. They can't just blow up the sport as we know it because it is too big. They also have the players union involved that wants to protect the interest of the players and doesn't want such comprehensive testing. Baseball is attempting to take care of the problem slowly and quietly. For many it is too little and not fast enough. I understand that. But if I were the higher ups in baseball and I was involved in teh players union, I might make the same choices. Hopefully over the next several years, they can get a hold on the problem and it will go away. Might not happen that way, but baseball needs to baby step this especially with the problems the union poses. MLB has no choice but to baby step this problem. I think they were lucky to get what they got from the MLBPA on this issue. In fact, if the fans hadn't have sent the message they did prior to the strike deadline, I doubt this issue would have even been addressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Hudler Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 You're a smart man, Yas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 He is banned from international play for two years, and his penalty from MLB? Nothing. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=1707589 They let roid boy Sham-me play in the majors so why not a couple of slackers from the 'Spos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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