Major League Baseball Steroid Policy
By
Throughout most of the Major League Baseball history steroid testing never
became a major issue. Following the BALCO steroid scandal during which several
top baseball players were accused of using illegal performance enhancing drugs
the MLB decided to institute harder punishment and penalties for baseball
players who use steroids. A new policy was developed and accepted by MLB players
and owners and was officially started at the beginning of the 2005 season.
The new policy breaks down the penalties involved with testing positive for
performance enhancing drugs for up to five tests as follows:
After the first positive test, a player will be put on suspension for up to ten
days.
A second positive test results in a thirty-day suspension for the player.
A sixty-day suspension for any player testing positive for the third time.
If a player tests positive, four times they will be suspended for a full year.
After five positive tests, the commissioner of the league will determine a
proper penalty for the player.
According to the policy players must be tested at least once a year but any
player or suspected user of performance enhancing drugs can be tested any number
of times per year. The old policy that was established in 2002 called for
treatment of a player if their first test was positive.
However, the current commissioner of the MLB Bud Selig has proposed a new set of
penalties with a three strikes approach. This approach would call for a fifty
game suspension for a first positive test, a one hundred game suspension for a
second positive test and a lifetime suspension from major league baseball with a
third positive test. However, this approach cannot be instituted until it is
accepted by the owners and players.
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