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CNN Live Sunday
MLB Promises To Crack Down On Steroid Use By Players
Aired November 16, 2003 - 16:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Major League Baseball is acknowledging it has a drug problem too. After learning that more than 5 percent of its players tested used steroids last year, MLB is promising to crack down.
Ken Rosenthal who was the senior baseball writer for "The Sporting News" joins us now from Baltimore. So, Ken, was that a surprise, 5 percent?
KEN ROSENTHAL, "THE SPORTING NEWS": I think it was a little bit of a surprise, but anyone who has watched the sport over the years knows that players are using steroids and performance enhancing drugs. All you have to do look at the before and after pictures from 10 years ago and now and it's rather stark what's going on.
KOPPEL: I think what's also somewhat surprising is the penalty that the Major League Baseball is imposing on these players. They're saying that they won't be suspended or have any fines until after the second offense, whereas in the NFL one strike and you're out for four games.
ROSENTHAL: There's no question this is the most lenient steroid testing program, a lame steroid testing program in all sports. You look as this as compared to the NFL as you suggest or the Olympic Committee and it's not close.
The reason is the union, the players union has consistant abdicated its responsibility in looking after the well-being of its players. They don't want a harsher program because of their distrust of management and management in turn also deserves some blame because in the last labor negotiation they didn't go for steroid testing above all, they went for economic reform.
KOPPEL: So, how is the union able to block what the league wants to do in terms of penalties?
ROSENTHAL: Well, because all of this is agreed upon in collective bargaining. And these two sides have had a history of distrust and contempt for each other dating more than 30 years. It continues to this day. And there's good reason for the union's distrust of management. There have been some violations of trust over the years. But in a situation like this, when we're talking about the future well-being of the union membership, I think the union needs to take a more active position.
KOPPEL: How do players use steroids? And you kind of alluded to this, I was going to say without being detected you as somebody who is on the sidelines, you're not a doctor, could tell just by looking at them. But how did they escape detection until now?
ROSENTHAL: Well, until this year, there was never even testing. And this is the first year they had survey testing, which was to basically survey and see what it was and that's how players did escape detection, there was no discipline.
And even with testing, Andrea, there are many things players can do, using masking agents, they can use drugs that can't be detected under the test like human growth hormone, they can even employ their own personal chemist who can help monitor their intake.
So, drug testing itself as we know from the olympics is not necessarily a solution, but it certainly goes a long way toward improving the image and integrity of the sport.
KOPPEL: Why did the league finally decide to take this seriously and start enacting testing? I mean, this -- I think it's surprising to some people that they hadn't done this before.
ROSENTHAL: Right, well, there's been an outcry over the past several years about what's been going on. There's been some very prominent former major leaguers, Ken Caminiti, Jose Conseco, coming forward and say hey, there something going on here and it's ugly. They did agree to this in the last collective bargaining agreement and now they have this program going forward.
KOPPEL: OK, Ken Rosenthal with "The Sporting News," joining us from Baltimore, thanks very much, Ken.
ROSENTHAL: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 16, 2003 - 16:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Major League Baseball is acknowledging it has a drug problem too. After learning that more than 5 percent of its players tested used steroids last year, MLB is promising to crack down.
Ken Rosenthal who was the senior baseball writer for "The Sporting News" joins us now from Baltimore. So, Ken, was that a surprise, 5 percent?
KEN ROSENTHAL, "THE SPORTING NEWS": I think it was a little bit of a surprise, but anyone who has watched the sport over the years knows that players are using steroids and performance enhancing drugs. All you have to do look at the before and after pictures from 10 years ago and now and it's rather stark what's going on.
KOPPEL: I think what's also somewhat surprising is the penalty that the Major League Baseball is imposing on these players. They're saying that they won't be suspended or have any fines until after the second offense, whereas in the NFL one strike and you're out for four games.
ROSENTHAL: There's no question this is the most lenient steroid testing program, a lame steroid testing program in all sports. You look as this as compared to the NFL as you suggest or the Olympic Committee and it's not close.
The reason is the union, the players union has consistant abdicated its responsibility in looking after the well-being of its players. They don't want a harsher program because of their distrust of management and management in turn also deserves some blame because in the last labor negotiation they didn't go for steroid testing above all, they went for economic reform.
KOPPEL: So, how is the union able to block what the league wants to do in terms of penalties?
ROSENTHAL: Well, because all of this is agreed upon in collective bargaining. And these two sides have had a history of distrust and contempt for each other dating more than 30 years. It continues to this day. And there's good reason for the union's distrust of management. There have been some violations of trust over the years. But in a situation like this, when we're talking about the future well-being of the union membership, I think the union needs to take a more active position.
KOPPEL: How do players use steroids? And you kind of alluded to this, I was going to say without being detected you as somebody who is on the sidelines, you're not a doctor, could tell just by looking at them. But how did they escape detection until now?
ROSENTHAL: Well, until this year, there was never even testing. And this is the first year they had survey testing, which was to basically survey and see what it was and that's how players did escape detection, there was no discipline.
And even with testing, Andrea, there are many things players can do, using masking agents, they can use drugs that can't be detected under the test like human growth hormone, they can even employ their own personal chemist who can help monitor their intake.
So, drug testing itself as we know from the olympics is not necessarily a solution, but it certainly goes a long way toward improving the image and integrity of the sport.
KOPPEL: Why did the league finally decide to take this seriously and start enacting testing? I mean, this -- I think it's surprising to some people that they hadn't done this before.
ROSENTHAL: Right, well, there's been an outcry over the past several years about what's been going on. There's been some very prominent former major leaguers, Ken Caminiti, Jose Conseco, coming forward and say hey, there something going on here and it's ugly. They did agree to this in the last collective bargaining agreement and now they have this program going forward.
KOPPEL: OK, Ken Rosenthal with "The Sporting News," joining us from Baltimore, thanks very much, Ken.
ROSENTHAL: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
