Bud Selig Seeks 50-Game Penalty for Steroids

Selig Seeks 50-Game Penalty for Steroids (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. 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.

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.

“Last winter, we reopened our agreement to deal with steroids,” Selig wrote in the April 25 letter, a copy of which was obtained Saturday by The Associated Press. “I am asking you now to demonstrate once again to America that our relationship has improved to the point that we can act quickly and effectively deal with matters affecting the integrity of our great sport.”

Reached Saturday, Fehr said the union was not yet prepared to discuss Selig’s proposal.

Interesting. It’s ironic that Selig and the owners have ignored the obvious problem for decades and the union has stonewalled any enforcement and now they’re suddenly going to draconian levels of punishment.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Jeff says:

    If amphetamines are banned for players under minor league contracts does that mean a drafted player who signs with the big club can use them while he’s playing in the minors before he makes it to the show with no pentalty?

  2. herb says:

    It’s about time Selig got off his rear end.

  3. Jack Tanner says:

    ‘now they’re suddenly going to draconian levels of punishment. ‘

    Draconian? Seems about right to me.