Baseball missed the boat

LONDON -- Baseball's policy on steroids is a "complete joke" and an "insult" to the fight against performance-enhancing drugs, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency said Friday.

WADA chairman Dick Pound criticized the testing system and scale of penalties for steroid use that will start in baseball next March.

He wasn't the only one who thought baseball's rules aren't tough enough.

A New York-based physician who is a member of WADA, Dr. Gary Wadler, called Thursday's announcement of baseball's test results "probably the blackest day in the history of sports." Between 5 and 7 percent of anonymous steroid tests among major leaguers came back positive, triggering a provision in the sport's labor contract that calls for testing with penalties starting next year.

A first positive test for steroid use would result in treatment and a second in a 15-day suspension or fine of up to $10,000.

The punishment would increase to a 25-day suspension or fine of up to $25,000 for a third positive test, a 50-day suspension or fine of up to $50,000 for a fourth and a one-year suspension or fine of up to $100,000 for a fifth.

"I think it's an insult to the fight against doping in sport, an insult to the intelligence of the American public and an insult to the game itself," Pound told the Associated Press in a telephone interview.

"I think it's a complete and utter joke. You can test positive for steroids five times, then they think of booting you out for a year? Give me a break. The first time someone has knowingly cheated and they give you counseling? It's a complete and utter joke."

Under the anti-doping agency's code, which has been adopted by most Olympic sports, an athlete faces a minimum two-year ban for a first steroid positive and a lifetime ban for a second.

Track and field's world governing body is considering increasing its first-time steroid ban from two years to four.

Wadler said the percentage of positive tests should be unacceptable to baseball.

"If they were talking about the numbers they're talking about, and it turns out most are not related to dietary supplements, I think this is probably the blackest day in the history of sports," he said.

"Taking drugs of that sort to enhance performance violates the public trust. I believe they're responsible to their fans in terms of being a role model. The impact, I think, is absolutely egregious."

Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, declined comment when told of Pound's remarks. On Thursday, Manfred said "a positive rate of 5 percent is hardly the sign that you have rampant use of anything."

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