Newz Forum: BASEBALL: MLB Bans THG

Major league baseball has banned THG, the recently unmasked steroid at the center of the case against the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

The health policy advisory committee of management and the players' association unanimously determined last Thursday that THG builds muscle mass and should be added to baseball's list of banned substances.

"Testing for THG is an important step toward reaching our goal of zero tolerance," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "I am committed to that goal and advocate a more stringent and effective drug-testing program in the major leagues, similar to our program in the minor leagues."

The Food and Drug Administration ruled Oct. 28 that THG, which stands for tetrahydrogestrinone, is an illegal drug that lacks federal permission for sale in the United States.

Because baseball and other sports did not know about THG before last October, drug testing was unable to detect it.

"I don't care," Minnesota Twins outfielder Jacque Jones said. "I don't take any of that stuff so it doesn't matter to me what they ban.''

Barry Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, was among four men indicted last month on charges of illegally supplying performance-enhancing drugs from BALCO. All four pleaded innocent.

Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield were among the athletes called to testify before a grand jury. All have denied using illegal steroids.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone. Some are approved by FDA for prescription-only sale to treat certain diseases.

Selig told a Congressional committee last week that he hopes to have a tougher testing plan than the one called for in baseball's labor contract.

The plan has drawn some criticism. Players with major league contracts are tested only twice in a one-week period each year, and penalties -- no suspension until the second offense -- are far weaker than those called for in Olympic sports.

Players with minor league contracts, who are not covered by the labor contract, are tested more often, and positive tests are dealt with more harshly.

The day before the hearing, Selig sent a letter to the union asking to discuss the drug agreement. The players' association has not yet responded.

Selig is powerless to act unilaterally because drug testing is covered by collective bargaining. While the major league baseball constitution gives Selig broad power to act in the "best interests of baseball,'' in the labor contract he agreed the commissioner will take no action to "negate rights of players."

This is a good step, but the MLB has a problem. poeple know who take steriods but nobody is willing to step up and take the risk of saying something.

this is a good FIRST STEP, now selig needs to get some spine and lay down the law to any player found using illegel substances, he can use the "best interest of the game" clause to get rid of the bad apples

Hudson and Curt talk

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Curt Schilling says he and fellow players would be more than willing to submit to steroid testing as long as Major League Baseball owners had no role in the administering of tests.

"I don't trust the Major League Baseball ownership group to handle drug testing for Major League Baseball," the Red Sox right-hander was quoted as saying in a Hartford Courant story published Wednesday.

"In my opinion, you find an independent third party that will handle drug testing free of ownership input and I'd bet you 99.9 percent of the players in baseball would say please do it," Schilling said. "I'd be all for it."

A's pitcher Tim Hudson, responding on air to ESPN Radio's Dan Patrick Wednesday, said, "Right now with the agreement that we signed with MLB, what's done is done. When the agreement is up in a few years, maybe we'll be able to negotiate something that's a little more stringent.

"Nobody in baseball wants this black cloud to be held over them for longer than it has to be," Hudson said. "I'm sure guys that are being blamed for steroids, that aren't on steroids, will want to clear their name."