Ueberroth Reportedly Seeks Mandatory Drug Tests for Winter Leagues

Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth hopes to implement mandatory drug-testing in the winter leagues in Latin American countries, the New York Times reported.

“I’m going to go outside the United States and Canada, into the winter leagues,” Ueberroth said in a story in today’s editions of the newspaper. “There are places where players play where people look the other way.

“I don’t know how much leverage I’ll have. I’m running into resistance. But I’m getting a steady flow of information that some of the root causes are there.”

Ueberroth added that “I’ve got to be concerned that we are curing the problem in the United States and Canada and not elsewhere.”

Earlier this year, the commissioner instituted a mandatory drug-testing program for all baseball employees except major league players.

“If we are going to shut down drugs in baseball, we have to shut them down everywhere,” he insisted.

One player, Joel Youngblood of the San Francisco Giants, told the paper that he believed that many players were introduced to cocaine while playing winter ball in Latin American countries.

“I think a lot of it starts in winter ball in Venezuela; you are right next to Colombia,” Youngblood said. “If you don’t speak the language, what else is there except to play ball and hang out by the pool? A lot of players were exposed to it, and it was cheaper.”

The Times’ report also claimed that Ueberroth has shown little faith in the joint testing program of major league players and owners.

Don Fehr, the acting executive director of the players union, said: “My general impression is that the use of cocaine is way down. It has diminished in amount, frequency and the number of people involved. I think the worst is behind us.

“Virtually all of the cases that have come up since the program went into effect are relapse cases.”

A lawyer for the Major League Baseball Players Assn. criticized on Wednesday the revelation by New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner that infielder Dale Berra has undergone drug tests.

Steinbrenner said Berra has twice undergone the tests, “once early in the spring and once about four weeks ago,” and passed both times.

“We have no problems with random drug testing as long as the player agrees to it,” said Gene Orza, counsel to the players’ association. “What we do decry is Steinbrenner’s penchant to trumpet his own image at a player’s expense.

“Publicizing the Berra tests is a clear violation of the confidentiality clause of the drug program.”

Orza refused to say if Berra underwent the tests voluntarily, saying that also would violate the confidentiality clause.

Meanwhile, Detroit Tiger President Jim Campbell says some current or former Tiger players have been involved with illegal drugs, and one player was released based on evidence that he was using drugs.

“We undoubtedly have had some players touch on it,” said Campbell, who refused to name the players. “But overall I’ve got to think . . . that we’ve been rather fortunate compared with some other clubs.”