Ueberroth Summons 24 Players

Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth has summoned 24 major league players involved or implicated in drug use to a January meeting in New York.

“This is not a surprise since he indicated a while ago that he wanted to hold these meetings,” said Donald Fehr, acting executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Assn. “I don’t know what took so long to have them.

“We will be interested in seeing how they are handled, if they will be conducted with integrity or if this is going to be about publicity. We hope it isn’t.” He also said a representative of the union will attend all players’ meetings with the commissioner.

Of the players invited, 19 testified at the trial of Curtis Strong, a onetime Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse caterer, and all testified that they had ended their drug use.

Strong was convicted of selling cocaine to players and sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.

Those receiving letters who testified at the Strong trial were Dave Parker, Keith Hernandez, Dale Berra, Lonnie Smith, Jeff Leonard, Enos Cabell, and John Milner, who no longer is an active player and thus could refuse the commissioner’s summons.

Those summoned who were mentioned during the trial but did not testify were Joaquin Andujar, Rod Scurry, Bill Madlock, Gary Matthews, Lee Lacy, Tim Raines, Al Holland, Dusty Baker, Lary Sorensen, Derrel Thomas, Dickie Noles and Manny Sarmiento.

Also sent letters were Alan Wiggins, Daryl Sconiers, Claudell Washington, Mike Norris and Vida Blue, all of whom have undergone drug rehabilitation.