Steroid Problem Is Divisive Issue

Major league baseball players and management agree that steroid use is one of the biggest problems facing the sport, they just cannot agree on how to fix it.

And that’s a luxury they might not be able to afford anymore.

Baseball has lagged behind the NFL and NBA in efforts to crack down on steroid use but recent revelations by former stars Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco may force the league to act and prompt the union to soften its long-standing opposition to testing.

“Is that possible? I don’t know, but the way the situation has exploded now it probably should,” agent Tony Attanasio said. “With the apparent rampant use of steroids, maybe it’s time to take a more comprehensive approach.”

Caminiti told Sports Illustrated he used steroids during 1996, when he was selected the National League most valuable player for the San Diego Padres, adding, “At least half the guys are using steroids.” In a radio interview, Canseco estimated that 85% of major leaguers use steroids, and said he planned to write a book about drug use in the majors.

Even those who believe Caminiti and Canseco are overstating the scope of steroid use acknowledge there is a problem.

“Yes, there is some usage,” Dodger physician Frank Jobe said. “There are some athletes using it [in the majors], but I haven’t seen any suggestion that those numbers are correct.”

The commissioner’s office included a drug-testing proposal in its latest offer to the Players Assn., but the union has strongly opposed testing and is not expected to change its stance during negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

“Baseball definitely needs to be more proactive, and in my judgment that requires testing,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “We have a program that includes education and testing in the minors. But in the best interests of the health and welfare of major league players, we need to do testing.”

Union spokesman Greg Bouris declined to discuss the group’s position on testing, and responded only generally to the steroid problem.

“This is an issue that has been raised in collective bargaining, and it will continue to be discussed as the process unfolds,” he said. “The association regards the issue as a serious and complicated one, and will treat those discussions accordingly.”

Players, meanwhile, accuse owners of failing to do what they can to promote testing or discourage steroid use because it’s not in their best interest: As players got bigger and stronger, fans reveled in the explosion of home runs.

“Let’s say you go out there and hit .270 with 12 homers and 50 or 60 [runs batted in],” Dodger catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “Then the next year, you come out and hit .320 with 45 homers. Do you really think the front office is going to say, ‘Well, he’s using steroids. We’ve got to release him.’ It just doesn’t happen like that.

“In baseball and sports, it’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world. Do you think the baseball owners and the baseball fans who worship these guys really care if they use steroids? Maybe some people do, but the majority, if a guy hits 60 home runs, are just happy he did. It’s all about the bottom line.”

Milwaukee Brewer first baseman Richie Sexson agrees.

“If you’ve got a guy on your team who hits 50 homers with 140 [RBIs], nobody is really going to want to say anything,” he said. “If he does that and you win the World Series, then you know no one is saying anything.”

General managers and managers are reluctant to discuss steroid use, but some believe that unless steroids are banned, players should not be criticized for trying to improve their performance.

“For me, it’s a dead issue unless you make it a rule,” said Brewer Manager Jerry Royster, who spent parts of 16 seasons in the majors. “Don’t get on a guy for doing something to make himself better if it’s not against the rules. To be honest, until they make it a rule, I don’t care what anybody does.”

Baseball contends it educates big leaguers on the dangers of steroids, which increase muscle mass by elevating the body’s testosterone. Players are informed about the risks of heart and liver damage, strokes and sexual dysfunction, among other things, during counseling sessions in spring training.

Unlike players in the majors, minor league baseball players are tested for the substance--illegal in the United States unless prescribed by a physician for medical reasons. Under the policy, players also undergo testing for other human-growth and stimulant drugs, including ephedrine and amphetamines.

Major League Baseball also differs from other leagues, such as the NFL, which is considered to be at the forefront of steroid testing.

The NFL began with an annual steroid test during training camp in 1987, collecting the results for informational purposes, before implementing a suspension penalty to those who failed the one test in 1989.

In 1990, the NFL ushered in year-round random testing--penalty for a first violation was a four-game suspension--without formal approval of the NFL Players’ Assn.

“It was done in the best interests of the players, and the fact it was not challenged by them showed they believe in it,” said Greg Aiello, vice president of public relations for the NFL. “One of the comments we heard from a player was, ‘Thanks for eliminating guards in a bottle.’”

Seven to eight players per team are tested each week during the season and there are periodic off-season tests, Aiello said. The testing resulted in three four-game suspensions last year: Chicago defensive tackle Henry Taylor, Seattle cornerback Shawn Springs and Detroit safety Tommy Bennett.

There were no positive tests in 2000, but four in 1999: Chicago quarterback Jim Miller, New York Jet nose tackle Jason Ferguson, New York Giant special teams player Lyle West and San Francisco running back Travis Jervey.

Beginning July 1, the NFL will also begin testing players for ephedrine and those who test positive will be subject to the same penalties as steroid users.

In the NBA, steroids are a prohibited substance. Rookies are subject to random tests once during their final 15 days in training camp and three times during the season. Veterans can be randomly tested either during the final 15 days of training camp or during their first 15 days after reporting to the team.

If the NBA declares reasonable cause for a player to be tested and an independent expert agrees, any player is subject to four tests during a six-week span.

The penalty for one positive test is a five-game suspension. It escalates to 10 games for a second violation and 25 games for a third. If a veteran player is convicted or pleads guilty to a crime involving the use or possession of steroids, he will be dismissed from the league for a minimum of two years.

Despite union opposition, Selig’s office hopes to extend an anti-steroid policy to the majors.

“This is a very important issue from our standpoint, it has been long before the recent media attention we’re seeing right now about it, and it’s a topic we’ve been working on for some time,” said Rob Manfred, baseball’s executive vice president of labor relations. “We included a comprehensive proposal on drug testing, including steroids, to [the union] in February as part of our formal offer. They have not made a response yet.”

Caminiti’s and Canseco’s allegations have accomplished one thing. No one in baseball can claim to be unaware of steroid use any longer.

“When clubs say, ‘Wow! We’re shocked by all this,’ the truth is they’ve known about it for years,” said Attanasio, the agent. “Ever since they started taking blood tests as part of spring physicals, they’ve been aware of [which] players are actively involved in substance use. Whether they’ve taken action or not is another matter, but the point is that they’ve known about it. I’ve had clubs call me for years and say this player or that player showed up with possible liver problems and may be involved in [steroid use].”

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Times staff writer Ross Newhan contributed to this story.