Change in Drug Rules Called a Trust Issue

In Wednesday’s late-morning sun, against auburn Camelback Mountain, members of the Major League Baseball Players’ Assn. gathered in small groups on a patio tiled in Spanish reds and browns.

In the previous 24 hours, they had directed their leadership to continue talks that could tighten baseball’s drug policy, a decision that would require reopening a collective bargaining agreement they viewed as sacred.

“It’s a huge deal for the players to reopen the collective bargaining agreement without having to,” Angel outfielder Tim Salmon said. “That should say a lot about the players’ standpoint.”

The drug program negotiated two years ago has become fluid: constructed in 2002, tested in 2003, put into practice in 2004, destined for change in 2005, and up for renegotiation in 2006, when the collective bargaining agreement expires.

In recent months, baseball was sullied by the federal investigation of Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, the resulting scandal implicating some players, a few with the biggest names in the sport. On Wednesday, President Bush reiterated his message from January’s State of the Union address, asking baseball to take “strong steps” against steroids, adding that their use “diminishes the integrity of sports.”

Rather than spend two more years leaning into withering assaults from congressional leaders, Commissioner Bud Selig, media and fans, and perhaps finally weary of losing jobs and money to the frauds among them, players urged union chief Donald Fehr to amend the agreement with owners.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Fehr announced his membership’s request and his intention to proceed with negotiations, a declaration the commissioner’s office viewed as constructive. Fehr expects to meet with Rob Manfred, baseball’s lead labor negotiator, next week, and both parties appear to be growing optimistic for resolution.

Selig has asked for a program at least as stringent as the minor leagues’, and talks are expected to bear provisions close to it. Although not close to the Olympic standards many experts say are necessary, it would provide for more testing, stronger punishment and a message -- from public to player, from player to player -- that the system is becoming somewhat less willing to shield the abusers.

“It’s a simple matter that most guys don’t want to have their names associated with cheating,” Florida infielder Damion Easley said. “It’s there. Hopefully, it gets cleaned up and it gets cleaned up quick, so we can move on.”

Announced survey testing conducted in 2003 showed 5% to 7% of players had positive results for banned performance-enhancing drugs. Fehr said he reviewed the results of the 2004 testing, and the percentage fell. The anecdotal evidence, however, told Easley and the others something different.

“Players are always cognizant of what’s going on,” Easley said. “We all train, and we’re well aware of what’s out there. We’re not dumb. We know what’s going on. It’s a matter of if we want to put a stop to it.”

In particular, the BALCO inquiry, which reportedly revealed steroid use by Jason Giambi and steroid-like substances used by Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield, provided the urgent backdrop to the players’ meetings.

“It’s hard to say whether that would work or not,” Easley said of the existing program. “But this is where we are today, and we have to make an adjustment.”

This is not to say the rancor has evaporated. Over two days early in the week, Selig welcomed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to the negotiating fray in a statement, which led to union official Gene Orza’s dry observation, “The realities between a press release and conviction can sometimes be a wide one.”

That led to a statement from Manfred, that read in part, “Given [Selig’s] record, it is wholly inappropriate for [Orza] -- who recently compared steroid use to cigarette smoking -- to question the commissioner’s commitment to the elimination of performance-enhancing substances. I urge Mr. Orza to join Major League Baseball in adopting a policy that will address this serious problem.”

Free-agent first baseman Tony Clark conceded the game would have to change and said he believed it would.

“I remain the eternal optimist,” he said. “We’re simply trying to put the best drug-testing policy out there.... We want to refine what’s already in place.

“Am I worried? No. I believe we have extremely talented people that are more than capable of putting quality on the field. We will be fine.”