Read Loyal Homer’s argument to release the list, and Bleacher Fan’s argument to keep the list from the public.
Steroid speculation is poison to baseball. Speculation plus the Internet? That’s speculation on, well… steroids.
Major League Baseball is in a difficult spot. They have a list of just over 100 players who agreed to be tested for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 under the belief that the results of their tests would not be made public by MLB. The last part of that, “by MLB,” is really important. The facts indicate that the list is being leaked out… slowly… by the tried and true “unnamed sources.” The leaks are not controllable at this point, and every bit of new information is pounced on by the media and subsequently dominates the news cycle for the next several days (sorry, plstcoscr61, it will not take until 2060 for all the names to be released).
First it was New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez (who will forever be remembered as “A-Roid”). Then it was Sammy Sosa. There’s a pattern developing, and MLB commissioner Bud Selig does not like it.
But, conditions have changed since the original agreement was made. Just ask A-Roid. That’s why I must award the debate win to…
LOYAL HOMER!!!!!
The essence of this debate is should MLB publish the list. Bleacher Fan calls into question what the players have to gain from the list being published. While Bleacher Fan says they stand to gain nothing, I think the players stand to win the most. Ultimately, it’s that point that swung the verdict back toward Loyal Homer. Allow me to explain.
Current Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee is a solid MLB player (just ask Mrs. Sports Geek). But, his name was on the dreaded list that rotoinfo.com published. If I’m a lifelong Cubs fan, two things go through my mind. First, Lee nearly winning the batting title in 2005 makes more sense (even though the alleged positive test came in 2003). Lee is a lifetime .283 hitter, and it is difficult to understand how a player could, for one year, hit the cover off the ball (including a career high 46 homers and a .335 batting average) when he hit over 30 homers just two times previously (31 in 2003, 32 in 2004). See, here’s the speculation Loyal Homer is talking about. The Cubs fan is thinking, “hmmmm…” until, “Eureka!” In 2003, Lee was playing for the Florida Marlins. The SAME Florida Marlins who had Derrek Lee as their first baseman. The same Lee that delivered a two-run double in the top of the eighth inning to chase a seemingly dominant Mark Prior from the game, and start one of the greatest meltdowns/comebacks in the history of baseball (duh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh BART-MAN!!!). Now the Cubs fan is mad. If Lee was able to muscle that double into left center because of steroids, they should feel more cheated by that than by anything Bartman did.
The point I’m making with that story is… what if Derrek Lee didn’t cheat? What if he did NOT test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003? After reading that published list, it’s easy to conclude that he must be guilty, and it changes the way he’s perceived – regardless of the truth. The list must be published to protect the countless players that never cheated – especially if speculation says they did.
Bleacher Fan is correct, the players agreed to testing only if the “information” they shared would never be publically released. However, with a weakened Donald Fehr soon vacating the head post at the MLBPA, the time of transition within the MLBPA as they transfer power is the right time for Selig to push for a new agreement with the MLBPA that allows for the release of the list. This is not breaking the law – it’s adjusting the law to a new environment.
While on the surface it seems that Selig would be undertaking a Herculean task here, he can lead the charge to do something baseball should have done a long time ago with steroids – take time to explain to the players why they MUST disclose those who are guilty. I genuinely understand the “Fraternal Order of Major League Players,” but in the case of the steroids era, that inherent secrecy is alienating fans. At a time when MLB is doing a better job of creating a transparent environment (e.g. MLB Network… which is outstanding, by the way), there is a real opportunity to truly begin healing the steroids era, and baseball must jump at the chance. Selig should burn all of the political capital he has left to make it happen.
If he can pull off the disclosure of this list, no fans will question other names that may or may not be on a list, no more records and batting averages will be called into question, and there is the opportunity for bold action that will bring final closure on the poisonous steroids era in baseball. Selig can define his legacy by being the commissioner that cleaned up baseball. Right now, he’s merely the commissioner that SAID he wants to clean up baseball, but hasn’t done a whole lot about it.
It is still unconstitutional for MLB to release the list.
PR reasons aside, it’s AGAINST THE LAW!!!
Sports Geek, if you honestly believe that the MLBPA would actually sign off on releasing this information, then you live in a fantasy world.
You’re right, as the current CBA currently stands it is against the law. But, the PR reasons are enough to redo the law. Releasing the list is what is best for baseball in the long-run.
Maybe so, but they are contractually obligated to keep the information confidential… they CAN’T release the information.