WASHINGTON - The head of the baseball players union yesterday told Congress that players should not be tested for steroids without reasonable grounds for suspicion, and he warned against new policies that would "smear" athletes.
"This discussion can be summarized in a single word: privacy," Donald Fehr, executive director and general counsel of the Major League Baseball Players Association, told a Senate Commerce subcommittee.
The players union has "always believed that one should not, absent compelling safety considerations, invade the privacy of someone without a substantial reason," he added.
Jerry Colangelo, managing general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, argued it is time for baseball to adopt screening policies similar to those in place in other professional sports leagues.
"If a person makes mistakes over and over again, we have to deal with it. Being a professional athlete is a privilege, not an entitlement," Colangelo said.
The testimony marked the first time Congress has held hearings on sports drug testing since the subject began drawing intensified public attention.
Unlike the Olympics, NBA and NFL, baseball does not have a testing program aimed at detecting steroids. But attention of lawmakers has been captured by allegations from retired Most Valuable Players Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco that a high percentage of players have used performance-enhancing substances. The issue is sure to be a point of friction in the collective bargaining talks that are scheduled to resume today between the owners and players.
"Bulging muscles clearly attest to the physical strength of our athletes, but anecdotes of drug use suggest that many may not have the moral fiber to match," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, (D-N.D.), who called the hearing as subcommittee chairman.
The NFL tests any player whose name is randomly selected by a computer. The NBA may test first-year players randomly three times each year, and veterans once each year. All test for steroids and other drugs. .
Baseball owners in February presented an 11-page plan on testing to the union, calling for players to submit to three mandatory tests each year for steroids and androstenedione, a substance readily available at health food stores that acts like a steroid by building muscle tissue.
A representative for the players association said last week that the players would demand at least two concessions to the owners' testing plan: no suspension for a first positive test; assurance that the test results would be kept confidential.
Michelle Munn is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, a Tribune Publishing newspaper.