Feb

PRO Rumors Editorial: HGH testing in the Minors

Major League Baseball, a sport over run with steroid users, drug scandals, and its fair share of much-needed public apologies, has finally announced that it will test for HGH (human growth hormones) in the Minor Leagues. Too late? Too soon? We’ll let you be the judge of that. But for now, sit back and enjoy a ride on the (what I like to call) “Road to Cleaning Up Major League Baseball”.

A process to this effect was used in 2001, when random drug tests were implemented on Minor Leaguers, just a year before they started using it in the Majors. This process was shot down shortly after players were finding new ways of using the drug, and managing to pass the tests. Well, now they have come up with a new test, one that can’t be cheated on. The test that doesn’t forgive today’s steroid users. The blood test.

The decision was made shortly after a British rugby player tested positive for HGH, thus proving that the blood test actually worked. Unfortunately, not everyone seems so confident about this new test. While standing before Congress at a hearing in 2008, MLB Commission Bud Selig, “when a valid, commercially available and practical test for H.G.H. becomes reality — regardless of whether the test is based on blood or urine — baseball will support the utilization of that test.”

Even Charles E. Yesalis a professor and anti-doping expert at Penn State, said, “they have this test for some time and they only caught one guy. I wouldn’t bet my life on that test.”

Now, don’t consider me a “Debby-downer” when I ask, is this why no one in the Olympics, or any other professional league, has never been accused of using HGH?” Maybe our flawless system of testing for drugs wasn’t so flawless. Or maybe baseball players just aren’t very good at hiding their HGH usage?

It’s safe to say, the MLB is at least taking steps toward making a fair and safe league to play in. They still have a ways to go, but I see major improvements for the steroid-testing system, in the near future.

Information from the New York Times was used for this article.