BIG-LEAGUE DRUG POLICY FOR MINORS

TUCSON - Far from the protective stiff arm of Donald Fehr,
minor-league players face serious consequences for attempting to
enhance their game through artificial means. Call it the
one-strike-and-you're-out program.

Beginning this season, Major League Baseball has rewritten its
minor-league drug policy so that first-time offenders are suspended
for 15 games without pay.

"It's very strict," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "To a
minor-league player whose goal is to one day reach the big leagues, 15
games would greatly hurt his development."

Second-time offenders will be suspended 30 games without pay. The
suspension grows to 60 games for the third offense, a full year for a
fourth offense and permanent suspension for a fifth offense.

Players not included on 40-man, major-league rosters are not
protected by the players' association, which is headed by Fehr and
considered one of the strongest unions in the country. Although the
union made unprecedented concessions while allowing conditional drug
testing 18 months ago, the minor-league policy indicates MLB officials
would prefer a stronger program.

"The commissioner is intent on ridding our sport of
performance-enhancing substances and protecting the integrity of the
game," said Jennifer Gefsky, baseball's deputy general counsel. "When
given the opportunity to act unilaterally, the commissioner has
decided to enforce strong measures."

MLB began overseeing the minor-league, drug-testing program in 2001.
Before that, each club conducted its own testing, which created the
possibility that an organization's better prospects could have
received greater leniency than less-skilled players.

"I assure you that's not the case (now)," Gefsky said.

Minor-league players can test positive not only for the 27 controlled
substances such as steroids and human growth hormone, but also for
popular, over-the-counter supplements such as androstenedione and DHEA.

Illegal recreational drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines
also are forbidden in the minors but not included in the major-league
policy. And while big-league players are only tested once a year,
minor-league players can be tested four times.