MLB Banned Steriods in 1991

As reported by Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice:

"Commissioner Fay Vincent sent the clubs a memo in 1991 reminding them that players were forbidden from taking any illegal substance. He specifically mention [sic] steroids in the memo and encouraged the clubs to take a get-tough policy on players thought to be using steroids. What could a team have done if it suspected a player of using steroids? Probably nothing.

Vincent simply wanted to be on the record as letting the clubs know that steroid use was against the rules and that they shouldn't be afraid to confront a player. There was no testing for steroids until 2003 (after being part of the 2002 labor agreement). The notion that Bonds wasn't breaking any rules is ridiculous. He was. He knew he was."

Date

Thu 03/16/06, 12:29 pm EST

Source

• http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2006/03/on_books_bonds.html

Comments

DNLLegend

1384 days ago

Score 1

I wonder if Vincent's memo was accurate. If it was, why were teams afraid of confronting players? Why didn't Vincent and/or Selig force the issue unilaterally? It just doesn't seem right, and feels more like Vincent performing a CYA.

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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick

1384 days ago

Score 0

Thanks for setting the record straight.

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Bball3345Draft Pick

1384 days ago

Score 0

Its kind of hard to say it was against the rules but there to be no testing for it.

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DarrelSoccer Kid

1384 days ago

Score 0

I guess all those players taking amphetamines were cheaters, too. All 90% of them.

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ASwaffAll-American

1384 days ago

Score 0

I'm no friend of Bonds, but I at least have to defend him and other MLB players on this. The memo said that "illegal substances" including steroids were banned. If Bonds was indeed taking suplements (I believe he was), whether or not he was breaking rules depends on what exactly is was he was taking. If what he was taking was not illegal, it was not against the rule. At the time, the league's athletic supplement policy was the same policy it had against, say, marijuana. The substance had to be illegal to be against the rules. So, it all depends on what Bonds was taking.

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Bball3345Draft Pick

1382 days ago

Score 0

I would like to see any evidence of this memo or what was actually said in it.

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