Baseball Steroid Suspensions

Steroid Suspensions

BALCO stands for Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative, a San Francisco, California company founded by Victor Conte. According to the U.S. Government, BALCO branched out into other areas including distribution of banned performance enhancing drugs. The "nutritional supplements" being sold by BALCO were illegal under olympic rules and track athletes were soon tested by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. During the BALCO steroid scandal, allegations that top baseball and football players had used illegal performance enhancing drugs were brought to light.

Major League Baseball had an established steroid policy which was created in 2002. Under this old policy, a first time offense would only result in treatment for the player. Not one player was ever suspended. After the BALCO scandal, Major League Baseball finally decided to buckle down and issue harsher penalties for steroid users. The new policy, which was accepted by Major League Baseball players and owners, was issued at the start of the 2005 season and goes as follows:

The first positive test will result in a suspension of up to ten days. The second positive test will result in a suspension of thirty days. The third positive test will result in a suspension of sixty days. The fourth positive test will result in a suspension of one full year. Finally, the fifth positive test will result in a penalty at the discretion of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Players will be tested at least once per year, with a chance that several players can be tested numerous times per year.

Bud Selig, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, virtually created the existing policy and in light of recent evidence, has proposed even tougher penalties for positive tests than the ones in place today. The new penalties that Bud Selig has proposed are a "three strikes and you're out approach" which goes as follows:

The first positive test would result in a fifty game suspension. The second positive test would result in a one-hundred game suspension. Finally, the third positive test would result in a lifetime suspension from Major League Baseball.

These new proposed penalties are much harsher than either of the first two; however, they must be accepted by both the players union and owners before any changes can be made. Under the current policy, the first Major League ballplayers have been suspended for testing positive. The players suspended for violating Major League Baseball's drug program are listed below in chronological order.

"I am truly saddened by today's events. I have known Rafael Palmeiro for many years. He is a fine person, a great player and a true asset to his community. I know from personal experience that his accomplishments are due to hard work and his dedication to the game. I know that Rafael will accept the penalty under Baseball's important Drug Policy and that he will return to be a productive member of the Orioles." - Baltimore Orioles Owner Peter Angelos on MLB.com (08/01/2005, Press Release)

Steroid Suspensions in 2005 (Includes ALL Performance Enhancing Drug Suspensions) In Chronological Order
#	P.R.	Player Name	Date	Team^(Quantity)	Lg^(Qty)	Pos^(Qty)	Suspension Type
1.		Alex Sanchez	04-03-2005	Tampa Bay Devil Rays⁽¹⁾	AL⁽¹⁾	OF⁽¹⁾	10 Day Suspension
2.		Jorge Piedra	04-11-2005	Colorado Rockies⁽¹⁾	NL⁽¹⁾	OF⁽²⁾	10 Day Suspension
3.		Agustin Montero ^*	04-20-2005	Texas Rangers⁽¹⁾	AL⁽²⁾	P⁽¹⁾	10 Day Suspension
4.		Jamal Strong	04-26-2005	Seattle Mariners⁽¹⁾	AL⁽³⁾	OF⁽³⁾	10 Day Suspension
5.		Juan Rincon	05-02-2005	Minnesota Twins⁽¹⁾	AL⁽⁴⁾	P⁽²⁾	10 Day Suspension
6.		Rafael Betancourt	07-08-2005	Cleveland Indians⁽¹⁾	AL⁽⁵⁾	P⁽³⁾	10 Day Suspension
7.		Rafael Palmeiro	08-01-2005	Baltimore Orioles⁽¹⁾	AL⁽⁶⁾	1B⁽¹⁾	10 Day Suspension
8.		Ryan Franklin	08-02-2005	Seattle Mariners⁽²⁾	AL⁽⁷⁾	P⁽⁴⁾	10 Day Suspension
9.		Mike Morse	09-07-2005	Seattle Mariners⁽³⁾	AL⁽⁸⁾	SS⁽¹⁾	10 Day Suspension
10.		Carlos Almanzar	10-04-2005	Texas Rangers⁽²⁾	AL⁽⁹⁾	P⁽⁴⁾	10 Day Suspension
11.		Felix Heredia	10-18-2005	New York Mets⁽¹⁾	NL⁽²⁾	P⁽⁵⁾	10 Day Suspension
12.		Matt Lawton	11-02-2005	New York Yankees⁽¹⁾	AL⁽¹⁰⁾	OF⁽⁴⁾	10 Day Suspension
#	P.R.	Player Name	Date	Team^(Quantity)	Lg^(Qty)	Pos^(Qty)	Suspension Type
Steroid Suspensions in 2006 (Includes ALL Performance Enhancing Drug Suspensions) In Chronological Order
#	P.R.	Player Name	Date	Team^(Quantity)	Lg^(Qty)	Pos^(Qty)	Suspension Type
1.		Yusaku Iriki ^**	04-28-2006	New York Mets⁽¹⁾	NL⁽¹⁾	P⁽¹⁾	50 Game Suspension
2.		Jason Grimsley	06-12-2006	Arizona Diamondbacks⁽¹⁾	NL⁽²⁾	P⁽²⁾	50 Game Suspension
3.		Guillermo Mota	11-01-2006	New York Mets⁽²⁾	NL⁽³⁾	P⁽³⁾	50 Game Suspension
#	P.R.	Player Name	Date	Team^(Quantity)	Lg^(Qty)	Pos^(Qty)	Suspension Type
Steroid Suspensions in 2007 (Includes ALL Performance Enhancing Drug Suspensions) In Chronological Order
#	P.R.	Player Name	Date	Team^(Quantity)	Lg^(Qty)	Pos^(Qty)	Suspension Type
1.		Juan Salas	05-07-2007	Tampa Bay Devil Rays⁽¹⁾	AL⁽¹⁾	P⁽¹⁾	50 Game Suspension
2.		Neifi Perez	07-06-2007	Detroit Tigers⁽¹⁾	AL⁽²⁾	SS⁽¹⁾	25 Game Suspension
3.		Neifi Perez	08-03-2007	Detroit Tigers⁽²⁾	AL⁽³⁾	SS⁽²⁾	80 Game Suspension
4.		Ryan Jorgenson	09-07-2007	Cincinnati Reds⁽¹⁾	NL⁽¹⁾	C⁽¹⁾	25 Game Suspension
5.	--	Mike Cameron ***	10-31-2007	San Diego Padres⁽¹⁾	NL⁽²⁾	OF⁽¹⁾	25 Game Suspension
6.		Jose Guillen	12-06-2007	Kansas City Royals⁽¹⁾	AL⁽³⁾	OF⁽²⁾	15 Game Suspension
7.		Jay Gibbons	12-06-2007	Baltimore Orioles⁽¹⁾	AL⁽⁴⁾	OF⁽³⁾	15 Game Suspension
#	P.R.	Player Name	Date	Team^(Quantity)	Lg^(Qty)	Pos^(Qty)	Suspension Type
Steroid Suspensions in 2009 (Includes ALL Performance Enhancing Drug Suspensions) In Chronological Order
#	P.R.	Player Name	Date	Team^(Quantity)	Lg^(Qty)	Pos^(Qty)	Suspension Type
1.		Sergio Mitre	01-06-2009	New York Yankees⁽¹⁾	AL⁽¹⁾	P⁽¹⁾	50 Game Suspension
2.		J.C. Romero	01-06-2009	Philadelphia Phillies⁽¹⁾	NL⁽¹⁾	P⁽²⁾	50 Game Suspension
3.		Manny Ramirez	05-07-2009	Los Angeles Dodgers⁽¹⁾	NL⁽²⁾	OF⁽¹⁾	50 Game Suspension
4.		Pablo Ozuna	06-11-2009	Philadelphia Phillies⁽²⁾	NL⁽³⁾	IF⁽¹⁾	50 Game Suspension
#	P.R.	Player Name	Date	Team^(Quantity)	Lg^(Qty)	Pos^(Qty)	Suspension Type
Major League Baseball Steroid Suspensions \| Bold Print=Named in Mitchell Report

(*) The third player suspended by Major League Baseball in 2005 was Agustin Montero of the Texas Rangers who was on the 40-man roster during Spring Training when he violated the drug policy. As he had not yet played a Major League game his career stats were not available and wasn't yet officially a Major League player, but since he was on a Major League roster he was included in the list. (**) The first in 2006 was the Japanese player suspended for a positive steroid test and also a Spring Training player who made it to the New York Mets 40-man roster. (***) A lot of Internet chatter (meaning rumors) took place when Mike Cameron was suspended in 2007, but both Cameron & Major League Baseball confirmed he was suspended not for a steroid, but for a stimulant listed in the PED chart.

If you would like a detailed look at the Mitchell Report, with an easy to understand chart that lists every played named in the report, AND be able to download the entire report for yourself, simply visit our Mitchell Report analysis page.

If Baseball Almanac were in position to create policy we would have suggested that at the start of the 2006 regular season every Major League player on a roster would be tested for a clearly defined set of drugs the day before Opening Day. If found positive, they would be banned from the game of baseball. Another test would occur the day before the All-Star Game and a final test on the last day of the season. Same results for each of the final two tests. Players who use these drugs have done more harm to our national pastime than any group since the 1919 Black Sox. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Share your opinion on baseball and steroids on Baseball Fever.

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