The issue on whether the MLB failed to do its part in controlling the rampant use of illegal substances in their league is still a big question. Officials of the league says that they were able to “fixed” steroid scandals in baseball and should be considered as a past issue. The steroid testing program is also being questioned if it is really effective in preventing athletes from taking prohibited substances while playing in the league.

According to James Deacon of AOL Sports, the officials of the league and the union bosses have turned a blind eye to the cheating for too long. Commissioner Selig could and should have done it a decade ago and allow random tests year-round. Deacon added that the league have to hand over the administration of the tests to an independent body such as the World Anti-Doping Agency. “It isn’t fool-proof — players will always try to gain an edge and testers invariably lag behind cheaters — but WADA is the closest thing to state-of-the-art right now.”

Moreover, Deacon believes that by handing the chores to WADA they would immediately give the process as much credibility as possible. “It would fire a warning shot over cheaters’ bows, and it would let fans and customers of the game know that baseball’s proprietors are serious about cleaning things up,” he said.

Why is it that WADA is the most reliable organization that could handle drug testing for MLB and other professional sports? A brief history of WADA will show that this agency is an independent body like what Deacon says.

On November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was formed to monitor and counter the rising use of drugs and steroids in the world of sports, particularly in the Olympics. It was a collective effort led by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), although it remains an independent foundation until today. In 2001, the agency voted to move its main headquarters in Montreal, Canada. John Fahey, former Australian finance minister, is the current chairman of WADA, succeeding Richard Pound, who was former vice-president of the IOC and staunch opponent of drug-use, as well as steroid-use in sports. It is on record that the former president is not in good terms with MLB.

They developed the World Anti-Doping Code which was first implemented by sports organizations in 2004. Its first implementation was prior to the Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece. It was the first time that the rules and regulations for anti-doping were harmonized across all sports and participating countries. To date, about 600 sports organizations have adopted the World-Anti Doping Code, including international sports organizations, International Olympic Committee, national anti-doping organizations, International Paralympic Committee and various professional leagues around the world.

The latest revisions in the World Anti-Doping Code were made in November 2007, incorporating the experience gained from implementing the initial code. Most of these revisions, which include more stringent measures for fighting doping in sports, will take effect on January 2009. Because the World Anti-Doping code is a non-governmental document, many governments cannot be legally bound by its stipulations. It is implemented through the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport, by individual ratification and is the first global international treaty against doping in sports. To date, more than 100 governments have ratified the international convention since the UNESCO General Conference held on October 2005.

Although WADA President John Fahey said that he did not want to meddle in baseball’s business. Right now there was already an improvement in the cooperation after years of tense relations between MLB and former WADA president Dick Pound. “There does not seem to be any resistance on their part now as there was in the previous years and there is none from us. They have made significant strides in last couple of years,” Fahey said.

Moreover, Fahey suggested that MLB should be more transparent in implementing the steroid testing program.

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