The recent decision of the Major League Baseball to include HGH testing in the current anti-doping policy for Minor Leaguers in North America was welcomed by most teams in the league. It is aimed to strengthen the anti-doping policies and at the same time serve as a deterrent. The test for HGH or human growth hormone will be added to the existing steroid tests and will be conducted randomly and unannounced. Minor league players will now be subject to urine (for steroids and other recreational drugs) and blood testing (for HGH).

One of the teams who applauded the action of the MLB is the Canadians. Canadians general manager Jason Takefman told the media last week that the move will help create a level playing field. “To be honest, it’s fantastic. Minor league baseball has always been at the forefront of testing. This is just going to help create a level playing field and help keep all of minor league baseball a family-friendly environment,” he told the Courier.

The MLB’s decision to be more transparent in implementing its anti-doping policies is also seen by Takefman as a good decision. Right now, the MLB will be releasing to the public the names of players who will be caught using any performance enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids and human growth hormones. “You want to have accountability, and I think it helps create responsibility,” said Takefman.

Triple-A Salt Lake Bees Manager Bobby Mitchell was also supportive of the new policy. “That’s a good thing. They should test for any enhancing drugs, to tell you the truth,” he told the Salt Lake Tribune. He said that they are constantly educating their players about the risks of taking performance enhancing drugs. “It has to be addressed, doesn’t it?” he said.

Gary Wadler of the World Anti-doping Agency called the new testing program as a significant step forward. MLB spokesman Mike Teevan also said that it is a good news for everyone. The test for HGH has met some resistance in the majors because of its reliability. On the other hand, the WADA and the USADA assured professional athletes that the testing for HGH has been improved since its first use in the Olympics some years ago. The MLB will be sending the blood samples collected from the players to Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City which is an accredited lab by WADA.

However, HGH testing in the Major League teams may not prosper because of existing collective bargaining agreement. Michael Weiner of the MLBPA shows some concerns on this issue. “The union’s position on hGH testing remains unchanged; when a test is available that is scientifically validated and that can be administered safely and without interfering with the players’ ability to compete, it will be considered,” he said.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS