Steroids illegal under baseball rules since 1991
Counselor
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In connection with the Bonds matter I have seen statements such as "MLB did not prohibit drugs when Bonds starting using them and no strong evidence that he continued to use them after they were banned. Thus there is no cheating issue . . . " and that MLB had no steroids policy prior to 2002. This is stated to imply that use of steroids prior to 2002 was not against the rules of the game and therefore not "cheating".
In fact Commissioner Faye Vincent declared steroids an illegal substance under the rules of baseball in 1991. See http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/2007/06/steroids-in-bas.html.
"On June 7, 1991, commissioner Fay Vincent sent a memo to each team and the players union that stated: "The possession, sale or use of any illegal drug or controlled substance by Major League players or personnel is strictly prohibited ... This prohibition applies to all illegal drugs ... including steroids."
Therefore use by a player of steroids after that date would be a violation of the rules of the game. 2002 is the date an agreement was first reached with the union to test and discipline for steroid use.
Bob
In fact Commissioner Faye Vincent declared steroids an illegal substance under the rules of baseball in 1991. See http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/2007/06/steroids-in-bas.html.
"On June 7, 1991, commissioner Fay Vincent sent a memo to each team and the players union that stated: "The possession, sale or use of any illegal drug or controlled substance by Major League players or personnel is strictly prohibited ... This prohibition applies to all illegal drugs ... including steroids."
Therefore use by a player of steroids after that date would be a violation of the rules of the game. 2002 is the date an agreement was first reached with the union to test and discipline for steroid use.
Bob
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Like the Olympics first banning drugs in 1968 (decades before baseball chose to do anything about the issue), yet a high percentage of athletes were walking around Mexico City with their own phramacists and bodies completely filled with scar tissue from all the injections
Has anyone ever called Darryl Kile a cheater?
Basically, it was illegal to play with the benefit of performance enhancing drugs, but they couldn't make a player be tested without violating the agreement with the union.