Eighty-one percent of baseball players test positive for being Latino
Major League Baseball officials are reeling after last week’s league-wide steroid testing results showed that not only are five to seven percent of players on steroids, but that more than 80 percent tested positive for being Latino.
“We knew there had been a rising tide of Latinos in the game, but this was even more than we expected,” said an official in the league office who requested anonymity. “We’re not sure how this will affect the game yet or the fans’ perception of it, but we intend to be proactive in our response.”
Others were not surprised by the results. “You look at somebody like the Montreal Expos and it’s not a surprise,” said Jayson Stark of ESPN. “The fans knew there was something going on. Teams just don’t look like the used to.”
Since more than three-quarters of the league tested positive for being Latino, a provision in the league’s labor contract will kick in for the 2004 season. Under the stipulation, baseball will increase funding to youth baseball programs throughout the United States and will cut resources previously set aside for scouting in Latin America, especially in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
“I’m sure we’ll see that those who tested positive for being Latino had much better numbers on the field than those who didn’t – and that’s a problem,” said Bud Selig, MLB commissioner. “That’s why we are taking measures to level the playing field again.”
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