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Unknown part of the Bonds, McGuire, Sosa legacy

infielddadinfielddad10,000+ posts
In general, I believe most of us want to finish whatever we do and leave things better for those who succeed us.
Thought I would share a relatively unknown component to the legacy left by those mentioned, Palmeiro, and others.
MLB has a drug testing policy for minor league players. It is random testing. As part of this program, minor league players, even during the offseason, when they are not being paid, are "required" to keep MLB informed of their whereabouts.
The player can be called and required to submit to the test within 24 hours at the place they designated to be "home" during the offseason. If they take vacation, travel, do anything and MLB calls to test, they either show up, have provided proper prior notification of their travel/whereabouts, or potentially face a failed/positive test and a 50 game suspension.
I wonder how many of us would respond to our employer calling on our vacation to demand we submit to such a test. I wonder how many of us would respond to a "mandate" we keep our employer informed of our travels during our personal time.
I wonder how many of us would think it is fair that when we are not being paid, our employer has these types of rights over our actions.
Thanks to the legacy of Bonds, McGuire, Sosa, Palmeiro and others, this is one aspect of life in the minor leagues. They surely did not leave anything better for those coming behind. The bad thing...they could care less.

'You don't have to be a great player to play in the major leagues, you've got to be a good one every day.'

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Rock 44Rock 44100+ posts
where to start. this is starting to drive me crazy and i know if i say to much i can start alot of contraversy, and i dont wanna do that.

number 1, STOP blaming steroids on mcgwire, bonds, canseco, and others. blame it on science!!!

number 2, the minors needs this drug testing policy. it just sucks that they have to put all the honest people through that ****.

number 3, when will they start testing high school and college age athletes????

HERE inlies the problem, KIDS and YOUNG MEN dont see any negative side effects to steroids. To them taking steroids is like smoking marajuana. its illegal but if you dont get caught you will feel better.

what do steroids do? well from what i know they allow your body to use all of its testosterone for to build muscle. i am no expert but this is what college age kids know about steroids, so if they have a couple bills they can get steroids. none are worried about getting caught because there is no testing and they arent worried about side affects because from what they know there are none!

i realize alot of you all are parents of college players. chances are your kids know people on the juice.
D deldad500+ posts
The reason that they don't see the negative side is that nothing happens to the people in the Major leagues who have used them. Bonds, etc. may not have invented steroids but they surely have not done all that is necessary as role models to stop the use of these substances. Maybe if there were some real consequences for breaking the law, they would see the negative side. Conte did a country club stretch and he was the mastermind behind this mess.
20dad20dad1,000+ posts
i don't think this is a bonds mcquire post.more about what they and other steroid user's left for our kids to deal with.and really it's not about steroids,it's how bad do you want this job?
on the same line of unfairness. minor leaguers are not allowed to chew tobacco. hundred dollar fine for the player and the manager. while this is for the better health of the player. major leaguers have chew, cigarettes, cigars supplied for them. and they don't have the same steroid test as the minor leagues. or the restrictions as posted above.

it's difficult enough to make it in the minors without being mlb's guinea pig. mlb must feel that they can't muscle the big guy's so they put these rules on the youngster's. that's just not right.
Last edited by 20dad
S 2seamer100+ posts
It's interesting that the vast majority of the players caught using steroids have been minor leaguers.

There's different ways to spin that, but the logical way to explain it is that MLB players can afford the "good stuff"..designer steroids and HGH...while the minor leaguers have to go with the cheaper, more easily accessible drugs...that show up on testing.

I love the irony of a system where minor leaguers are eating McDonalds and PBJ to survive, while a guy like ARod making $25 million/year gets more per diem money and a better pre and post game food spread.. Eek
StyleMismatchStyleMismatch100+ posts
quote:
I love the irony of a system where minor leaguers are eating McDonalds and PBJ to survive, while a guy like ARod making $25 million/year gets more per diem money and a better pre and post game food spread..


But yet the minor leaguers are willing to put up with it because of the chance that they can someday make that big paycheck. It's a lot like airline pilots. You've got guys on the bottome who barely scrape by flight instructing in order to build hours. Then there are the guys that fly freight for just a little bit more pay, then on up to the regional airlines for slightly better money, and so on. All for the dream of making the big bucks.

As long as there's that chance of making it big, many many guys are willing to put up with life in the minors to chase their dream. Sure it's a flawed system, but those huge contracts at the end of the rainbow will help ensure that things don't change. And if my son is ever talented enough to be drafted I'd tell him to go ahead and chase his dream.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Drug testing is now in the college summer leagues. The NCAA randomly chooses a school and then randomly picks players from that school to be tested.
I understand what infielddad has said, but for the sake of our children and those to come, if this is the legacy they will leave, I am for it.
B Big1toe10+ posts
I'm afraid for all of them. I was recently told that a 14yr old we know was found with steroids. I'm not sure it's true but there in lies the problem. One kid sees or hears another getting an edge and feels he can only keep up with his dream if he does the same thing.They need to test and to find a test for HGH. You sign a contract knowing what you're getting into, if you don't want to be tested don't sign. I'd welcome a test for high school players and my son. At least they would all know (and I would too) who's clean and who's cheating and the hard work will payoff. It might just save someone's life and if it's just one life that's worth it.
rz1rz15,000+ posts
Regardless of what happens to them as their careers end, they will have left their unfortunate mark as the steroid poster boys in the public eye, and that eye is much bigger than their mug in the HOF. While I am not making a comparision in magnitude with the following "poster boys", I am making a point that being associated as a "leader of the pack" is a self imposed, til the end of time, incarceration in the eye of John Q Public. Sometimes anominity is a welcome alternative.

When you think of a serial killers you think of Ted Bundy

When you think horrific world leaders you think of Adolf Hitler

When you think of terrorism you think of Osama bin Laden

When you think of cheating in baseball you think of the Black Sox

When you think of college sport thugs you think of Miami football

When you think of overrated regardless of ability you think of Notre Dame

And when you think of steroids you think of Bonds, Sosa, and McGuire.

In the end, your greatness is not measured by HOF votes but rather by the respect of the millions of those who judge you for who you are.
Last edited by rz1

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