Baseball and drugs: Views from the inside

Bay Area News Group

A sampling of what others are saying about the issue of baseball and drugs in the wake of suspensions for Giants star Melky Cabrera and A's pitcher Bartolo Colon:

A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy: "I wouldn't be surprised if it's a few more. I just hope it stays at a manageable level, not where it's an issue where we have to open everything up again. I hope they're isolated incidents. Sometimes where there's smoke, there's fire. You just hope the program starts working."

Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum: "I guess the only thing you can do is make the punishments as severe as possible. Maybe that would make guys think twice -- or maybe three or four more times."

Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton: "It's another indication or example that you can't legislate stupidity. Somebody is so intent on looking for an edge (that) they do dumb things. It's a very stupid thing, a very bad decision."

Atlanta pitcher Tim Hudson: "What surprises me is that people are still foolish enough to try to cheat. There's no way around not getting caught. If you're a player trying to get back in the league or get to the big leagues, then that's a chance some guys may take. But if you're a player that's going to have a long career, it's one of the most foolish things you could ever try to do. There's drug testers at least two or three times a homestand coming in, and they're on the road as well."

A's pitcher Travis Blackley on the frequency

of testing: "It sure is a lot, more than I expected. You see the guys in the clubhouse twice in a homestand, and sometimes on the road, too . . . They're right there watching everything happen. No way you could get away with anything. I remember in the minor leagues, they would give you a cup and you'd go in the stall, and take care of it and bring it out. But now it's different. You've got to pull your shirt up to your armpits and your pants down to your knees and they watch it come out."

Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones: "I may have played with a handful of guys over the years that may have done it, and even having said that, I don't know for certain. Everybody has their own philosophy on it. It was a lot higher 10 years ago, 12 years ago, 15 years ago. But it's sparse now. I have to believe it's sparse. You're talking about a handful of guys on a yearly basis, and everybody's being tested. How many guys in Major League Baseball -- 600 to 700? That's a very small percentage."

A's manager Bob Melvin: "I think baseball does the best they can do and has the most stringent program in all of sports. I think guys are getting caught because the program is so good."

Source: http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_21395536/baseball-and-drugs-views-from-inside?source=rss

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