Baseball Knew There was a Problem in 1998, and Condoned the Use of Steroids Anyway

In light of Bud Selig and Donald Fehr engaging in steroid denial last week, TIME magazine has posted a rather interesting article, an article inspired by a man who played the game, an article that makes it very clear that baseball, both MLB and the MLBPA, knew of the steroid problem as early as 1998 and did exactly nothing. In fact, they did more than nothing. To wit: The union?s executive board paid little attention to Helling. The owners were of a similar mindset. In fact, within a matter of days of Helling sounding an alarm that went unheeded, baseball provided official proof that steroids were not considered an urgent problem. At those same 1998 winter baseball meetings in Nashville, baseball?s two medical directors, Dr. Robert Millman, who was appointed by the owners, and Dr. Joel Solomon, the designee of the players, delivered a presentation to baseball executives and physicians about the benefits of using testosterone. Angels general manager Bill Stoneman was so surprised at the tone of the presentation ? basically, the message he heard was that no evidence exists that steroids were harmful ? that he wondered why Major League Baseball even had allowed it. Also in attendance was Dr. William Wilder, the physician for the Cleveland Indians. Wilder was so disturbed by the presentation that he wrote a memorandum to Indians general manager John Hart that whether testosterone increased muscle strength and endurance ?begs the question of whether it should be used in athletics.? Wilder also endorsed sending information to players about the ?known and unknown data about performance-enhancing substances.? Not only did major league baseball execs and union execs not try and stop the use of steroids, they actively promoted them. The players will bear the brunt of the steroid scandal, but here is the bare, honest truth: MLB, including Selig, and the MLBPA, including Fehr and ORza knew, in 1998, from the motuh of Rick Helling, a plyer rep to the union, that a SERIOUS steroid problem existed in baseball, and not only did they do nothing, they actually encouraged players to ingest theses substances. Why? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Because the money was rolling in. A recent study from Northwstern University pointed out that revenues in baseball increased 279% fropm 1992-2008. That??s an exponential rate of growth. It, like the physiques of the players that spawned it, is an unnatural rate of growth. The players will bear the brunt of the steroid era backlash, but at the center of this clusterfuck are Bud Selig, Donald Fehr, and Gene Orza, men who would not react to a growing steroid problem because they were too busy lining their pockets. Which is all not to mention that every player that sat and listened to a doctor, paid by MLB and MLBPA to extol the benefits of steroids, now has more than enough reason to sue MLB and the MLBPA when they develop brain tumors, or suffer infertiltiy, or experience any other of the myriad and unpredictable side effects of steroid use. Bud Selig knew, and promoted the use of steroids, either directly, by paying a doctor, or indirectly by his silence, while he counted his money. Donald Fehr and Gene Orza knew, and promoted the use of steroids, either directly, by paying a doctor, or indirectly by their silence, while they counted their money. They knew.