MLB Players Union fighting drug tests.

[BengalszoneBilly]

ESPN.com news services

SAN FRANCISCO -- Major league baseball players are worried that results from drug tests administered with a guarantee of anonymity could wind up in the hands of federal officials probing a steroids scandal.

A federal grand jury probing a nutritional supplements lab accused of supplying athletes with the newly unmasked steroid THG has subpoenaed the results of drug tests performed last year on all major league players, a baseball official said Tuesday.

Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, said the subpoenas were issued to the two agencies used by the major leagues to do the drug testing -- Comprehensive Drug Testing of Long Beach, and Quest Diagnostics of Teterboro, N.J.

A lawyer familar with the investigation, who spoke Tuesday with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the documents requested in the subpoenas had not yet been turned over to the grand jury.

Baseball players were told the results would be confidential.

But, as first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle, if the grand jury obtains the information it could become part of the public record in subsequent court proceedings.

Though the testing was anonymous, each player was assigned a code number to be matched with his name.

"I don't understand why [the grand jury] has to get every single name," Athletics union representative Tim Hudson told the Chronicle. "I don't understand legally how they can do that. No. 1, with the [collective bargaining] agreement, names aren't supposed to come out. It seems like a mess to me."

Hudson, who has a slight 6-foot-1 frame, also told the newspaper "all I know is I'm not doing steroids, that's for sure."

"The agreement was that it was going to be anonymous and confidential, and we intend to stand by that principle to the extent that we can," Manfred said. "That is a central feature of the agreement."

Quest, among the largest drug-testing firms in the nation, analyzed baseball's 1,438 urine samples last season. CDT coordinated the collection of specimens and compiled the data.

Representatives of Quest and CDT did not respond to repeated phone calls and e-mail messages Tuesday from the AP.

Manfred said there were currently no subpoenas directed at Major League Baseball itself. It was unclear if the Major League Baseball Players Association was subpoenaed. Calls and e-mails Tuesday to union officials were not returned.

The Chronicle, quoting four sources familiar with the probe, who all requested anonymity, said the subpoenas were issued two months ago to the two drug-testing agencies, preserving the evidence the day before the test results were to be destroyed.

Baseball's testing last season for performance-enhancing drugs was intended to determine whether a more extensive policy would be implemented in the future. When more than 5 percent of players' tests were positive for steroids, a stricter plan was put into effect starting this season.

Even though that plan has been ridiculed as weak and filled with loopholes, it would ban steroid use by major leaguers for the first time and impose punishments including suspensions for repeated use.

"...The bottom line is, if you're not doing [steroids], you've got nothing to worry about," A's general manager Billy Beane told the Chronicle.

The grand jury has spent months on the drug and tax case that centers around BALCO. The only two people identified so far as targets of the probe are BALCO founder Victor Conte and Greg Anderson, a personal trainer for Barry Bonds and other athletes.

Bonds is among the dozens of athletes from five sports who appeared before the panel last fall. The group also includes track star Marion Jones and her boyfriend, 100-meter world record-holder Tim Montgomery; seven NFL players, and Olympic champion swimmer Amy Van Dyken.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[Kirkendall]

Welcome to the s**t on the bottom of our shoe called baseball... sucks, huh?

[BengalszoneBilly]

Once the truth comes out, it'll rock the sport, possibly shaking it to it's knees. And the truth WILL eventually come out about steroids, and all these home run records will be viewed with a jaundiced eye, if not an asterick in the record book.

The Bible reads "B.C....Before Christ"

The MLB record books will read "B.S....Before Steroids"

This players union is going to regret what they are doing someday, just as I'm sure Pete has since his scandal.

Again....too bad, and so sad.

[Kirkendall]

Well, now that Barry Bond's trainer is convicted, it will hopefully bring the issue so much negative publicity baseball will address the issue with the utmost aggressiveness.

You thought Bonds hated the media before, just wait until spring training.. LOL

[chrishcovga]

Baseball players don't have anyone to blame but themselves.

They knew they were going to be Randomly tested last year, to see if any further efforts against steroid use would be necessary. They even knew the dates that they were going to be tested... They also knew that only 5 % of players testing positive would lead them down the road they now follow...

so what the hell are they bi*ching about.??

Next time listen to Lawrence Taylor.......DON'T DO DRUGS

[Kirkendall]

Or Lyle Alzado.

[richmond_mat]

Here's some interesting reading. Don't know how long the link will work.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/doc_o_day/doc_o_day.html

[Kirkendall]

Gary Sheffield is brought up because he's been sending packages to BALCO -- not sure what that means. I don't believe that he's being investigated for taking any substances... then again, they have kept a tight lip on this.

I'll be very interested, as the rest of the sports world, on whom is implicated. Last I heard that there were several baseball, football players and olympic competitors.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Gary Sheffield is brought up because he's been sending packages to BALCO -- not sure what that means.

I think it means he's sending in his empties for refills!!

[chrishcovga]

Gary Sheffield at the Balco drive thru......

Yeah i'll take the obnoxiouslynoticeablelargeforearmsamine...with a side of

you'llneverbeabletofinditinmybloodstreamamine.

Oh and can i have the junior..I'llpleadthe5thwhenaskedifIhadanyknowledgeaboutthedrugstheyweresupplyingmewith

mine.

God I love Sarcasm.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Chris, you should be a chemist!! You have a great knack for naming drugs!!

[Kirkendall]

Yea, I think sceptism about 'roids in baseball is justified; as much as steroids is a problem in football.

[richmond_mat]

The sad truth is that many of our professional atletes take supplements to enhance their performance. It might consist of drinking raw eggs, or eating bird feathers or injecting the latest goo from whatever docter run really fast.

We need to accept the reality that healthy athletes maning the line shoud weigh near 300 lbs..

I'll add more to this later.

[Kirkendall]

The sad truth is that many of our professional atletes take supplements to enhance their performance. It might consist of drinking raw eggs, or eating bird feathers or injecting the latest goo from whatever docter run really fast.

I think I know where you're going so I'm going to add a little to your statement anticipating your reaction.

No matter the sport, there are way to many acceptances in respected sports. While all sports but baseball in 1998 banned Andro, our homerun champ used it and admitted of said uses while on his Roger Maris chase. Now we forget this because THG is becoming more prominent in daily usage of athletes today; thus forcing all issues such as salary, gambling, abuse all to the back burning soon and possibly lost memories.

I think the issue of drug use -- and I mean growth enhancements -- is in all sports, not just baseball. I think gambling is absolutely not apart of baseball; if you remove one person since 1919 there is no reported instances. Domestic abuse is prevalent in professional basketball and football, while high crime rates ranks the most among the NBA. With all of the violent crimes, that I truly believe is very active in the NBA, NFL and NHL, the one thing MLB has going for itself is the legend and integrity of the game.. There are absolutely no problems in terms of morals or ethics involved in baseball. MLB is consistent of money; remove those burdens to the game and I'll bet the fans more than triple per year for five years.

[BengalszoneBilly]

There are absolutely no problems in terms of morals or ethics involved in baseball.

I'm waiting for you to laugh. You are gonna laugh, aren't you?

[Kirkendall]

It's no worse than murder from both current and former football players, everything in the NBA; baseball doesn't have a problem with character in players -- they are just pissing me off because they won't give in their contract agreements at their jobs.

[Note: When I talk about ethics in baseball, I'm referring to players, not owners. There are no owners or CEOs in any business for multi-million corporations with ethics.]