MLB Takes Major Step Against Doping
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS) _ Minor League baseball players are now being subjected to random blood testing for human growth hormones.
San Jose Giants manager Brain Harper said his players have told him they don't do HGH, but they do fear inaccurate tests.
But Harper said the temptation to try to get better faster will never go away.
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"My son plays in Japan now and he played ten years of minor league ball and there was times when we had the discussion," he said. "He would say, how am I going to compete with the guys in the big leagues when they're all taking steroids and HGH. I just told him you're going to have to work a lot harder."
With no union backing, minor leaguers will have to accept what the leagues dish out.
San Jose Giants President and CEO Jim Weyermann said the team works with players on any number of issues of growth and maturity.
But in the end, using illegal substances is an individual choice.
"We see it earlier and earlier at a young age of the kids thinking, full ride to Division 1 school, minor leagues and ultimately major league player," said Weyermann. "So there's a tremendous amount of pressure on kids to perform very, very early in sports."
Major League Baseball is the first professional sports league in the United States to take this aggressive step against doping.
