Selig: Ban Suspended Juicers from Minors

(AP)  Baseball commissioner Bud Selig wants to keep players on drug suspensions from going to the minor leagues before they return.

Manny Ramirez drew sellout crowds last month in the minors when he played two games at Triple-A Albuquerque and three at Class-A Inland Empire on his rehabilitation assignment before his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 3.

"I believe that should be changed," Selig said Tuesday during a question-and-answer session with the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "Their logic was OK - look, guys get hurt, they can go out on rehab, and so and so forth. But I think that's something we need to really change in the next labor negotiation."

The current rules are in place through December 2011. Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president of labor relations, said management would not ask for a rules change before then.

"I'll let them work that out. I don't want to do our negotiating here," Selig said. "But it's 50 games and then go do what you got to do to get back into (shape)."

The Dodgers outfielder was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy by obtaining a prescription for a banned female fertility drug.

Union general counsel Michael Weiner, who has been designated to succeed Donald Fehr as players' association head, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Selig's remarks.

[hennighg]

Damned fool. They should suspend dopers from baseball. There is just one thing a guy can do to be banned for life. If PEDs were added to the list, couldn't these millionaire jocks remember it? That's the problem. A game owned by multi-billionaires and played by multi-millionaires mean Joe Normal won't get one damned thing he wants. In this issue, KIDS suffer. They are too young to be unaffected by their heroes using dope to get ahead and every time one of them is put back on the team the kids assume (correctly) that MLB is saying, "Hey, look, kids. Dope if you want to. Nothing happens!" Bad enough families can't afford to go to games or the cable to stay at home and watch, now pro sports promotes drug use. Way to go, Selig. And the Players Union, too. You guys suck.

[betterusa]

I have to agree; change the rules that anyone testing positive is banned for life - period! If a player gambles on baseball he is out for life - why not performance enhancing drugs. I have zero respect for M. Ramirez, A-rod, Sosa and all the other users. I would like if MLB would release the other 103 names on "the list" so we the fan (money supporters for these "athletes") could know who is clean and who is not.