Baseball Issues Ephedra Warning

The baseball players' association encouraged players not to use products with ephedra, the herbal supplement linked to the death of Baltimore pitcher Steve Bechler.

In a memo to players on the 30 major league teams, the union cited action taken last week by the Department of Health and Human Services, which warned that users of ephedra-based products face "potentially serious risks."

The one-page memo warned players, "be extremely reluctant to use any products containing ephedra."

"When you have a tragic event, it focuses people's attention in a different way," union head Donald Fehr said after meeting with the Orioles for 90 minutes Friday.

Bechler, a 23-year-old prospect who made his major league debut last year, died of heatstroke on Feb. 17. A Florida medical examiner linked the death to ephedra, which some athletes take to try to lose weight.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig last week banned players with minor league contracts from using ephedra, but that did not cover players on 40-man major league rosters, who all have major league contracts.

Baseball's labor contract prohibits only illegal drugs and certain steroids. Fehr had said the union would await the yet-to-be-released toxicology report from Bechler's autopsy before deciding whether to re-evaluate its position, which is that players should be allowed to use any legal product.

Ephedra is available without prescriptions in diet supplements.

"It may be that Congress is going to take another look at it," Fehr said. "If they decide that it's unreasonably dangerous and should be banned, then that would eliminate any need to have discussion on the issue."

Fehr meets with all major league teams during spring training to discuss union issues. In his session with the Orioles, ephedra was the No. 1 topic.

"Baseball's a pretty small family, and I think players everywhere pretty much reacted the same way," Fehr said.

The memo listed the potential side effects of ephedra and stressed that the HHS warning was directed to "athletes and those who engage in strenuous physical activities."

The Milwaukee Brewers have banned supplements from their clubhouse, a rule that even the team acknowledged is unenforceable because drug policy must set by the union and commissioner's office.

"It's a legal drug available over the counter, so I don't know what we can do. It's up to Don and those guys," said Jason Johnson, the Orioles' player representative.

By David Ginsburg