Player Agents Referred Clients to Steroid Doc

(NEWSER) - David Ortiz says he has never used steroids, despite his inclusion on baseball's infamous list of juicers from 2003, the Globe reports. “I used a lot of supplements and vitamins" back then, the Red Sox slugger said at a press conference today. He acknowledged being a "bit careless" in those days but stated definitively that never used or bought steroids. More»

(NEWSER) - If not for one pesky scandal, “Don Fehr might rightly be hailed as one of the greatest leaders in the history of American labor,” Ken Rosenthal writes for Fox Sports of the retiring baseball players union boss. “Alas, he missed on steroids, missed about as badly as a person of his intellect could miss.” Fehr also failed in his most important job: protecting his players. More»

(NEWSER) - Baseball players union chief Donald Fehr said today he’ll retire by March 31, the New York Times reports. His likely replacement as executive director will be Michael Weiner, the union’s general counsel. In Fehr’s 26 years at the helm, the average player salary rose from $289,000 to $3.24 million. But Fehr, 60, also seen his share of scandals, most notably performance-enhancing drugs. More»

Tougher doping rules kick in immediately

(NEWSER) - Baseball players agreed to more frequent drug tests yesterday and gave more clout to the drug program's independent administrator, the AP reports. The tougher guidelines follow recommendations made in the Mitchell Report and mark the third time the league has toughened its doping policy since 2002—each time under the threat of congressional action, the Calgary Herald notes. Owners approved the changes last week. More»

They agree to more tests; players in Mitchell Report are spared

(NEWSER) - Clubs and players agreed yesterday to toughen Major League Baseball's anti-doping policy, the AP reports. Players will be tested more frequently without notice, and the game's outside administrator—a position created in 2005 to oversee testing—will get more authority. As part of the deal, all of the players named in the Mitchell Report have been given amnesty. More»