Hank Aaron says PED punishments need to be increased

[DaaBoTownSox]

All respect to Hank Aaron, but his status as the guy who was eclipsed in the record book by a steroids-fueled dude doesn’t render this sentiment any more rational than when someone else says it:

“I think it’s got to be a little bit more severe as far as penalties are concerned,” Aaron said. “I think 50 games is not enough. I’d like to see 100 games really. I think the second time, they need to just ban the player from baseball.”

The penalty is already nearly a 1/3 dock in pay and play. No other sort of cheating is penalized with anything close to the current level of PED penalties. Indeed, the suspensions given to players and managers who have physically assaulted people on the baseball field have been far less historically.

Unless Aaron or other proponents of tougher PED penalties have information that everyone else is lacking, we do not have an epidemic on our hands that requires addressing. We have people violating a rule on occasion, just like people occasionally break the law. And when someone is found to have, say, robbed a convenience store or cheated on their taxes, we don’t immediately call for doubling (or more) the penalties in place.

Seriously: if someone can point me to something — anything — that suggests (a) that there is rampant, undeterred PED cheating going on now; and (b) that doubling the penalties would combat it, I’m totally on board. But absent that, this sort of thing is kind of pointless. It’s a solution in search of a problem.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...-be-increased/

[EmpireWF]

Aaron isn't alone in thinking the punishments should be greater. Did a quick search and found Kirk Gibson and Twins LHP Glen Perkins (their union rep, too) thinking they need to be stiffen...so I'll assume there are plenty of other active managers/players who feel the same way.

There have been something around 80 failed drug tests this year alone between the minors and majors.

Problem is, it shouldn't necessarily be blanketed...but then it gets tricky as guys like Braun try to weasel their way into a lesser penalty. I'd definitely be in favor of increasing the first positive from 50 games.

[Warner2BruceTD]

I have no problem with increasing the penalty either, but fwiw there is an Austalian Rules Football league in Australia (duh) that bans players for life on the first fail, and they've had three players test positive this season alone. I dont think stiffer penalties will deter most players.

This also comes down to wanting to catch the players in the first place. Random piss tests now & then are nice and all, but until we see advanced testing procedures for things like HGH, the MLB policy has no teeth and is only catching stupid people.

[Guest]

I have no problem with increasing the penalty either, but fwiw there is an Austalian Rules Football league in Australia (duh) that bans players for life on the first fail, and they've had three players test positive this season alone. I dont think stiffer penalties will deter most players.

This also comes down to wanting to catch the players in the first place. Random piss tests now & then are nice and all, but until we see advanced testing procedures for things like HGH, the MLB policy has no teeth and is only catching stupid people.

Agree on both counts. Though the players banned in the Australian league, how many were top tier players? I think you'll still see some people trying to gain that advantage, but having a 100 game and then lifetime ban, would be acceptable for baseball.

[EmpireWF]

Can they change the rules and retroactively suspend Braun for failing his drug test?