The fact is that even without the penalties that MLB already has in place in the US and Venezuela (as well as Australia, Canada and pretty much whenever else there are ballplayers), the rate of positive steroid tests among signed pro baseball players in the DR has steadily gone DOWN from over 12% during the 1st year of testing to approximately 3% this last year. If it ever was any higher than that, it is anybody's guess.
Once the Dominican government gets the law revised (some tweaking needs to be done to change some articles from the nation's labor code to its health code) then the penalties will start to apply in the country just as everywhere else and further drops in steroids use among DR ballplayers should be expected.
Precisely this past weekend (Feb 15-17) MLB's had its major educational presentation on this issue for top DR prospects (as well as some sent by their teams from Venezuela and Panama). All MLB teams were represented. There they had a chance to get a comprehensive health risks talk by specialized physicians sent to the DR exclusively for this purpose and also they get to see dramatizations performed by local professional actors. Small group and individual Q&A sessions follow the presentations. Written materials distributed, etc.
The all weekend rookie career development program which covers issues related to cross-cultural adaptation and English language acquisition skills (by masters-level educators), financial protection (by MBA types), personal security matters (by US and Dominican law enforcement professionals), immigration/visa rules and related issues (by US consulate staff), drug prevention, and media relations (by well-recognized sport journalist), etc. Each presentation has audiovisual aides and are followed by serious discussions and clarifications. Their limited schooling is taken into account to help them grasp sometimes difficult topics.
In addition to this yearly special program for young men expected to make it to the US leagues during the year's season, MLB's Dominican office has a dedicated, full-time professional individual who visits each and every one of the "academies" several times a year with detailed prevention education presentations about Minor League and Major League drug policies regarding performance enhancing drugs.
All of this is again repeated ad infinitum by individual clubs both in the DR and the US. So, despite past neglect, I personally can attest to the fact that in the last 6 years things have changed rather dramatically and baseball has 'gotten its act together' to finally stop the so-called steroids era.
Unfortunately, some players will do whatever they will do, at their own risk.
Each of these guys is responsible for their careers; if they choose to use banned, risky substances, date hookers, give money to thugs, carry guns, antagonize the sports media off, fail to learn language skills, provide fraudulent documentations in their visa applications, befriend gangsters, or engage into any other kind of dangerous behavior; it is ultimately up to them to face the consequences. Being ignorant is no longer a legitimate excuse.
- Tordok
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