SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has called for tougher penalties for major leaguers who violate the sport’s drug agreement, a move the union is willing to consider but not for the 2013 season.
Speaking at a news conference Saturday at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ spring training ballpark, Selig said last year’s positive drug test for All-Star Game MVP Melky Cabrera and allegations players received banned substances from a now-closed Florida anti-aging clinic helped lead him to seek stiffer penalties as quickly as possible.
He declined to give specifics, saying MLB Executive vice president Rob Manfred and players’ union head Michael Weiner will meet.
Weiner said Monday that some players have expressed support for tougher penalties. Selig said he was encouraged by Weiner’s comments.