After months of deadlock, leaders of Major League Baseball and the players union reach an agreement to clean up a performance-enhancing drug scandal that has tarnished the nation’s pastime and left lawmakers worried about young athletes imitating the wrong role models. It will require baseball players to submit to several drug tests each year, during and between seasons, and will impose lengthy suspensions for steroid and amphetamine use. Repeat offenders can be banned for life. The agreement, which must be ratified by both the players and baseball owners, is similar to a proposal offered earlier this year by commissioner Bud Selig.

On November 15, 2005 — After months of deadlock, leaders of Major League Baseball and the players union reach an agreement to clean up a performance-enhancing drug scandal that has tarnished the nation’s pastime and left lawmakers worried about young athletes imitating the wrong role models. It will require baseball players to submit to several drug tests each year, during and between seasons, and will impose lengthy suspensions for steroid and amphetamine use.

The new rules are as follows a 50-game suspension for a first offense, 100 games for a second, and a lifetime ban for a third. The agreement also adds the much-needed testing for amphetamines, which will result with mandatory additional testing if the test is positive the first time, with a second offense drawing a 25-game suspension, and a third offense meaning an 80 game suspension.

The agreement, which must be ratified by both the players and baseball owners, is similar to a proposal offered earlier this year by commissioner Bud Selig.