Major Leaguers Getting Heads Up Before Drug Tests?

Oct. 31, 2007 — -- Baseball teams regularly receive up to nearly two days' notice before drug testing of players, The New York Times reported on its Web site Tuesday.

Officials of home teams are notified in advance to leave stadium and parking passes for the testers.

According to The Times, up to five players at a time are tested.

Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, and players' union general counsel Michael Weiner were quoted as saying players are not given advance notice of tests and that it was not an issue.

Manfred told The Times: "We are very confident that no player has ever received advanced notice of a test. Even if a player knew a few hours before, there is precious little that can be done to subvert a test."

The Times reported that Manfred said that one person with each team -- often the general manager or the assistant general manager -- arranges access for the testers and a place to conduct the tests. One team told The Times that trainers "routinely" learn of the tests in the morning to prepare for them.

"This is scandalous that anyone would insert this kind of loophole in a system and not include it in the written regulations," John Hoberman, a doping expert, was quoted as saying. "They are opening the door to serious doubts about the integrity of the program."

Don Catlin, who founded the Olympic Analytical Lab at UCLA, told The Times that players could benefit from advance notice. Patches or cream-based steroids clear the system more quickly than others. He also said that low doses of steroids, such as short-acting testosterone, could clear a user's system within hours.

"As soon as you know you are going to be tested, you rip off the patch and take a shower and urinate, and in an hour or two you will get numbers down real fast," said Catlin, according to The Times.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.