[Snuffington]

We'll see. Bonds' attorney has said that he's willing to take any test MLB wants to administer.

Sammy Sosa once said the same thing at a press conference. Then a sportswriter challenged him to take it that day - the lap setup was available. Sammy stormed off and ended the press conference then and there.

I have an ugly feeling steroid use in baseball is wildly out of control, and an awful lot of the top stars have something to hide.

[Sabertooth]

I have an ugly feeling steroid use in baseball is wildly out of control, and an awful lot of the top stars have something to hide.

There was random, unannounced steroid testing of all Major Leaguers this year, and 250 follow up tests. The positive results were about 7%. Not as bad as some had claimed, but it's too much. Also, they didn't have the tests for THG last year. Mandatory testing with penalties begins next year.

[Mr. Mojo]

I have an ugly feeling steroid use in baseball is wildly out of control, and an awful lot of the top stars have something to hide.

Absolutely. My guess is that steroid use is somewhere between 20% - 40%. .....Although it's not quite that simple -- some players take the strong stuff, others take a more mild variety (although still illegal), and still others take "supplements" that fall in the grey area of illegality. Bonds and Sosa fall into the first category, imo.

[ThreeYearLurker]

I went through some of my baseball cards with my son the other day. I came across a Sammy Sosa card that was about 10-15 years old. The guy was about half the size he is now.

[L.N. Smithee]

Sammy Sosa once said the same thing at a press conference. Then a sportswriter challenged him to take it that day - the lap setup was available. Sammy stormed off and ended the press conference then and there.

This incident (which didn't happen as you remember it) was the work of Sports Illustrated's Dick...oops, I mean Rick Reilly, sportsmedia's premiere Bonds-basher. Up until then, Reilly kissed up to Sosa because he is genial, charismatic, and never met a microphone he didn't like.

The fact of the matter is this: Sosa would have been sanctioned by the MLB Players Association -- a legendarily strong union -- if he had voluntarily submitted to a test that hadn't been approved beforehand. In fact, he not only would have been in hot water with the union, he would be in trouble with other players as well, because it would pressure on them to volunteer just as he had.

[Proud_texan]

"steroid use in baseball is wildly out of control"

I bet that it's out of control in any big money sport where the difference between making the cut and making a boatload of money is very thin.

I've known a couple of guys that went to NFL training camp, none of them made it, but all of them had admitted to doing at one course of steriods which means that they probably did at least two (if not more).

And this was the 80's. I can't imagine what it must be like these days.