MLB Suspention Policy, Is it a joke?

[Mr.Baseball]

I came home today, turned on the TV, and the first thing I saw was Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been suspended 6 games under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy. Given, this suspension may be extended or reduced at the discretion of the commissioner but for the simplicity of this article, we will just say it is 6 games. This gets me to thinking back to a yesterday when recovering Reds pitcher Edison Volquez was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance. Here's the kicker on Volquez though, he is serving the suspension while on the disabled list.

From the many sources I have looked at, it seems clear that there was no chance of Volquez returning within 50 games regardless of the suspension. So now, instead of Volquez actually missing 50 games that he had a shot at playing in, he is doing the same exact thing he was only now without pay. The question here is, how is this punishment? Why should he not have to miss any real time when any regular player would? Is it now ok to take banned substances while hurt for a significant amount of time?

The second question is the one that is truly bothersome. Because it is exactly the kind of message that the MLB is sending by allowing a player to spend a suspension on the disabled list, that as long as you get suspended long enough before you would be ready to get off the disabled list, you can take whatever you want. So essentially, Joe Nathan, if you are reading this, all taking banned substances to help you get back faster and come back better than ever is some money and a few "oversensitive" fans. There isn't a whole lot more to say about that, it is just plain wrong the way the commissioner's office is handling this.

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[muddie]

MLB is a joke where any of this is concerned. McGwire in the Cardinals dugout as hitting coach says it all. Ron Washington down in Texas was doing coke last year while holding down the managers job. MLB has the strongest union of any sport and I believe that has a lot to do with the lax punishments and suspensions.

I saw where some minor leaguer had been suspended the other day for the second time for 50 days for substance abuse, or whatever they call it. Its all a joke.

[Vottomatic]

Pretty much what's wrong with society in general.

Bring back public hangings. The world has gotten soft.

[NorrisHopper30]

Well he does lose over $100K so I'd consider it still a pretty good punishment for someone making $400k

[Griffey012]

MLB is a joke where any of this is concerned. McGwire in the Cardinals dugout as hitting coach says it all. Ron Washington down in Texas was doing coke last year while holding down the managers job. MLB has the strongest union of any sport and I believe that has a lot to do with the lax punishments and suspensions.

I saw where some minor leaguer had been suspended the other day for the second time for 50 days for substance abuse, or whatever they call it. Its all a joke.

The MLB actually has a stronger penalty than the NFL for substance abuse. NFL is automatic 4 games or 25% of the season, MLB is 50 games or roughly 30% of the season. But I am positive the NFL's drug testing policy is much better ran cause you rarely hear of MLB'ers getting suspended for substance abuse.

I don't think Roger Goddell and the NFL have ever had to handle a situation like Ron Washington's. Washington went to the Rangers and the MLB before he had even failed a drug test, I am not sure if he actually ever even failed one in the first place. However, I agree the MLB just let it fly by, but it's a much more difficult situation to handle with a manager, because if he is suspended 50 games you are basically just taking his job away, because he will get fired instead. A solid fine would have been a justifiable recourse.