Unfortunately they got caught doing something that there was previously no punishment for, and unfortunately MLB (in my opinion) condoned the behavior by turning a blind eye in the wake of the Sosa/McGwire race.
The policy is still riddled with holes; besides the fact that there is currently no test for HGH, the banned substance list contains a host of chemicals that are present in OTC supplements and others that are legal in other countries (look at the large number of Latin American players who have been suspended; many stated that they took supplements purchased in their home countries at drug or health food stores).
The punishment is also weak; even a 50-game suspension for someone making millions of dollars is certainly not an incentive when a multimillion dollar contract is at stake. The risk:reward ratio still favors the user. If MLB wants to get serious about the "problem" they will push for a lifetime ban for first offenders and users of HGH, and stop granting medical exceptions for drugs like Ritalin unless a league doctor verifies it is medically necessary.
Until that happens, I'll keep watching baseball and I'll keep marveling at the skills of guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, because I assume they played on a level playing field.
-Al
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