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You do have to file retirement papers with your particular sports league but the contract stops there.
...and that requirement would be part of the contract, obligating the player to stay retired for the duration of the original contract. If you continue to be bound by the terms of the contracts for a period of time after the contract has supposedly "stopped", then it hasn't"stopped", has it?
You say you can talk to 1000 lawyers, I suggest that only one is needed since they will all tell you the same thing. A contract ends upon the completion of its terms or upon an agreed expiration date. It does not end because one party says "It is over" which is the sense you have been trying to advance here.
...and that requirement would be part of the contract, obligating the player to stay retired for the duration of the original contract. If you continue to be bound by the terms of the contracts for a period of time after the contract has supposedly "stopped", then it hasn't"stopped", has it?
You say you can talk to 1000 lawyers, I suggest that only one is needed since they will all tell you the same thing. A contract ends upon the completion of its terms or upon an agreed expiration date. It does not end because one party says "It is over" which is the sense you have been trying to advance here.
No, what I have been trying to state is that there are ways to stray from the original terms of your contract. When a player retires and eventually applies for reinstatement, the league determines if he still belongs to the team he left or if he is a free agent. I do agree that it can be used to bail out on a bad team or contract terms and I don't like it, but it has been done before. Circumventing contracts and laws has been common place over the years. Players have used this to jump to championship or contending teams.
To really curb use 1st offense should be 100 games and the team has the right to either keep the player and current contract or void the contract and the player becomes a free agent because the contract was signed was under false pretenses (artificially inflated stats from PED's). One fear though for the conspiracy theorists and union, and I wouldn't put it past a club, is they could purposely taint a players sample if they are under performing their contract/often injured. Also this would only be for Steriods, HGH. Speed (uppers), and non performance enhancing street drugs would be a much less severe penalty.
To really curb use 1st offense should be 100 games and the team has the right to either keep the player and current contract or void the contract and the player becomes a free agent because the contract was signed was under false pretenses (artificially inflated stats from PED's). One fear though for the conspiracy theorists and union, and I wouldn't put it past a club, is they could purposely taint a players sample if they are under performing their contract/often injured. Also this would only be for Steriods, HGH. Speed (uppers), and non performance enhancing street drugs would be a much less severe penalty.
The samples are taken by a 3rd party, nothing to do with any of the MLB clubs.
A club/owner definitely has the cash to pay off a 3rd party to make the sample positive.
I agree they definitely have the cash to do so but there is no way that is happening. Between all the times the players association and owners butt heads, you know there are people there making sure it is all legit.
Seems to me the rules in place now are not enough of a deterrent. So what should be done now is on the first offfense you get a calendar year suspension. And when that calendar year is up, your contract is voided and you now have to renegotiate a new contract with the team that you were with when caught. That is if the team still wants you. If they don't they have a right to release you.
On the second offense, you are banned for life!! I think that should do it.
If the clean players are truly tired of the cheaters, they should ask their players union to agree to this on the next collective bargaining session.
Here's the problem. The MLB and the fans secretly WANT PEDS, i'm not sure why, as a fan, you would care one way or another.
Money is tight these days, prices are high, the cost of living is going up and if i pay for a sports ticket, i'd prefer my athletes to be big and strong and hit the ball 500 feet as opposed to smaller, slower and less athletic players who don't hit the ball as far, don't run as fast and don't jump as high.
The league is pretending they care about a "clean sport" but lets face facts, MLB is an entertainment company who's trying to provide you, the consumer, the most entertaining product they can. The more entertained you are, the more money they make and the more fun you have.
I know its "noble" to want an "honest" sport, but really, what's the difference? Unless someone you are related to is in the league and is losing a paycheck due to some other guy who's cheating, it doesnt matter one iota.
I want the team i root for to take any edge they can get and do you know why? Because i want to win and if i go to a live game, i want to pay for a winning product, its not as fun if you are backing a losing team and you're walking to your car after the game with your tail between your legs after losing the event.
Don't ask don't tell, just win and provide me with the best bang for my buck.
I haven't read the entire thread so forgive me if this is a repeat. But in my opinion there is no real way to rid PEDs from the MLB landscape unless owners have the power to void the contracts of players who have been caught. I mean the amount of money MLB's top talent commands is ridiculous. As a pro ball player, if you tell me that I can possibly get a 7-yr $100MM guaranteed contract by hitting 10-15 more HRs per year...I'd be in line for PEDs too. Once you sign that contract that money is GUARANTEED.
The way it's set up now PEDs seem like a pretty good gamble if you ask me. Especially for fringe players or older guys looking to cash in one more huge pay day before they call it a career. If A-Rod wasn't stupid (or arrogant) enough to keep using PEDs even after he was able to cash in he'd still be getting away with it. As long as there are huge guaranteed contracts for players to aspire to, I don't think MLB can ever totally rid itself of PEDs. The risk/reward equation suits the players way more than it suits the league.
Here's the problem. The MLB and the fans secretly WANT PEDS, i'm not sure why, as a fan, you would care one way or another.
Money is tight these days, prices are high, the cost of living is going up and if i pay for a sports ticket, i'd prefer my athletes to be big and strong and hit the ball 500 feet as opposed to smaller, slower and less athletic players who don't hit the ball as far, don't run as fast and don't jump as high.
The league is pretending they care about a "clean sport" but lets face facts, MLB is an entertainment company who's trying to provide you, the consumer, the most entertaining product they can. The more entertained you are, the more money they make and the more fun you have.
I know its "noble" to want an "honest" sport, but really, what's the difference? Unless someone you are related to is in the league and is losing a paycheck due to some other guy who's cheating, it doesnt matter one iota.
I want the team i root for to take any edge they can get and do you know why? Because i want to win and if i go to a live game, i want to pay for a winning product, its not as fun if you are backing a losing team and you're walking to your car after the game with your tail between your legs after losing the event.
Don't ask don't tell, just win and provide me with the best bang for my buck.
People don't want their guys on PEDS, they just want them to hit 500 homeruns a year and bat .500
I haven't read the entire thread, but to answer the OP - you don't. It will never happen. PEDs give players an edge and will always be in all sports. The cheats will always be 5 steps ahead of the PED police. By the time the testing labs discover the 'new' PED, the PED labs are onto the next thing.
The unions will always put up road blocks to real testing because the unions represent the players who want that edge. Owners will always be indifferent because the players make them money. Better performance equals more money. Player will always cheat because of the same reason. For $25millions bucks a year to play a kids game almost anyone would.
Fans don't care because it doesn't affect them. So Bonds jacks 800 HRs cheating, only 'purist' give a damn. Everyone else could care less as long their team wins and/or they have fun at the old ball park.
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