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SAN FRANCISCO - Major League Baseball will not retest the approximately 500 samples remaining from last year's drug tests for the steroid THG, a baseball official said Monday.
Results of the drug tests on Barry Bonds and several other players are being sought by federal prosecutors investigating a San Francisco area nutritional supplements lab. It is not clear if the samples for those players are among the ones that still exist.
The urine samples were taken last year to help determine the scope of steroid use. When more than 5 percent of samples showed evidence of steroids, new regulations, including punishments, were imposed beginning this season.
"There will be no effort by Major League Baseball to retest the samples because our agreement (with the union) does not allow it," said Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations.
Two samples were taken from each of the more than 1,400 major-leaguers last season. Most were destroyed, but about 500 were saved when a grand jury in San Francisco issued a subpoena for the drug tests.
The steroid tests did not check for THG, which was undetectable until last summer. Officials did not know of THG's existence when the tests were carried out. THG is at the center of the federal probe into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.
OBITUARY: George Bamberger, a North Redington Beach resident and former pitching coach and manager, died Sunday at home. He was 80.
Mr. Bamberger was the Orioles pitching coach from 1968-77, when Baltimore had probably the best pitching staff in baseball, led by Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. The Orioles led the league in ERA six times in those years and boasted 18 20-game winners, including four in 1971.
Mr. Bamberger later managed the Brewers and Mets and was 458-478 in seven seasons.
PLAYER ROBBED: Indians leftfielder Matt Lawton reported the theft of $117,000 in jewelry and other items from his downtown Philadelphia hotel room over the weekend, when the team was in town for exhibition games against the Phillies.
Lawton called police Sunday morning after returning from a trip to Atlantic City, N.J., to report the theft of jewelry and other personal items from his room at the Ritz-Carlton.
Reported missing was a Gucci bag containing a diamond Rolex watch, a diamond bracelet, a platinum necklace and an MP3 player and speakers, Philadelphia police Inspector William Colarulo said.
NETWORK HEAD QUITS: YES Network chief executive officer Leo Hindery Jr. resigned 21/2 years after helping launch the Yankees' cable channel. Hindery quit 11 days after an arbitration panel ended a long and bitter dispute between YES and Cablevision Systems Corps., which was ordered to offer YES to its 3-million subscribers on its basic cable package and not as a premium channel.
BRAVES: Bobby Cox's 2005 option was exercised, putting him under contract for his 20th season as manager of the franchise.
DODGERS: Right-hander Jose Lima and infielders Jose Hernandez and Olmedo Saenz were added to the roster.
MARINERS: Third baseman Scott Spiezio plans to get a second opinion about his persistent back spasms, and new closer Eddie Guardado won't throw for three days because of a sore left (pitching) shoulder. ... Left-hander Terry Mulholland declined to exercise an option in his contract that would have made him a free agent, binding him to a minor-league deal. Agent Joe Bick was involved in talks, however, that could land Mulholland with another club, and Seattle seemed agreeable.
MARLINS: Outfielder Jeff Conine could miss today's opener because of a sinus infection.
PADRES: Infielder Jeff Cirillo went on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right fingertip. The contract of left-hander Eddie Oropesa was purchased to take his place on the active roster.
PIRATES: General manager Dave Littlefield's contract was extended for two seasons through 2007, and manager Lloyd McClendon's 2005 option was exercised.
RANGERS: Shortstop Michael Young signed a $10-million, four-year contract extension with a club option for a fifth season.