Baseball

Drug testing to commence on Thursday

By wire services
Published March 1, 2005

NEW YORK - Testing under baseball's new drug agreement will start Thursday, the commissioner's office said.

Lawyers for players and owners have been drafting the deal since they announced the agreement for tougher testing Jan.13.

"We're going to be in the camps testing starting the third of March, and I expect the language to be wrapped up in the next couple of days," Rob Manfred, management's executive vice president for labor relations, said Monday.

Michael Weiner, the union's general counsel, said the sides hoped to complete the drafting before the testing starts. The deal replaces the agreement that began in September 2002.

Under the new rules, a player would be suspended for 10 days for a first positive test for a performance-enhancing drug, 30 for a second positive test, 60 for a third and one year for a fourth.

NO IDEA: In the wake of general manager Kevin Towers' admission that he "felt like I knew" the late Ken Caminiti was using steroids while with the Padres, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, San Diego's CEO during Caminiti's stint there, said he was unaware of the fact.

Asked if Towers had come to him with concerns about Caminiti, Lucchino said, "No, not that I can recall. You know, it's hard to separate now what you know after the fact from what you knew at the time. But I don't remember any discussions or warnings about it."

The Padres agreed to terms on a four-year contract with right-hander Jake Peavy, who led the majors with a 2.27 ERA last season.

BONDS RESTS: Barry Bonds took a step back in his recovery from knee surgery, but it was all according to plan.

A day after taking his first swings of spring, Bonds retreated to a normal schedule of strength training and rehabilitation work with the Giants. He might not get back in the batting cage any time soon, but the seven-time NL MVP still is on schedule to return to action well before the Cactus League schedule ends.

"I'm going to try to hold him down as long as I can," trainer Stan Conte said. "We're going back to the original plan. I just don't want him out there, because he gets caught up in it, and then he's doing more than he should."

ANKIEL OFF-TARGET: Rick Ankiel's comeback hit a rough patch when the Cardinals left-hander threw three strikes in 26 batting practice pitches.

"He was a little out of whack but he wasn't missing by much," manager Tony La Russa said. "That happens to a lot of pitchers. It isn't anything that we are worried about."

ANGELS: The city of Anaheim appealed a judge's ruling that would allow the team to continue using its new name, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

D'BACKS: Former third baseman Matt Williams was hired as a special assistant to Jeff Moorad, the team's general partner.

YANKEES: WCBS-AM radio in New York hired Suzyn Waldman as John Sterling's partner in the booth, making her the first full-time female color commentator in baseball history.

[Last modified March 1, 2005, 01:11:12]