108 MLB players get ADHD drug exemption
In January 2008, a congressional committee questioned why so many baseball players cited attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as an exemption to use otherwise banned stimulants. The count has only increased since that time.
A report released Tuesday by Major League Baseball's independent program administrator, displaying data from last offseason to the end of the 2009 postseason, showed that 108 players received a therapeutic-use exemption due to ADHD. As detailed by The Associated Press, that count is up from 106 in the previous year's cycle, and 103 in the 2006-07 period that got Congress' attention in the first place.
"These TUEs are based on diagnoses that originally are made by a doctor and they are reviewed by one if not more doctors to verify the diagnoses," Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, told the AP. "And I've got to rely on the medical people."
On Jan. 15, 2008, the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee questioned why such a high number of ADHD cases existed.
The report, compiled by administrator Bryan W. Smith, details that a total of 3,722 tests were given to players on the 30 teams' 40-man rosters. Thirteen of those tests produced positives - one for a "performance-enhancing substance," nandrolone, and 12 for stimulants (11 for Adderall and one for clobenzorex). Players get disciplined for a positive stimulant test only if they break the rule twice. The only steroids suspension was given to San Francisco's Kelvin Pichardo in spring training.
The report mentions "one non-analytical positive" that "resulted in discipline." That would be Manny Ramirez, who served a 50-game suspension after his test generated suspicion.
