Baseball’s New Era of Drug Testing Begins

Josh Beckett was one of the Florida Marlins summoned on the first day of baseball’s new era of drug testing, and he welcomed the chance to help improve the sports’ image.

"It’s something we’ve got to do to clear our name," Beckett said Thursday in Jupiter, Fla.

All of baseball seemingly has to prove its innocence, which is why players agreed to the new deal which calls for more testing, additional banned performance-enhancing substances and a 10-day suspension for a first offense.

Not all players agree with the new policy, though.

Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent told the San Francisco Chronicle that testing should be supervised by an independent body, that amphetamines also should be banned and that penalties should be more along the lines of the Olympic movement, where first offenses generally merit a two-year ban.

In Washington, a congressional committee scheduled a hearing for March 17 on the new drug-testing agreement, which hasn’t even been finalized. Among those invited to testify were Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Thomas, commissioner Bud Selig and players’ association head Donald Fehr.

Giambi, one player looking to restore his image – on and off the field – began his comeback from a season wrecked by injury and an offseason marred by the steroid controversy.

Giambi walked twice and grounded out as the New York Yankees opened their exhibition season with a 2-2 tie against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"I’m excited to get out there, getting a chance to play and have positive at-bats," Giambi said. "That’s the biggest thing, tracking the ball well. And when you start doing that, you can start getting pitches to hit and hitting them hard and go from there."

Fans in the sellout crowd of 10,041 cheered Giambi on the cool, gray afternoon.

"They’ve been unbelievably supportive, so that’s exciting," Giambi said.

After playing on a bad knee for the second half of 2003, Giambi’s 2004 season was wrecked by a sprained right ankle, an intestinal parasite and a benign pituitary tumor. He hit just .077 with one homer and five RBIs in 52 at-bats after the All-Star break, too weak to come back and contribute in the stretch run.

In December, the San Francisco Chronicle reported he told a federal grand jury in 2003 that he had used steroids.