Ueberroth’s Stipulations Being Met

A year ago today, baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth handed out conditional suspensions to 11 players for drug involvement.

Although the commissioner’s authority is still being challenged through a grievance filed by the Major League Players Assn., both the union and the commissioner’s office apparently agree that the involved players are complying with the financial and community-service stipulations that allowed them to continue playing in 1986.

“They are obviously in compliance or they would have been suspended,” union counsel Gene Orza said.

Orza acknowledged, however, that he had no way of being certain, since little is known about the commissioner’s monitoring process other than that Ueberroth gets reports from the respective agents and/or clubs.

Ueberroth, after announcing his ruling at a press conference that attracted national attention, has refused to provide specifics on the subject.

Rich Levin, a spokesman for the commissioner, said Friday that the involved players remain in compliance with the stipulations and that “at least one” has fully satisfied the stipulations.

Levin refused to identify that player or players, but under the terms of the ruling, it would have to involve someone being penalized in the less serious or second category.

In that category, Al Holland, Lee Lacy, Lary Sorensen (out of baseball) and Claudell Washington were suspended for 60 days. Ueberroth said he would hold the suspensions in abeyance if each donated 5% of his 1986 base salary to an approved drug program and contributed 50 hours of drug-related community service in 1986.

It is believed that Lacy, a Baltimore Oriole outfielder and former Dodger, has satisfied those stipulations. A source said that Lacy is known to have contributed 40 hours in February alone and had previously met his financial obligation, which was $31,250 or 5% of his 1986 base salary of $625,000.

Seven other players--Keith Hernandez, Joaquin Andujar, Dave Parker, Jeffrey Leonard, Lonnie Smith, Enos Cabell and Dale Berra--were suspended for a year. Ueberroth said he would hold those suspensions in abeyance if each donated 10% of his 1986 base salary to a drug program in the city in which his team is located, and contributed 100 hours of drug-related community service work in both 1986 and ’87.

It has since been learned that those players in that category have 25 months in which to meet the financial obligation and that a timetable governing both categories didn’t begin until June 1 of last year, meaning, for example, that the 1986 community service obligation does not have to be finished until June 1 of this year.

The obvious flexibility is consistent with a drug philosophy emphasizing rehabilitation and community involvement rather than punishment, Ueberroth said in an October interview.

He has demonstrated additional flexibility by allowing the involved players to make donations of time and money to programs in the cities in which they live or travel to, as well as in the cities in which their team is based, as originally stipulated.

His office has released a generic list of the types of organizations and programs that have been approved. They include the Special Olympics, children’s hospitals, youth sports teams, Boys Clubs, substance abuse centers, youth centers and alcohol treatment centers.

Agents for the involved players have remained as silent as the commissioner, insisting that any statements come from Ueberroth. Part of their reluctance to identify programs stems from a desire to avoid pressure from other programs and organizations.

They insist, however, that although there may be some confusion as to timetable and guidelines, it would be wrong to think that Ueberroth made a grandstand play and is now letting it slide.

Said attorney Tom Reich, who represents Cabell, Leonard, Parker, Holland and Lacy: “I know this much. We’re keeping track of it and so is the commissioner. He receives quarterly reports from us and, I presume, has his own method of attaining confirmation.”

Levin, the commissioner’s spokesman, said that the active players among the 11 will also continue to undergo random drug testing during the season, another stipulation in allowing them to avoid suspension.