Drug Policy Is Defended

A top Major League Baseball official on Thursday defended the drug policy employed by the World Baseball Classic and accused World Anti-Doping Agency President Dick Pound of carrying an “agenda” against the sport and the tournament.

Pound issued a statement on the agency’s website in which he demanded baseball officials disclose the details of the policy, in light of an ESPN magazine story that reported loopholes in the program. Among them, the list of banned substances provided to WBC players differed from the standard list held by WADA.

Failure to comply, Pound said, “could further jeopardize the sport’s re-entry into the Olympic program.” Last summer, baseball was dropped from the Olympics after the 2008 Games.

MLB Executive Vice President Rob Manfred, who negotiated baseball’s current drug policy, said WBC participants are tested for all banned substances and that the International Baseball Federation, not MLB, handled drug testing for the WBC.

“To the extent that Mr. Pound believes it’s a problem, it’s a problem with the WADA signatory [IBAF], not us,” Manfred said.

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-- Tim Brown

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Commissioner Bud Selig is proceeding cautiously before deciding whether baseball should launch an investigation into allegations that Barry Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs for at least five seasons.

“It’s just something I’d rather not discuss right now,” Selig said before the WBC game between Mexico and the United States at Angel Stadium. “I’ll make the decision based on all the factors that are involved and go from there, and do what I think is in the best interest of everybody involved.”

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Chicago Cub pitcher Mark Prior has a strained right shoulder and could miss the beginning of the season.... Washington shortstop Cristian Guzman will try to avoid surgery on his injured right shoulder, but if two weeks of rest and rehabilitation do not work, he could miss much of the season.