Changing labs after 2004 heist

Baseball 'names' seized in a drug raid in 2004 are still at stake as the case heads to the 9th circuit court (news today). The late Doug Pappas noted MLB Bigs subsequently moved the lab 'over the border' making it harder for feds to get to 'names' (at least until Radomski/McNamee happened along with Clemens turning down the Red Sox offer in May 2007).

• From Doug Pappas website, 5/11/04:

"MLB Drug-Testing Programs Move to Olympic-Certified Laboratories MLB and the MLBPA have agreed to transfer administration of their drug-testing program to a lab certified by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier Research Center of Montreal. In MLB's press release, Rob Manfred and Gene Orza say nice things about the WADA, but never mention the biggest benefit of switching to this particular lab.

• That benefit?

• The use of a Canadian lab will ensure that all of the 2004 drug testing samples are stored beyond the reach of U.S. prosecutors and grand juries, eliminating the possibility that last month's seizure will be repeated.

This was no accident -- MLB chose to have its minor-league testing administered by the WADA-approved testing program at UCLA, which could certainly have handled the major leaguers' specimens, too."

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