On This Date in Sports February 28, 1986: The Pittsburgh Drug Trials
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Joaquin Andujar of the Oakland Athletics, Dale Berra of the New York Yankees, Enos Cabell of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Keith Hernandez of the New York Mets, Jeffrey Leonard of the San Francisco Giants, Dave Parker of the Cincinnati Reds, and Lonnie Smith of the Kansas City Royals are suspended for one season for their links to cocaine that was exposed during the Pittsburgh Drug Trials. The suspension would be stayed if the players agreed to donate ten percent of their base salaries to drug-related community service in the city in which they played, submit to random drug testing, and do one hundred hours of community service.
The sport of baseball was rocked when several players were implicated in a major drug bust in Pittsburgh. A federal trial would ensue, with the players, being given immunity in exchange for testifying against the dealers that were supplying them with cocaine. Among the most shocking revelation was that Kevin Koch, who portrayed the Pittsburgh Parrot, had been a go-between and helped players obtain drugs. Keith Hernandez, who admitted to using cocaine for three years, estimated that as many as 40% of players in the majors had used cocaine in the early 80s.
The major players would receive 12-year prison sentences for their roles in the drug enterprise. After the dust settled, MLB Commissioner Peter Ueberroth was faced with handing down discipline to get cocaine out of the game. Drugs and baseball first were exposed in 1983, when four Kansas City Royals, Willie Aikens, Vida Blue, Jerry Martin, and Wilson, were arrested for purchasing cocaine. All four would be suspended for the 1984 season. Aikens, Martin, and Wilson all had their suspensions reduced by appeal, while Blue missed the entire year along with Steve Howe of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who was caught doing coke in the bullpen.
In handling the seven players who were called the "cocaine seven" by the press, Peter Ueberroth decided to give the players a way to play while handing out a year suspension. The requirements had the players giving up 10% of their salary along with random drug testing and community service. Four additional players (Al Holland of the New York Yankees, Lee Lacy of the Baltimore Orioles, Larry Sorrenson of the Chicago Cubs, and Claudell Washington of the Atlanta Braves) were given 60-day suspensions. Each was given the same chance to continue playing by agreeing to donate 5% of their salary and get tested randomly throughout the season.
Several other players, including Dusty Baker of the Oakland Athletics, Tim Raines of the Montreal Expos, Rod Scurry of the Yankees, and Alan Wiggins of the Orioles, were named in the investigation but not disciplined. Most of the players named in the investigations had no further issues with drugs and did not miss any playing time. Sadly, drugs led to Scurry's untimely death in 1992, while Wiggins died of AIDS from using intravenous needles in 1991. Willie Aikens also had further troubles as he received a 15-year prison sentence for distributing drugs in 1994.