Baltimore’s Nick Markakis wants longer ban for drug cheats

In the wake of Major League Baseball’s record number of drug suspensions Monday, Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis told the Baltimore Sun that the only way baseball will rid itself of performance-enhancing substance users is to stiffen its penalties, punishments that he believes should, at the least, include a five-year suspension for a first-time offender.

“No ifs, ands or buts about it,� Markakis said when asked if he would support a longer ban for drug cheats. “These guys are big boys; they can make decisions. If I go out there and rob a convenience store, I know the consequences that are coming with it. We are all adults here.�

“These guys that are doing performance-enhancing drugs are taking away from a lot of other people that are doing it the right way. They are taking opportunities away and they are basically stealing,� Markakis continued. “Stealing money away from owners because they are basically purchasing damaged products. It’s not a good situation all the way around. And all of us that have done it the right way, we are going to suffer and have to answer questions about this for a while now. I think that puts us in bad situations that we don’t deserve to be in.�

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