Commissioner Bud Selig defended baseball's fight against performance-enhancing drugs on Wednesday while declining comment on the suspension of Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun or whether other stars will also face penalties.

Braun was suspended for the balance of the season on Monday for violating baseball's anti-drug policy.

Since the program was implemented in 2004, 32 major league players have been suspended for using banned substances. Three were suspended a second time.

"It took a long time," Selig said. "I said we would aggressively enforce that program. Obviously if you have a tough testing program, you have to do that.

"Given the whole history and what we've accomplished, having the first testing program in baseball history, I will say this very candidly: we had a very serious cocaine problem.

"So I'm proud of what we've done and we will continue to enforce the program."

Selig, whose family owned the Brewers from 1970 until 2005, was at Miller Park to take part in a youth baseball program.

Associated Press

(China Daily 07/26/2013 page24)