The recent controversy over baseball star Alex Rodriguez's positive drug test in 2003 has cast a spotlight of controversy on Major League Baseball's union as well. In particular, the Major League Baseball Players Association chief operating officer, Gene Orza, has been accused of tipping players off in 2004, and criticized for not destroying 2003 tests. Orza maintains that he did not tip off Rodriguez in 2004, and that it was not his responsibility to destroy tests from 2003. Likewise, the union's executive director, Donald Fehr, noted that the tests were subpoenaed by federal authorities in 2003, interrupting the destruction process. The revelation of Rodriguez's positive test in 2003 has reignited tension between the union and commissioner's office.
See "Union Official Says He Did Not Tip Off Rodriguez", Michael S. Schmidt, The New York Times, February 9, 2009