The following appeared in a New York Times editorial:
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez took testosterone lozenges before games. He applied testosterone cream every evening and injected HGH regularly. And yet he never failed a drug test. Evidence that he broke anti-doping rules surfaced through other channels. In January 2013, The Miami New Times linked a "rejuvenation" clinic — Biogenesis of America — to Rodriguez and other players, putting in motion an investigation by Major League Baseball, which culminated in a 162-day suspension for Rodriguez and an official report, detailing his regimen.
Nor was he the only player to use drugs and evade detection. A majority of the players suspended in the scandal pulled off the same feat. This might seem like an indictment of MLB's testing process, which Biogenesis founder Anthony Bosch called "almost a cakewalk" in an interview with "60 Minutes."
The tests weren't a cakewalk for everyone. Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon, among other players, failed. And league officials have adapted quickly to doping innovations. Through 2012, the league flagged tests if a player's testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio exceeded 4 to 1. Players like Rodriguez stayed within acceptable levels by using fast-acting synthetic testosterone. Once the league recognized this, it switched to a "biological passport" system, tracking ratios over time and flagging fluctuations.
No major-league player tested positive for steroids in 2013, which might mean the process is a deterrent or some players have already found a loophole.
There is always more the league could do to root out steroid use. But it may be that testing alone will never be enough, and that other methods, like investigations by journalists or the league, will always play a role.