Genomics+Hits+Major+League+Baseball

** [|Big Think] July 29, 2009 **  Genomics Hits Major League Baseball Would today's Major League Baseball bar Lou Gehrig? That's the argument some are using to oppose a new announcement by the MLB: the league is conducting genetic testing on some of its new prospects, particularly those from Latin America, which is home to several players who have recently proven to be older than they claimed when signing their contracts. However, DNA testing can tell you a lot about a person, including their likelihood for future illnesses. Thus the Lou Gehrig argument—would the Yankees have turned away the Iron Horse if they'd seen in his DNA the signs of ALS, now known as Lou Gehrig's disease? For the players' sake, I hope the law does apply to their cases. Given the need of pro scouts in all sports to suck up all the information they can possibly get, it's hard to imagine baseball teams would pass up the opportunity to evaluate a player's genetics in addition to his hitting or pitching skills.

Mr. Sowash March 8, 2011