MLB aims to snuff out smokeless tobacco

In the wake of Tony Gwynn's death from salivary gland cancer, Major League Baseball and the players association hope to strive toward reducing and eliminating smokeless tobacco from the game.

That could take some time, but commissioner Bud Selig and MLB Players' Association executive director Tony Clark both expressed optimism before the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Minneapolis.

Clark believes education efforts focused on the risks of smokeless tobacco is the way to go. Selig anticipates the issue to come up during negotiations for a new labor agreement in the next two years.

"We believe the numbers suggest that usage has declined significantly," Clark said. "It's declined in the minor leagues and the major leagues. Our hope is that we can continue to educate guys on the damage that dipping can do and they will continue to decide not to dip and chew.

"We give the players the opportunity to make the decision they're going to make against the backdrop of it being legal. At the end of the day, we don't condone it and they know we don't condone it."

Gwynn was an eight-time batting champion and Hall of Famer who died June 16 at age 54. He believed his cancer, which first appeared in 2010, was a result of chewing tobacco use.

"It will be a subject they'll discuss during the next collective bargaining," Selig said. "I understand that individuals have a right to make their own decisions. I hope we're successful, because the Tony Gwynn story was a heartbreaking, awful story.

"I feel very strongly about this, just as I did 10, 15 years ago. The one thing I personally assume as commissioner is that we're responsible for the health of our players. I believe that. Some may think that's naive, but I don't think so."

Smokeless tobacco was barred from the minor leagues in 2011. MLB players are no longer allowed to have tobacco cans with them while in uniform or been seen with chew while doing interviews on camera. - Reuters