NEW YORK - On Thursday a group of local politicians and activists led a funeral procession to Major League Baseball (MLB) headquarters to call attention to athletes they say are dying in the Dominican Republic and other Latin American and South American countries after injecting steroids and other muscle-enhancing substances.

The group delivered a coffin to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig’s office and held a brief memorial service in honor of 19 year-old Lino Ortiz and 18-year-old William Felix- two boys who died after injecting themselves with steroids. Fernando Mateo, president of Hispanics Across America, denounced MLB’s inadequate measures to discourage drug use and reminded Selig of his original promise of reform.

Mateo said, “MLB promised to test players twice a year, yet they only test players once a year. MLB promised to only sign those prospects who passed a preliminary drug test, but currently, only players already under contract are tested. MLB does not test for Diamino when they know that this drug, which is meant for livestock, is the drug of choice for many of these kids.”

At the urging of Mateo and his organization, MLB tested players in its Dominican Republic summer league for the first time in 2003. The results, which were just released, showed that 11 percent of the players tested positive for steroids and other banned substances (less than two percent of U.S. minor league players test positive each year).

“It is our shared responsibility to ensure that our young people’s dreams do not turn into nightmares. We all must strive to protect both the physical and mental health of our young people,” said Father Brian Jordan.

Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat said, “The steroid craze in Major League Baseball is not confined to major league teams. It has proliferated out of control throughout the minor league system.”

Many prospective players are injecting themselves with Diamino, a cheap and readily available drug designed to speed the recovery of sick livestock such as horses and cows. Diamino contains at least one ingredient that is not approved for human consumption.