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A mock funeral procession outside Yankee Stadium yesterday shined a spotlight on impoverished Latino teens who use steroids and some who die in their misguided bid for baseball stardom and "the American dream."
Hispanics Across America staged the service ending at Major League Baseball's Park Avenue headquarters to demand that baseball crack down on steroid abuse among young hopefuls in Latin America.
Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan) told the gathering, "Hundreds and thousands of kids . . . are trying to reach the American dream, juicing up with animal steroids, creating a major, major, major problem in the minor-league system.
"Their parents are not even aware that these kids are shooting up animal steroids and putting their lives in jeopardy."
The group wants mandatory steroid tests when teens are signed to Major League teams, as well as regular testing in the many Major League training camps throughout Latin America.
Hispanics Across America president Fernando Mateo said, "A lot of these kids are forced because of poverty . . . to do whatever it takes to become big."
A hearse carried a coffin mounted with two white crosses to honor two Dominican teens Lino Ortiz, 19, and William Felix, 18 who died in 2001 after taking steroids in hopes of being signed to Major League teams.
Major League Baseball executive Rob Manfred said the organization is committed to eradicating illegal performance-enhancing substances in the Dominican and wherever it has jurisdiction.
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