NEW YORK -- Baseball players and owners agreed Sunday to
drop the possibility of fines for steroid use, leaving suspensions
as the only discipline, according to management's top labor lawyer.
Congressmen repeatedly criticized baseball for the fine
possibility during Thursday's hearing before the House Government
Reform Committee. Management officials told the committee they were
willing to eliminate the fine provision, held over from baseball's
first drug-testing agreement in 2002.
"We do have an agreement with [union head Donald Fehr] that the
language after the disjunctive in the various disciplinary levels
is going to be eliminated," Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice
president for labor relations, said Sunday. "It will be just the
straight suspension, which everybody knew was going to happen
anyway. To the degree there was any doubt, I think this change
should put to rest any concerns in that regard."
The deal amends a yet-to-be-finalized agreement players and
owners announced Jan. 13.
"The agreement still has to be ratified, but the negotiators
have agreed to modify that language," said Michael Weiner, the union's general counsel.
Commissioner Bud Selig repeatedly said during the hearing that
his intent was to suspend players for all positive tests.
"We're glad the policy is now closer to what it was purported
to be," David Marin, spokesman for committee chairman Tom Davis,
said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Baseball's new agreement had called for a 10-day suspension or
up to a $10,000 fine for a first positive test. A second positive test was
to result in a 30-day suspension or up to a $25,000 fine, a third in
a 60-day suspension or up to a $50,000 fine and a four in a one-year
suspension or up to a $100,000 fine.
After that, discipline is determined by the commissioner.
Now, it's suspensions only.
Earlier Sunday, Sen. John McCain said he thought legislation may
be needed to force a tougher plan.
"It just seems to me they can't be trusted," the Arizona
Republican told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "It seems to me
that we ought to seriously consider ...Â… a law that says all
professional sports have a minimum level of performance-enhancing
drug testing."
House Government Reform Committee chairman Tom Davis said on
CBS' "Face the Nation" that he agreed with McCain's suggestion
that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency could be called in to govern
baseball's testing. The agency oversees drug testing and discipline
for U.S. Olympic athletes.
"They've got this season. We'll see how they respond when they
find someone testing positive," the Virginia Republican said.