congress gets it done...

sort of ridiculous that they were involved, but they really dominated. this is my favorite steroid related photo, j.c. looks great.



Reacting to Congressional pressure, Major League Baseball announced yesterday that it would again toughen the penalties for steroid use and for the first time establish testing and penalties for the use of amphetamines.

Under the new agreement, players who fail a test for steroids next season will be suspended 50 games, with the penalties increasing to 100 games for a second offense and a lifetime suspension for a third. A three-time offender could seek reinstatement after two years.

The new agreement also provides testing for amphetamines, a commonly used stimulant that baseball has never tried to detect. The first offense would result in mandatory testing, a second offense would lead to a 25-game suspension, a third offense would result in an 80-game suspension, and a fourth offense would lead to discipline, possibly including a lifetime ban, to be determined by the commissioner.

Mindful that lawmakers had threatened for months to enact their own legislation, the union was in a precarious position. If the union, which proposed a 20-game suspension for the first offense, 75 for the second and a lifetime ban with "just cause" for the third, refused to accept Mr. Selig's plan, it would have risked legislation mandating even stricter testing.