Offenders Won’t Have Option

Baseball players and owners agreed Sunday to drop the possibility of fines for steroid use, leaving suspensions as the only discipline.

Congressmen 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, but union head Donald Fehr had said he would have to consult with players.

“We do have an agreement with Don 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.

Players and owners announced the agreement Jan. 13 but it has not been finalized.

“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 Thomas M. Davis (R-Va.), said in an e-mail.

The agreement had called for a 10-day suspension or up to $10,000 fine for a first positive test. A second positive was to result in a 30-day suspension or up to $25,000 fine, a third in a 60-day suspension or up to $50,000 fine and a fourth in a one-year suspension or up to $100,000 fine.

After that, discipline is determined by the commissioner.

Now, it’s suspensions only.

Earlier Sunday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he thought legislation may be needed to force a tougher plan.

“It just seems to me they can’t be trusted,” McCain told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “It seems to me that we ought to seriously consider ... a law that says all professional sports have a minimum level of performance-enhancing drug testing.”

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New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter missed Sunday’s exhibition against Tampa Bay with a bruised left foot and will be out for the next few days. Jeter was hurt when he fouled a ball of his foot Saturday.

Center fielder Bernie Williams also missed the game after straining his upper back during batting practice.

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Cleveland Indian outfielder Jody Gerut was put on the 15-day disabled list and is not expected to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment until late May or early June.

Gerut led the Indians with 22 home runs and 75 runs batted in in 2003 as a rookie, but he struggled last season before tearing a ligament in his right knee Sept. 17. He needed reconstructive surgery.