Selig Considering Tougher Drug Policy

In the wake of Congress’ call for baseball to rid itself of steroids, Commissioner Bud Selig said he may invoke his best-interest-of-the-game powers to institute a more stringent drug-testing policy with stiffer penalties.

“There’s no sense in speculating, but that’s what I’m studying right now,” said Selig, who attended Saturday’s exhibition game between the Angels and Oakland Athletics at Tempe, Ariz., and spent an hour discussing various baseball issues with Angel owner Arte Moreno. “I’m taking long walks, trying to determine what I can do.”

Congress has threatened federal legislation if baseball doesn’t modify its drug policy, which allows players to fail four tests before they are banned for life.

But Selig stopped short of saying he would use his powers to act unilaterally on critical issues to institute an Olympic-style drug-testing plan, which calls for a two-year suspension for the first failed drug test and a lifetime ban for the second.

“Everyone knows I want tougher penalties ... because if you believe something is injurious to your sport and the health of the players, the penalties have to be tougher,” Selig said. “... In the end, the best interest of the sport will be my determining factor.”

Selig addressed a number of issues, including the sale of the A’s to Lewis Wolff, which is expected to be finalized during a conference call among the other 29 owners scheduled for Wednesday, and San Jose’s bid to lure the A’s away from Oakland.

Selig reiterated that the San Francisco Giants own territorial rights to Santa Clara County, which includes San Jose, and that the A’s would not be allowed to infringe on those rights.

“You just can’t have anarchy,” Selig said. “That territory belongs to the Giants, and that will be respected.”

Selig also said he was “saddened” by several recent polls indicating that Mark McGwire, whose 583-homer career has been called into question because of steroid accusations, would not earn enough votes from members of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

“I have a lot of personal respect and affection for Mark McGwire, and I am saddened by these things, but I don’t know that I can add anything to that,” Selig said. “It’s going to be up to the writers to vote.”

*

Right-hander Sidney Ponson was dropped to the fourth spot in the Baltimore Orioles’ rotation, a decision Manager Lee Mazzilli insists is not a disciplinary measure for the pitcher’s off-the-field behavior.

Ponson spent 11 days in jail in Aruba after he punched a judge in a Christmas Day brawl, and was arrested in Florida less than a month later for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Ponson injured his pitching hand Tuesday in a scuffle that he contended was started by an intoxicated man in a restaurant.

After he returned to Aruba, his homeland, to stand trial on assault charges, Ponson’s spring training debut was delayed while he waited to obtain a work visa.

He is 0-1 with a 7.88 earned-run average in eight innings, which Mazzilli said put Ponson behind Rodrigo Lopez, Daniel Cabrera and Erik Bedard.

Associated Press contributed to this report.