It’s worth saying again &045; baseball has a problem. The problem isn’t so much the rampant use of steroids by Major League Baseball’s highly-paid stars; it’s the players and owners inability to come to an agreement on steroid testing that makes any sense.

The baseball players’ union has its priorities, and at the top of that list is not caving in to the owners &045; ever. The players union as a whole isn’t opposed to drug testing itself &045; though certainly some players are &045; just the notion of giving in to the owners without a fight.

The owners are just as bad. Their unwillingness to institute a drug-testing policy years ago has only worsened the problem to what it is today, with the majority of big stars in the sport under suspicion, rightly or wrongly, of taking steroids or similar drugs.

In the world of professional sports, nothing is given for free. If the players cave on this issue, they won’t be able to use it as a bargaining chip in the next round of collective bargaining talks. The collective bargaining agreement governs all the business relationships between Major League clubs and their players.

But this issue affects players’ health, not just their business. No one wants players to use drugs that will permanently harm their bodies. MLB needs to clean up the sport, make sure there is a level playing field for all athletes and that none of them have can use steroids to get a competitive advantage.

That’s what needs to happen, and that’s what everyone in baseball is saying will happen with the new agreement. But it’s probably not going to happen, not until even stiffer penalties and more frequent testing begins.

Compare the new policy to bans in other professional sports. A first-time offense in football can carry a four-game ban, or one-quarter of the NFL season. In Olympic sports, a first-time offense generally carries a two-year ban from the sport. A second offense is generally a lifetime ban.

Baseball’s old system was worthy of laughter. The new one deserves more of a chuckle.

For the first time, players will be subject to drug testing year-round, not just during the season. About time.

First-time offenders will be suspended for 10 days. Just 10 days? That sounds more like a mid-season vacation than a punishment. The tougher punishments under the new agreement still amount to little more than a slap on the wrist, and a half-hearted one at that.

Someday, the owners and players will come to an agreement that will actually help solve the performance-enhancing drug problem.

In the meantime, the new system will generate some good public relations for MLB &045; at least that’s the idea &045; without really making more than a dent.

Someday, there will be a home run hit by a power slugger that doesn’t instantly make fans wonder what drug he’s on. Someday, the owners and players will get together and make a drug-testing system that works.

Someday they will. It just isn’t today.

Christian Schmidt is a sports writer for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at

christian.schmidt@natchezdemocrat.com

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