Yeesh, every single way we turn, MLB is casually slipping loopholes into its steroid agreement.

 

Major league players can scrap the sport's toughened drug rules if they don't have a new labor contract by August, a provision drawing attention from congressmen who pushed for the strengthened policy.

 

If players and owners don't agree to a new labor contract by Aug. 1, the union has until Aug. 15 to unilaterally end the new drug policy as of Dec. 19, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.

 

If players terminate the new policy and the sides play 2007 without a labor contract, the 2005 drug rules would be in effect.

 

After being contacted Tuesday about that provision by The Associated Press, House Government Reform Committee chairman Tom Davis sent a letter to baseball commissioner Bud Selig and union head Donald Fehr saying it "raises congressional concern."

 

Davis asked Major League Baseball and the union "to reassure the Committee, in writing" that the clause "does not leave open the possibility, under any circumstances, that the 2007 season will be played subject to the 2005 drug testing policy."

That would be one MIGHTY setback.

What about 2008 and beyond??

What about 2008 and beyond??

Presumably, the 50 game suspension dies if there's no new agreement, and it would have to be in the next CBA for it to come back.

Presumably, the 50 game suspension dies if there's no new agreement, and it would have to be in the next CBA for it to come back.

Dam!! MLB would have opened a huge can of worms if that happened.

Edited May 10, 200619 yr by Cuck the Fubs

I doubt that it'll be scrapped, regardless of whether or not they meet the deadline. The public backlash would be so tremendous that it would be counter-productive.

I started to say that I don't think Donald Fehr would be so stupid, but before I got the thought formulated, I had already dismissed it.