NEW SCARLET LETTER:

Baseball Players Yield on Steroids: In a rare step by any union, major leaguers respond to the outcry over disclosures and allow leaders to pursue tougher testing rules. (Tim Brown, December 8, 2004, LA Times)

Major league baseball players, facing pressure from Congress, fans and the commissioner, authorized union leaders Tuesday to seek an agreement for tougher rules against steroids, possibly in time for next year's spring training.

Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players' Assn., said the union's executive board "authorized us to attempt to conclude an agreement" with the commissioner's office, adding, "I don't think it will take an extended period of time."

Amending the current collective bargaining agreement, which is not due to expire until December 2006, would be unprecedented in the sport's labor history — and a rare step for any union not threatened by drastic changes such as plant closures or layoffs, one labor expert said.

Folks keep insisting that bioengineeering is going to be popular and unstoppable but we keep limiting it.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 8, 2004 7:40 AM