Fehr predicts positive response

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association, said Tuesday that some players have expressed concern about steroid use tainting the game, but he is confident public exposure will be the primary deterrent in eliminating the problem.

“There are clearly some players that feel that way, there’s no doubt about that,” he said in his first comments since appearing Thursday before the House Committee on Government Reform. “I believe, as some of the players said at the hearing, that the biggest deterrent is exposure.”

Fehr, who met with Baltimore’s players for two hours, said he expects players to ratify a policy in which suspension – not a fine – is the penalty for first-time offenders. Identifying offenders will do more than embarrass, he said.

“Once that happens, you’ve got to remember, that casts all kinds of things into doubt. There’s the reputation issue, there’s the question everybody’s going to look at as to whether or not any statistics that individual put up were legitimate or not and that can affect future contract negotiations.”

Fehr said the steroid issue has brought unwanted publicity to the sport.

“We’ll have to see how fans react to it,” Fehr said.

Congress sent the message it isn’t satisfied with baseball’s recently amended steroid testing policy, Fehr said.