ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
And I'm Melissa Block.
Today, baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said he hopes by spring training, Major League Baseball will be doing even more to fight doping. Selig spoke at a congressional hearing about the recent report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. The report's author, former Senator George Mitchell, also testified as did Selig's longtime nemesis, the head of the player's union, Donald Fehr. But as we hear from NPR's Tom Goldman, the tone at the hearing was far less adversarial than in the past.
TOM GOLDMAN: What a difference nearly three years make. In March of 2005, Bud Selig and Donald Fehr were infamously dressed down by lawmakers for letting steroid use fester in the major leagues and for taking their sweet time in enforcing rules against doping. One of the most vocal critics was House Oversight Committee member Henry Waxman. But listen to how today's hearing ended with Waxman, now the committee chairman, speaking to an obviously relieved Selig and Fehr.
Representative HENRY WAXMAN (Democratic, California; Chairman, House Oversight Committee): But I thank you very much for your leadership, your efforts. And I hope we could hear continued good work, good news from both of you about this subject.
Mr. BUD SELIG (Commissioner, Major League Baseball): Thank you very much.
Mr. DONALD FEHR (Executive director, Major League Baseball Player's Association): Thank you very much.
GOLDMAN: Indeed, after the 2005 cattle prodding by Congress, Selig and Fehr opened their collective bargaining agreement twice to tighten up the sports' anti-doping program. Now, it's considered the toughest program of all the major sports leagues in this country. At today's hearing, Selig said he has already put in place some of the recommendations for further improvements included in the Mitchell report. Those include creating a drug investigative unit and eliminating advance notice for drug testing players at the ball parks.
Mr. SELIG: We've done the ones that we felt we should.
Rep. WAXMAN: Right.
Mr. SELIG: And I would hope that frankly we have this all completed before spring training.
GOLDMAN: That's a little over a month away. Reform in fast motion. But before Selig and Fehr tied this all up with a pretty little bow, it's important to note that today was not just one big slap on the back for the lords of baseball. Washington delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton brought up what may end up being the most contentious issue going forward. Former Senator Mitchell's number one recommendation urges baseball to turnover its drug testing program to an absolutely independent agency like, for instance, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Here's Norton.
Ms. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (Delegate to Congress representing the District of Columbia): He knew about the vast improvement that you've already done, and still he said you needed a totally transparent independent commission. Mr. Selig, what would be your response to at least considering that?
Mr. SELIG: I really believe, as I said to you earlier, that this program is working independently, but it's a very fair question and it's one we will closely evaluate because we need to be totally and completely independent.
GOLDMAN: In today's Los Angeles Times, Selig is quoted as saying, he won't promise to turnover baseball's drug testing program to a third party. I'm satisfied with the way it is now, he says. Mitchell, himself, testified for nearly two hours and answered questions about the most dramatic revelation in his report - the allegations by Brian McNamee, former personal trainer for all star pitcher Roger Clemens, that he injected Clemens with banned steroids and human growth hormone, that Clemens versus McNamee, he said-he said dispute has turned nasty and gobbled up all the media attention. Clemens has angrily stated that McNamee lied to George Mitchell. Here's Chairman Waxman.
Rep. WAXMAN: Despite the public presentation by Mr. Clemens that the testimony was not accurate, you continued to feel comfortable with Mr. McNamee's credibility?
Mr. GEORGE MITCHELL (Democrat, Former Maine Senator): We believe that the statements provided to us were truthful.
GOLDMAN: Waxman and his colleagues will get a chance to ask Clemens and McNamee next month. Clemens, McNamee, along with several others have been asked to testify in a hearing that promises to be more titillating, albeit less substantive than what happened on Capitol Hill today.
Tom Goldman, NPR News.