John McCain wants Major League Baseball to toughen its rules on steroid testing.

During a congressional hearing on steroid use in sports, the Republican senator from Arizona warned the executive director of the player’s union, Donald Fehr, that if baseball does not take substantive steps to reforming its drug-testing plan, then Congress will “search for legislative remedies.”

MLB’s image has taken a beating as of late, as superstars such as Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi have come under fire after allegations that they had received nutritional supplements and possibly steroids from the Bay Area Co-Operative (BALCO).

Honestly, it’s quite debatable how much time Congress should be spending on baseball in a time when we find ourselves as a nation embroiled in reconstructing Iraq, record federal deficits and an economy based more on faith than anything else. There are clearly more important issues for the federal government to pursue.

Congress should not be the super-arbiter of collective bargaining disputes. Unfortunately, without the threat of federal intervention, it seems unlikely that baseball will do anything to solve its latest crisis.

Bud Selig and the owners favor tougher steroid testing measures. However, due to labor laws and baseball’s labor contract, Selig does not have the power to act unilaterally. The opposition has been solely from the players’ union.

In fact, two years ago, the players almost went on strike primarily because of this issue. A steroid-testing program was put in place, but there were questions as to its effectiveness.

Under baseball’s policy, a player is not suspended unless they fail five tests. These guidelines seem woefully inadequate when compared to the NFL, which imposes immediate suspensions upon testing positive.

The union maintains that the policy is effective, citing that the five to seven percent who tested positive for steroids last year triggered testing with penalties for this year.

Questions remain, though. The identities of those who tested positive were not disclosed, leading to the perception that those who do fail the test are not punished and cheaters find ways to elude detection.

The union opposes random testing, saying that it violates the player’s right to privacy. Perhaps, but their claim is weakened by the fact that every major sports league has taken steps to curtail steroid use in their sports. Why should baseball players be treated any differently?

I envision a union/owner relationship similar to that shared between Paul Tagliabue, the NFL commissioner, and Gene Upshaw, the NFLPA executive director. Their unity on the steroid issue protects the best interest of the players Baseball suffers from a legitimacy problem.The sport’s long-term image is at stake. Who wants to see the national pastime reduced to the level of pro wrestling?

The ball is in the union’s court. They can either follow the lead of the NFL or ruin the game America loves.