The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain told the baseball players' association Wednesday that Congress will step in unless the union agrees to toughen the sport's steroid-testing rules.

The Senate Commerce Committee chairman challenged union head Donald Fehr to accept a far more stringent drug-testing policy, such as the NFL's. Fehr said he couldn't agree to changes in the collective bargaining agreement.

"Your failure to commit to addressing this issue straight on and immediately will motivate this committee to search for legislative remedies," warned McCain, an Arizona Republican.

"I don't know what they are. But I can tell you, and the players you represent, the status quo is not acceptable."

Baseball's current labor contract, agreed to in 2002, called for anonymous drug tests last year. Five to 7 percent of those tests came back positive for steroids, a level which triggered testing with penalties this year. But the program has been criticized because players are tested only twice each season - both tests are given within a period of a week - and the penalties are far weaker than those in Olympic sports.

"I believe that the program that we instituted has had some effect," Fehr said.

McCain disagreed, saying baseball has a "legitimacy problem" because of questions about steroid use and the public's perception that cheaters don't get caught by the testing program.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., criticized the union for resisting stronger testing. "The union's wrong here," he said.

Selig said baseball owners want stronger testing.

"I realize that we have work to do," Selig said. "We need more frequent and year-round testing of players. We need immediate penalties for those caught using illegal substances."

• Selig told a senator Wednesday that a proposal will be made within a month about a group of Negro Leagues players left out of the sport's pension fund.

Selig met with Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who has lobbied baseball for two years about the matter.

"This is an important step toward solving a terrible inequity," Nelson said. "These are some guys who really need and deserve help."

YANKEES: Gary Sheffield is angry, not about his thumb injury, but over the New York Yankees' public discussion of it.

Sheffield, back at spring training, was upset the Yankees said earlier this week that the torn ligament might require surgery.

"That was out before anybody talked to me, and it's going to be dealt with," Sheffield said. "Everybody should have waited to see what happened before they made those statements."

SHORT HOPS: Ivan Rodriguez got fitted for a World Series ring, then showed the Tigers how to win. Rodriguez hit a leadoff single to spark a ninth-inning rally that beat the Indians. "That means good things are coming," Rodriguez said. "Winning games like this is very positive."

• Carl Everett homered from both sides of the plate and drove in four runs for the Expos in a victory over the Indians.

• Ramon Castro, trying to win the Marlins catching job vacated by Rodriguez, hit his team-leading third homer of the spring and had three RBI. Castro hit .283 with five home runs in 53 at-bats in 2003.

• Alfonso Soriano, the Rangers' new second baseman, has a hit in every game he's played in and is batting .438 (7-for-16).