(My Sportsbook) - It shouldn't have taken Major League Baseball this long to figure out that its steroid testing program was out of date. It still is to some degree, but finally after pressure from the federal government and the players themselves, stiffer penalties have been adopted for first-time offenders.

The goal of the new policy is no doubt a step in the right direction, even though amphetamines and other stimulants, which are banned in the minors, are still legal at the major league level.

Commissioner Bud Selig and union head Donald Fehr finally forged an agreement that is no longer considered a farce.

The old policy was chastised so much that U.S. Senator John McCain had threatened baseball with legislation if it didn't change it's drug policy. Even after the new agreement, McCain said Thursday there still is room for improvement.

"Major League Baseball's proposed agreement in principle on steroids appears to be a significant step in the right direction. Though at this time I do not believe legislative action is necessary, there remains room for improvement," McCain said. "For example, the suspension policy should impose stronger penalties on players who use performance-enhancing drugs. I believe the policy should suspend players from a meaningful number of games as the Minor League policy requires, and that it should permanently suspend repeat offenders. I also have questions about the details of the proposed off-season testing policy.

"Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing the final agreement once it is approved by both sides. In the meantime, I encourage the league and the players' union to do right by baseball fans and players by continuing to improve this agreement."

Even though there were no suspensions for steroid use in 2004, the old policy had to be thrown out the window. The commissioner knew it and so did the players. Finally, the union gave in by revisiting the 2002 collective bargaining agreement and came up with a policy that actually has some teeth. It will go into effect this year and carry through the 2008 season.

Under the new agreement, every player will undergo at least one unannounced test on a randomly selected date during the playing season. There is no specific limit on the number of tests to which any player may randomly be subjected, and it includes random testing during the off-season, even though many players live in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico or Central and South America.

It will reach all geographical areas and testing will be so random that it supposedly will be impossible for a player to know ahead of time when he's going to be chosen to supply a urine sample.

"What happens, literally in these random draws is there are numbers generated by a computer that are associated with each name," said Rob Manfred, MLB's Executive Vice President of Labor Relations & Human Resources. "There would be no way to -- the computer does not know who is built how. It's just a number to the computer."

Supposedly then, Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi and every other player, regardless of physical size and character stature in the game, will be chosen by luck of the draw for a time to be tested.

"You will get coincidences and that's the nature of how random draws work, but it won't be because anybody is arranging anything," Fehr said. "That cannot happen under the procedure we have adopted. It will be completely fair with respect to all players."

What will happen though will be stiffer penalties that hopefully will bring shame to players caught, and will also mean small chunk from one's salary. A first-time offender will be suspended for ten days. Second-time offenders will be suspended for 30 days. Third-time offenders will be suspended for 60 days. Fourth-time offenders will be suspended for one year. All suspensions will be without pay.

Under the old policy, players were tested only once in-season and a first positive test for steroid use was to result in treatment only.

If a player is making $5 million a season, a modest salary for a major leaguer these days, and is only a first-time offender, that equates to approximately a $137,000 fine based on a calendar year under the new agreement. The policy needs to be sharpened.

In fact, the minor league level is tougher, as a year-round testing program and first-time offenders are hit with a 15-day suspension without pay. By the third time a player is facing a year suspension.

The best part of this new policy is year-round testing, something that was criticized the most by fans, the media and lawmakers. Major League Baseball is saying it will go after anyone at any time. I'll believe that when I actually see it in the form of positive tests, especially in December, January or February. Even though, Manfred said there "will be a significant number of off- season tests" administered by the House Policy Advisory Committee, which is joint body with the Players Association.

In the NFL's drug testing policy, a first-time offender is hit with a four- game suspension, which is a quarter of the regular season. The NBA hits first- time offenders with a five-game suspension. There is no testing in the NHL for performance-enhancing drugs.

"I do believe that other professional sports is the accurate measure against which we should be judged; that this is as good as any policy in any professional sport," Manfred said.

Let's face, facts. The policy isn't as good as the NFL's, but it's probably a step above the NBA's and right now the NHL isn't even playing.

What is a good sign from the policy is that it broadens the list of banned substances and will include not only steroids, but steroid precursors and designer steroids such as THG, ephedra, as well as masking agents and diuretics. Human growth hormone will also be banned under the program. Manfred also said that in order to stay ahead of the game, if a new steroid is discovered, it will be "automatically banned under this agreement."

"We think that with the enhanced testing, with the additional substances, with the enhances disciplinary levels -- and remember, that these suspensions for violation of the program is not only going to be without pay, it will be public and people will know, and that carries with it for that individual a lot more frequent when testing for that individual," Fehr said. "I will be very surprised if over time this doesn't take care of the problem virtually completely."

At this point, that seems like wishful thinking.