A swing and a miss

Congress is talkin' baseball.

Or trying to, anyway. Members of the House committee that heard testimony Tuesday from Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and players union chief Donald Fehr might want to listen to a little talk radio before they present themselves as sports fans. After all, that's the base they're pandering to in meddling with the national pastime.

Millions of Americans are upset that professional baseball players have been caught using steroids and other substances. Certainly, anyone who's followed the game since the early '90s knows players have been pumped up on more than protein drinks. But after years of looking the other way, fans now claim to want the game cleaned up. Because Mr. Selig and Mr. Fehr are accomplices to the steroid era, lawmakers eagerly stepped into the void.

Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., a purported fan and protector of the game, obviously doesn't know a walk from a balk. He referred to the 1919 "Black Sox" fixing scandal as the "Blackhawks" (Chicago's pro hockey club), and he butchered the names of Mr. Selig and disgraced slugger Rafael Palmeiro.

"Baseball needs to fix the problem, change this culture ... or -- and this a promise, not a threat -- Congress will do it for you," Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., warned.

How much time might that take? Congress can't fix anything. And lawmakers are going to prevent professional athletes earning millions of dollars from taking steps to strengthen their bodies and prolong their careers?

Give us a break.