Braves' notebook

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves met commissioner Bud Selig's call for stiffer penalties for steroid users with a mixture of support and skepticism Saturday.

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Selig sent a letter outlining the proposed penalties, which range from a 50-game suspension for first-time offenders to a lifetime ban for players who fail three tests, to players' union head Don Fehr last Monday.

The stiffness of the proposed penalties meets an edict from the United States Congress, which chastised Major League Baseball for its approach to the problem in March.

The current penalties, enacted this season, call for a 10-day suspension for a first offense all the way up to a year suspension for a fourth failed test.

Johnny Estrada, the Braves team representative, applauded the proposal.

"I commend Bud and Don and everybody involved in it," Estrada said. "To me, when you have Congress getting involved, it's a big issue. It's something baseball needs to come down on itself."

Fellow union rep Ray King, who pitches for the St. Louis Cardinals, echoed Estrada's sentiments.

"My main concern is cleaning it up," said King, whose Cardinals are in town to face the Braves. "If it takes a stiffer punishment to clean it up, then I'm all for it. Cheating is cheating."

Other players reacted less positively, in part because of the timing. National Football League representatives appeared before Congress last Wednesday and were commended for their harsh stance against steroids.

News that Selig sent the letter on Monday should ease doubts that the penalties are nothing more than a reaction to the NFL hearings.

Even so, pitcher John Smoltz said the proposal might be Selig's way of testing public and player opinion.

"I don't think it's worthy of comment until something happens. I'd have something to say if it was more than just throwing it out there," said Smoltz, who's been outspoken against steroids since the issue exploded two years ago.

"I'm in favor of whatever's best for the game. If somebody forced our hand or we're slow or we're behind the times, so be it."

Reach Adam Van Brimmer at (404) 589-8424 or adam.vanbrimmer@morris.com.