RALEIGH, North Carolina - Major league baseball's players union is expected to respond this week to Commissioner Bud Selig's proposal to significantly increase penalties for steroid use.

In a letter to union chief Donald Feher, Selig has proposed a 50-game suspension for players testing positive for steroids for the first time, a 100-game suspension for second-time offenders and a lifetime ban for any player caught a third time.

Selig also called for a ban on amphetamines and more random testing.

Feher has promised a response by the end of this week.

The proposal would dramatically alter the league's recently adopted drugs policy.

Under that policy, which went into effect on March 10, players are suspended for 10 days after the first positive test, 30 days following a second offence and 60 days for a third.

Selig's proposal follows intense pressure on baseball to beef up its performance-enhancing drugs policy after a poor showing before a U.S. congressional committee hearing in March.

Several congressmen sharply criticised baseball's drugs policy as weak and threatened to introduce legislation creating tougher policies for U.S. professional sports.

"Performance-enhancing substances undermine the integrity of the competition on the field," Selig wrote in his April 25 letter to Feher.

"Equally important, our failure to respond more quickly and vigorously has called into question the integrity of the institution of Major League Baseball, the clubs, the owners, the (union) and the individual players."

Copies of the letter were sent to team officials on Friday.

Favorable Response

The proposal drew a favourable response from Republican Tom Davis, chairman of the congressional committee that has held hearings on steroid use in sports, his spokesman said.

"Chairman Davis thinks it's definitely a move in the right direction," Robert White told The New York Times.

But White said it was too soon to tell if a tougher baseball policy would affect a recent proposal by Davis for the U.S. government to oversee testing procedures and a list of banned drugs for all professional and college sports.

"There still may be a need for having minimum standards and using the accumulated scientific knowledge about these drugs," he said.

New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter said whatever policy baseball adopted should be given a chance to work.

"Whatever policy you have, I think people are going to say, 'Well, it should be stricter,'" Jeter told The New York Times.

San Francisco Giants first baseman J.T. Snow also said the current policy should be given time to succeed.

"If there is a significant number of people proven to take steroids, obviously it's working," Snow told The San Francisco Chronicle. "If it's not working, then beef it up a bit."

But Oakland Athletics pitcher Octavio Dotel said Selig's proposal was excessive.

"That's too much, I think- that second time is almost a whole season. A guy should have at least three chances (before being banned)," Dotel told The Chronicle.

He also said he did not think the players' union would go along with the proposal.

"No, I can't see it. No way," Dotel said.