ESPN MLB

If the players' union is to have a new drug-testing agreement in place by the end of the World Series, as its chief, Donald Fehr, suggested to Congress, it is going to take a cram session during the playoffs.

Commissioner Bud Selig, in St. Louis for the Cardinals' final regular-season game at Busch stadium on Sunday, told ESPN he had not heard from the players' union since the congressional hearings last Wednesday.

Fehr told senators he thought a new drug-testing agreement could be reached by the end of the World Series, scheduled to begin Oct. 22 and end no later than Oct. 30, after Congress told Fehr he needs to act soon on Selig's bid to toughen baseball's steroid penalties.

Commissioners and union leaders from the NFL, NBA and NHL also testified Wednesday at a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on legislation that would standardize steroid policies in professional sports.

But the focus was squarely on baseball, as it has been since March 17, when Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Selig and Fehr testified before the House Government Reform Committee.

Five weeks after that March hearing, Selig proposed going from a 10-day ban to 50 games for a first violation, from 30 days to 100 games for a second, and from 60 days to a lifetime ban for a third. Pressed to say when there will be a new steroids agreement, Fehr said Wednesday: "Can I give you a precise date? No. Do I expect to know within the reasonably near future whether that will be done? Yes. Would I expect it to be by the end of the World Series? I would certainly hope so."

Houston Astros: The Astros reached the playoffs again Sunday, then made sure Craig Biggio would be back for another season.

Amid the champagne celebration in the clubhouse after clinching the NL wild card with a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs, the Astros announced a $4 million, one-year contract extension for Biggio through 2006, which will be his 19th season -- all in Houston.

"It's a good day. It's a nice feeling, something else I don't have to worry about," Biggio said. "Hopefully, we'll play another month and really enjoy it."

Biggio hit .264 with a career-high 26 home runs and 69 RBIs this season. On Saturday, he hit the first pitch for his NL-record 44th leadoff homer, and on Sunday he hit Greg Maddux's second pitch for a double.

Biggio would like to end his career in Houston, but isn't saying if 2006 -- when he will be 40 years old -- will be his last season.

"I don't know. We'll keep going out there and playing," Biggio said. "We'll focus on next year whenever that gets here."

Houston made the playoffs for the ninth time, and this will be Biggio's sixth trip to the postseason. He was a first-round draft pick in 1987 and made his major league debut the following year.

Biggio began his career as a catcher and was an All-Star in 1991 before switching to second base in '92 and earning six All-Star selections there. He has been in the Astros' opening day lineup a team-record 17 straight seasons, at catcher (1989-91), second base (1992-2002, 2005), center field (2003) and left field (2004).

"It's a lot of years," Biggio said. "Not many guys get the opportunity to play their whole career with one organization, and I'm very happy."

Baltimore Orioles: Sammy Sosa denied that there is a rift between him and Miguel Tejada, refuting comments made by bullpen catcher Elrod Hendricks.

"In the time that I was there I respected everyone," Sosa told The Washington Post. "I'm hurt that someone would say that. I ask myself why someone would say I had a problem with Miguel? I've always respected him. I'm not a person that likes to create controversy. For [Hendricks] to say that I was the reason Miguel had problems this year is wrong."

Hendricks said the two players had stopped speaking to each other and that it affected Tejada.

"Sometimes there were days we didn't speak but that doesn't mean we're not friends," Sosa told the paper. "Sometimes in a long season you're just not in the mood to speak."

Tejada also has denied a feud with Sosa, the paper reported.

Washington Nationals: Manager Frank Robinson isn't happy when he looks at next year's schedule, after the Nats will play 28 of their first 42 games on the road.

"I don't know what [the schedule makers] go about or they're thinking when making up a schedule," Robinson told the Washington Times. "All I know, 28 of the first 42 are on the road. I thought it was going to be a little more balanced for us, a little bit more favorable for '06. It's tough to open up on the road and play that many games on the road, especially early."

It's not clear, however, if Robinson will be around for next season.

All teams undergo change in the offseason, but with a new owner for the club still not selected by Major League Baseball, there's the possibility of a lot of turnover.

Asked if he thought he'd be back for a fifth season with the franchise, Robinson said: "I have no idea. I don't waste energy over something I have no control of."

"Hopefully, he's back," outfielder Ryan Church said. "It's just a whirlwind now -- we don't know who the owner's going to be."

President Tony Tavares and general manager Jim Bowden could also wind up being replaced, if new owners decide to do that.

• Vidro's status: Second baseman Jose Vidro is going to wait to decide whether to have right knee surgery after being told he might be able to avoid it.

Vidro showed up at RFK Stadium before Sunday's season finale, then made the roughly 10-mile trip to FedEx Field in Landover, Md., to meet up with Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on the knee during halftime of the Washington Redskins' home game.

Another doctor told Vidro he needed surgery, but Andrews said that's not necessarily the case. Vidro will rest for about a week, then do a three-week exercise program, then get another exam by a Nationals team doctor.

"If I come back with problems again, then I'm going to have surgery," Vidro said.

He had an operation on that knee in September 2004.

Detroit Tigers: Alan Trammell arrived home after the Tigers' season-ending series in Minnesota and still didn't know if he would manage the team next year.

"I have not been told anything," Trammell said Sunday night in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "I'll find out tomorrow."

Trammell has a scheduled meeting with team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski on Monday, though he declined to say when or where it would be. Trammell has a year left on his contract.

"I'm going to sit down with Tram and review what's going on," Dombrowski said in Minneapolis, where the Twins beat Detroit 6-4. "It's an important day."

The Tigers finished the season 71-91, falling short of modest expectations with a team that struggled with injuries and inconsistency.

"It was a disappointing season," Dombrowski said.

Detroit was 43-119 in 2003, setting an AL record for losses in Trammell's first season as a manager, and 72-90 last year.

Like Trammell, Tigers pitching coach Bob Cluck didn't know what his future holds.

"It could be, 'Let's meet Monday and hash it out,' or maybe the decision has already been made," Cluck said in Minneapolis. "They could clean house, or they could hire everybody back and say, `Hey, this was unfair with the injuries.'

"My gut feeling is that we're all going to come back. I think rational men are in charge, and they're going to look at [Magglio] Ordonez and [Carlos] Guillen and Rondell White and the string of injuries and say, 'This wasn't fair to judge Alan Trammell with a bunch of banged-up guys.' He deserves to get a chance to show what he can do with a healthy team."

Seattle Mariners: After trying to rehab an ailing left shoulder, left-hander Bobby Madritsch will have surgery.

"Within the next couple of weeks so I can get back by spring training," Madritsch told the Tacoma News Tribune on Saturday.

An MRI this week showed that the labrum in his left shoulder has suffered further damage that will need surgery to repair. The recovery time from surgery to baseball activity is four to six months.

"The whole year, man. That's probably the most frustrating thing. I've worked the whole year for the one injury to heal up, but the labrum ended up getting a little worse," he told the paper. "That's probably the hardest thing to deal with, the time I've been away from the team.

"Now, with surgery, it's another blow."

Cincinnati Reds: A man whose worked as an usher for the Reds for 68 years thinks it's time to slow down.

With only a break for service in World War II, 83-year-old Howard Purcell has been showing Reds fans to their seats since 1937, first at Crosley Field, then Riverfront Stadium and finally at Great American Ball Park.

While Purcell said he'll no longer work Reds games, he still intends to usher at Bengals games, which he's been doing since 1968.

The Reds and Bengals pay ushers $40 a game for about five hours work. Purcell says he remembers getting 15 cents an hour when he started with the Reds at age 15.

Minnesota Twins: The Twins honored Herb Carneal before Sunday's season finale against Detroit, naming the Metrodome's baseball press box after the team's longtime radio play-by-play voice on WCCO-AM.

Carneal, who concluded his 50th season calling major league games, watched the club unfurl a banner bearing his name on the facade of the press box. Carneal, 83, has been behind the mike for 44 of the team's 45 seasons in Minnesota. He has not yet decided whether to return next year.

"He is a Hall of Fame broadcaster, and a Hall of Fame friend," former Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell said in a videotaped message.

St. Louis Cardinals: Cardinals reliever Al Reyes left Sunday's season finale against the Reds with a sprained right elbow, putting his availability for the playoffs in doubt.

Reyes, who has a 2.15 ERA and three saves, got the first two outs in the sixth before giving up an infield hit to pinch-hitter Ray Olmedo and a walk to Ryan Freel. Reyes left with a full count on Felipe Lopez, meeting with trainer Barry Weinberg on the mound before walking off.

Reyes is one of the team's most reliable middle relievers, and has held left-handed hitters to a .174 average. He struck out the side with the bases loaded to get the win on Friday.

Milwaukee Brewers: Four members of the coaching staff for the Brewers were asked to return after the team posted its first non-losing season in 13 years.

Bullpen coach Bill Castro, pitching coach Mike Maddux, first base coach Dave Nelson and batting coach Butch Wynegar are all coming back, the team said Sunday.

Bench coach Rich Dauer and third base coach Rich Donnelly were not asked back for their fourth seasons with the Brewers.

Milwaukee was 81-81, its first non-losing season since going 92-70 in 1992.

Kansas City Royals: Royals pitching coach Guy Hansen and bench coach Bob Schaefer will not be back next year.

General manager Allard Baird announced Sunday that neither would be offered major league contracts for 2006 but would be offered positions within the organization.

The remaining field coaches will be extended contract offers for the 2006 season, Baird said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.