BOSTON (AP) – Former players’ union head Marvin Miller panned baseball’s new steroids agreement, saying Thursday that there is not enough evidence of the drugs’ dangers to support the new intrusion into the athletes’ lives.

“I don’t believe it’s appropriate to search anybody – either his home, or his garage, or his trunk, or his bladder or his bloodstream – without getting a court order showing probable cause,” Miller said. “I disapprove of all kinds of testing unless there is probable cause to believe that the person being tested has done something wrong.”

Baseball began steroid testing with penalties last year, but the sanctions were less harsh than in most other sports, with first-time offenders subject to treatment and not suspensions. While no player was suspended for steroid use in 2004, there was public pressure following reported admissions of steroid use by stars testifying before a federal grand jury.

“I just hope it’s the Cadillac of all policies, because that’s what major league baseball needs,” St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “There’s no question we have a problem.”

La Russa was in Boston for the annual dinner of the local chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Miller received the group’s Fuchs Award for long and meritorious service to the game at the annual dinner later Thursday night.

The executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966-82, Miller presided over an era that ushered in free agency and player prosperity. His hard-line negotiating served the players well, and it hasn’t softened now that he no longer runs the union.

While conceding that it is better to be cautious when the health of players is involved, Miller is not convinced that steroids are dangerous. He also disputed the notion that steroids are performance-enhancing for baseball players.

“If you tell me it will help the performance of a football linebacker – maybe. If you tell me it would help a professional wrestler – maybe. If you tell me it would help a beer hall bouncer – maybe. If you tell me it will help someone become governor of California- maybe,” he said. “But hitting major league pitching more often and farther? You’ve got to have more evidence than I’ve seen.”

Miller also said the owners would regret reopening the steroid policy, because it will tempt players to reopen other aspects of the contract.

“It’s as unstabilizing as you can imagine,” he said. “I think the owners will live to regret that.”

Players were willing to give up some of their protections because of a concern that the clean ones were being cheated by those using steroids. The temptation to performance-enhancing drugs just to keep up was seen by many players as a health threat.

“It’s more for our protection than anything else,” Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield said.

AP-ES-01-13-05 2304EST