The long-awaited Mitchell report, telling the tale of a decade of steroids and performance enhancing substances in professional baseball, has been released.
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada, Fernando Vina and Andy Pettitte are named in the report. Eric Gagne and Paul Lo Duca are linked to human growth hormone. More played are named in what the Associated Press is calling “baseball’s most infamous lineup since the Black Sox scandal.”
Former Senator George Mitchell delivered a cross-check to baseball, and went on the offensive against the players’ union especially:
“The Players Association was largely uncooperative,” he said
- It rejected totally my requests for relevant documents.
- It permitted one interview with its executive director, Donald Fehr; my request for an interview with its chief operating officer, Gene Orza, wasrefused.
- It refused my request to interview the director of the Montreal laboratory that analyzes drug tests under baseball’s drug program but permitted her to provide me with a letter addressing a limited number of issues.
- I sent a memorandum to every active player in Major League Baseball encouraging each player to contact me or my staff if he had any relevant information. The Players Association sent out a companion memorandum that effectively discouraged players from cooperating. Not one player contacted me in response to my memorandum.
- I received allegations of the illegal possession or use of performance enhancing substances by a number of current players. Through their representative, the Players
Association, I asked each of them to meet with me so that I could provide them with information about the allegations and give them a chance to respond. Almost without exception they declined to meet or talk with me.
The illegal use of performance enhancing substances poses a serious threat to the integrity of the game. Widespread use by players of such substances unfairly disadvantages the
honest athletes who refuse to use them and raises questions about the validity of baseball records. In addition, because they are breaking the law, users of these substances are vulnerable to drug dealers who might seek to exploit their knowledge through threats intended to affect the outcome of baseball games or otherwise.
Players also named include: Chuck Knoblauch, Jason Grimsley, Gregg Zaun, David Justice, F.P. Santangelo, Glenallen Hill, Mo Vaughn, Denny Neagle, Ron Villone, Ryan Franklin, Chris Donnels, Todd Williams, Phil Hiatt, Todd Pratt, Kevin Young, Mike Lansing, 10-year minor league catcher Cody McKay, Kent Mercker, Adam Piatt, Jason Christiansen, Mike Stanton, Stephen Randolph, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich, Kevin Brown, Mike Bell, Matt Herges, Gary Bennett, Jr., Jim Parque, Brendan Donnelly, Chad Allen, Jeff Williams, Howie Clark, Marvin Benard, Jeremy Giambi, Jason Giambi, Benito Santiago, Gary Sheffield, Randy Velarde and Nook Logan.
Several other players were named because published news reports indicated possible substance use including:
Rick Ankiel — “On December 6, 2007, the Commissioner’s Office announced that there was insufficient evidence of a violation of the joint program in effect at the time of the
conduct in question to warrant discipline of Ankiel.”
David Bell — “Neither I nor any member of my investigative staff had any prior knowledge of any allegation about Bell.”
Paul Byrd — “Byrd admitted that he had been taking human growth hormone but said that he had been using it to treat a tumor on his pituitary gland.”
Jay Gibbons — “I am deeply sorry for the mistakes that I have made. I have no excuses and bear sole responsibility for my decisions. Years ago, I relied on the advice of a doctor, filled a prescription, charged the HGH, which is a medication, to my credit card and had only intended to help speed my recovery from my injuries and surgeries.”
Troy Glaus — “On December 6, 2007, the Commissioner’s Office announced that there was insufficient evidence of a violation of the joint program in effect at the time of the conduct in question to warrant discipline of Glaus.”
Jose Guillen — “On December 6, 2007, the Commissioner’s Office announced a 15-day suspension of Guillen for violation of the joint drug program, to take effect at the start of the 2008 season.”
John Rocker — “Rocker initially denied the allegations, but his spokesperson later reportedly said that Rocker had been prescribed human growth hormone in connection with shoulder surgery”
Scott Schoeneweis — On December 6, 2007, the Commissioner’s Office announced that there was insufficient evidence of a violation of the joint program in effect at the time of the conduct in question to warrant discipline of Schoeneweis.
ESPN has a full categorized list on their website.
The report largely centers around the cooperation of two men including Kirk Radomski, a former Mets employee, who said he supplied several players with performance enhancing drugs. The report includes copies of checks and notes written by athletes to suppliers of the supplements.
Michael Vick broke Federal laws and is in jail……Are the baseball players who used steroids facing the same fate, having broken federal laws? Where are the federal prosecutors? Curious about the process.