MLB To Receive the Mitchell Report

NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Baseball has gotten its advance look at a draft of George Mitchell's report on drug use in the sport.

Baseball reviewed a draft Tuesday at the Manhattan office of DLA Piper, the law firm that Mitchell chairs, a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because Mitchell hasn't authorized any statements.

The report likely will be released Thursday, and commissioner Bud Selig does not plan to attend Mitchell's news conference, the official said. Selig could have his own news conference or hold a conference call, he added.

Baseball officials have said for several weeks that management would be able to examine the report on performance-enhancing drugs a few days before it is made public to make sure it does not contain any confidential information that if released would violate the collective bargaining agreement between players and owners.

The joint drug agreement, which has been part of the labor contract since September 2002, prohibits the commissioner's office, teams and consultants from disclosing player test results, treatment and other information except in very limited, specified circumstances.

The start of baseball's review first was reported by the Daily News on its Web site.

Mitchell, a former Senate Majority Leader, is a director of the Boston Red Sox and served on one of Selig's economic study committees. Selig hired him in March 2006 to investigate drug use in the sport.

He's expected by many in baseball to be critical of the sport for being slow to react to its drug problem in 1990s and beyond. What they will be looking to see in his report is how he parcels blame among commissioner Bud Selig, club owners, general managers, other team employees, the players' association and players themselves.

The revelation of players who have not yet been publicly linked to drug use figures to be the most sensational part of the report. Media reports have linked an array of All-Stars and MVPs to performance enhancers in recent years, among them Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Ken Caminiti, Juan Gonzalez and Mark McGwire.

Bonds, indicted last month for perjury and obstruction of justice over his 2003 testimony in the BALCO drug case, has denied knowingly using performance enhancers, as have Gonzalez and McGwire.

Representatives of players have said in recent weeks that they believe much of Mitchell's evidence will be based on former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, who was required to cooperate with the investigation as a condition of his federal plea agreement last April. Radomski pleaded guilty to illegally distributing steroids, human growth hormone, amphetamines and other drugs to players and is awaiting sentencing.

The player representatives also said they expect Mitchell will be critical of active players for largely refusing to cooperate.

Rumors have the Mitchell report being made publicly available tomorrow. It will be interesting to see who made the list. Many names have already surfaced. We have all long suspected Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds has been indicted for lying about his steroid use. Jose Conseco has admited it. Rafael Palmiero was suspended for HGH use. Jay Gibbons, Troy Glaus, Rick Ankiel, Mike Cammeron, Jose Guillen and a host of others have all been linked to either HGH or some other performance enhancing drug. David Ortiz has claimed to not know if he has or has not used steroids.

Steroids and performance enhancing drugs are ruining the game. Great players, like Barry Bonds, is now a laughing stock. How can anyone take his home run record seriously, when it is so tainted by the stench of steroids. Designer Mark Ecco, who purchased Bond's record breaking ball at auction created a website for people to vote on what to do with the ball. No surprise, brand it with an asterisk and send it to Cooperstown was the overwhelming fan favorite.

MLB needs to see the Mitchell Report. They need to act on the Mitchell report. The players who have been proved cheaters need to be removed from the game. I don't care if they are superstars. They need to be banished from the game, a la Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. MLB needs to get tougher and take a zero tolerance policy to performance enhancing drugs. Only then can the true fan really enjoy the sport again.