Mitchell Report Names Names

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UPDATE 12/14/2007 (lawhawk):
See here for my latest post on the Mitchell Report and the bogus names list proffered by NBC. It's my decision to strike the initial names because those mentioned on the bogus report were not in the official report.

Rumor has it that the Mitchell Report will contain the following names:

Brady Anderson, Manny Alexander, Rick Ankiel, Jeff Bagwell, Barry Bonds, Aaron Boone, Rafael Bettancourt, Bret Boone, Milton Bradley, David Bell, Dante Bichette, Albert Belle, Paul Byrd, Wil Cordero, Ken Caminiti, Mike Cameron, Ramon Castro, Jose Canseco, Ozzie Canseco, Roger Clemens, Paxton Crawford, Wilson Delgado, Lenny Dykstra, Johnny Damon, Carl Everett, Kyle Farnsworth, Ryan Franklin, Troy Glaus, Rich Garces, Jason Grimsley, Juan Gonzalez, Eric Gagne, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Jose Guillen, Jay Gibbons, Juan Gonzalez, Clay Hensley, Jerry Hairston Felix Heredia, Jr., Darren Holmes, Wally Joyner, Darryl Kile, Matt Lawton, Raul Mondesi, Mark McGwire, Guillermo Mota, Robert Machado, Damian Moss, Abraham Nunez, Trot Nixon, Jose Offerman, Andy Pettitte, Mark Prior, Neifi Perez, Rafael Palmiero, Albert Pujols, Brian Roberts, Juan Rincon, John Rocker, Pudge Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Scott Schoenweiis, David Segui, Alex Sanchez, Gary Sheffield, Miguel Tejada, Julian Tavarez, Fernando Tatis, Maurice Vaughn, Jason Varitek, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams, Kerry Wood

Huge shocker, Brady Anderson!!! Hit 50 home runs from the lead off spot for the Orioles one year, and had not hit 50 home runs for his career to that point. Notice his power year was the year he played with Rafael Palmiero, also on the list. Coincidence? What about Eric Gagne, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. Any shocker that they are young and so injury prone? Steroids breaks down your body. Jeff Bagwell, huge decline in power numbers this year...did he stop using? Milton Bradley, any shock that his attitude is due to 'roid rage?

Also, as expected, Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Palmiero and Giambi (both brothers) all made the list.

Actual shockers to me are Miguel Tejada and Nomar Garciaparra. Their body types are not typical of steroid users. Just surprises me. Although, Palmiero said that he tested positive from B-12 vitamins laced with HGH that he got from Tejada.

However, the biggest names are Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite and Albert Pujols. Clemens is considered a first ballot hall of famer. Among the career leaders in strike outs, is one of the greatest power pitchers of our time. Supposedly, he and Pettite are work out buddies, and their work out regimen is one of the toughest. Well I guess that's easy when you are on the roids. Pujlos is also one of the greatest pure hitters in the game right now. His first five year stats rank him up their with Joe Dimagio ad Mickey Mantle. I have never seen a guy hit a ball as hard as he hits them. Game 1 of the 2006 National League Championship Series, Mrs. Lawhawk and I (yes, Mrs. Lawhawk is a HUGE Met fan and I took her over Mrs. Legalbgl) were sitting field level along the third base line and Pujlos hit a bomb into the stands a few rows behind us. That ball was hit so hard, that when it hit the concrete floor it sounded like a bomb. I guess that too, is easy to do when you use the juice.

So what now? What happens to these players? They have tainted the sport. They have stolen records. They should be banned. Their records should be nullified. Their corruption needs to be excommunicated from the game. The fans, the true fans, deserve no less.

--UPDATE--

From WNBC.Com, the soure of the above listed names:

NEW YORK -- WNBC.com's Jonathan Dienst has obtained names expected to be on George Mitchell's list of baseball players linked to performance-enhancing drugs. Baseball officials are refuting some names on the list.

Two separate sources provided WNBC.com with a detailed list of names of ballplayers expected to be included in the Mitchell report, which will be released at 2 p.m. Thursday.

After WNBC.com posted this list, a spokesman for Major League Baseball told WNBC.com that there were several discrepancies between the list posted and Mitchell’s list.


Jonathan Dienst went back to the two sources with access to Mitchell's findings. Both sources maintain the list given to WNBC.com is complete and accurate.

WNBC.com made a second call to the MLB official refuting the list. He would not say which names on the list provided by two separate sources are incorrect. Yet another source suggests WNBC.com was given a draft copy by our two original sources, not the final copy being released today.

The list contains multple MVP and Cy Young award winners. The list is littered with names of All-Stars past and present and included two sets of brothers.

ESPN.com has been reporting New York Yankees pitchers Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte are on the list.

WNBC.com is no longer posting the list. We are actively working the list and we will be updating the situation as soon as journalistically possible.

Quess we will find out in a few minutes who is really on the list, and who is not.

--UPDATE--

The Mitchell Report is available for download here.

--UPDATE--

Quickly scanning the Mitchell Report I see no reference to Pujlos, Garciapara, Wood, Prior, or Damon. In fact, many of the names listed above do not appear in the Mitchell report, and many names in the Mitchell Report are not included above.

UPDATE (lawhawk):
I've quickly scanned the report and here are the names that stuck out. If I missed anyone, or included someone by accident, let me know in the comments:

David Justice, Andy Pettite, Roger Clemens, Greg Zaun, 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, Cody McKay, Kent Mercker, Adam Piatt, Miguel Tejada, Jason Christiansen, Mike Stanton, Stephen Randolph, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Paul Lo Duca, Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich, Fernando Vina, Kevin Brown, Eric Gagné, Mike Bell, Matt Herges, Gary Bennett, Jr., Jim Parque, Brendan Donnelly, Chad Allen, Jeff Williams, Howie Clark, "Nook" Logan, Daniel Naulty, Rick Ankiel, Paul Byrd, Jay Gibbons, Troy Glaus, Jose Guillen, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Gary Matthews, Jr., and Scott Schoeneweis, and former players David Bell, Jose Canseco, Jason Grimsley, Darren Holmes, John Rocker, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams, and Steve Woodard.

--UPDATE--
Notable non-mentions in the Mitchell Report are Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. McGwire's use of androstenedione, a susbstance that was legal at the time of his use, is discussed in detail, but, nothing of his use of steroids or HGH. Interesting.

This could be because they received it from sources that Mitchell could not/did not interview (his report states, and he repeated in his news conference that players received substances from sources that he did not have the ability to interview.) Their non-incusion is not proof of inocence. Equally, I doubt that inclusion on the list is proof of quilt.

UPDATE (lawhawk):
Here's a link listing the players:

Chad Allen
Rick Ankiel
David Bell
Mike Bell
Marvin Benard
Gary Bennett, Jr.
Larry Bigbie
Barry Bonds
Kevin Brown
Paul Byrd
Jose Canseco
Mark Carreon
Jason Christiansen
Howie Clark
Roger Clemens
Jack Cust
Brendan Donnelly
Chris Donnels
Lenny Dykstra
Bobby Estalella
Matt Franco
Ryan Franklin
Eric Gagne
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Jason Grimsley
Jose Guillen
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Matt Herges
Phil Hiatt
Glenallen Hill
Darren Holmes
Todd Hundley
David Justice
Chuck Knoblauch
Tim Laker
Mike Lansing
Paul Lo Duca
Exavier "Nook" Logan
Josias Manzanillo
Gary Matthews, Jr.
Mark McGwire
Cody McKay
Kent Mercker
Bart Miadich
Hal Morris
Daniel Naulty
Denny Neagle
Rafael Palmeiro
Jim Parque
Andy Pettitte
Adam Piatt
Todd Pratt
Adam Riggs
Brian Roberts
John Rocker
F.P. Santangelo
Benito Santiago
Scott Schoeneweis
David Segui
Gary Sheffield
Miguel Tejada
Ismael Valdez
Mo Vaughn
Randy Velarde
Ron Villone
Fernando Vina
Rondell White
Jeff Williams
Matt Williams
Todd Williams
Steve Woodard
Kevin Young
Gregg Zaun

--UPDATE--
The list Lawhawk posted above is incorrect. I noticed it included McGwire, who was not named in the report, but which only discussed about use of androstenedione. The full list of players named in the report is found here.

Also, Bud Seliq, MLB's Commissioner, has now responded to the report.

NEW YORK -- Commissioner Bud Selig announced swift plans Thursday to execute every recommendation listed in former Sen. George Mitchell's report on performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball, but made no formal decisions regarding the punishment of active players listed on the report.
"So long as there may be potential cheaters, we will always have to monitor our programs and constantly update them to catch those who think they can get away with breaking Baseball's rules," Selig said. "In the name of integrity, that's exactly what I intend to do."

In his report, Sen. Mitchell outlined a long list of recommendations for the Commissioner to consider. Some of them can -- and according to Selig, will -- be implemented immediately. But others, most notably the recommendation for further improvement of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment program, will require cooperation from the MLB Players Association.

***

"Sen. Mitchell acknowledges in his report that the ultimate decisions on discipline rest with the Commissioner and he is correct," Selig said. "Discipline of players and others identified in the report will be determined on a case-by-case basis. If warranted, those decisions will be made swiftly and I, of course, will give thorough consideration to Sen. Mitchell's views on the subject."

Much of the problem stems from the fact that most of the alleged violations in Mitchell's report occurred in a period ending two years ago. A large group of implicated players are no longer active, and are thus beyond Selig's jurisdiction. And many of those who are still playing were linked to the substances at a time when punishments for users were quite different.

So in otherwords, look for more slaps on the wrists.

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.

Hot Stove Blotter

Hot off the press, Barry Bonds has been indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice in the ongoing federal probe into use of illegal steroids. This has nothing to do with steroids in baseball, and everything to do with lying to federal investigators or misleading them in a way that prolonged the investigation.

Having nailed Marion Jones, Bonds was next up in their sights.

The indictment definitely is a major story, but baseball fans have to really worry about the looming Mitchell Report, which will name names - and quite likely many who you never saw coming.

Meanwhile, fresh off its failed attempt to make New Yorkers pay for online purchases via Amazon.com and other online entities, New York State is going after Derek Jeter for claiming that he was not liable for personal income tax to New York. Derek had claimed he was a Florida resident.

This is a battle fought regularly by athletes who can't stand paying taxes (who doesn't), and who seek tax havens like Florida or Nevada. New York would have a case if they can show that Jeter was present in the state for more than 183 days. I hope Derek has a good tax lawyer, because he might need one.

Finally, in another Yankee related item, I can't stand the coverage relating to the Alex Rodriguez soap opera. ARod is going to be crawling back to the Yankees to the tune of $275-$290 million dollars. That's a whole lot of cash. It's more than he was making under his prior contract. And if you think that Scott Boras didn't plan things out to include this contingency, you've got another thing coming.

Boras is one of the most calculating sports agents in the game, and he created a market for ARod and set figures. This creates the win-win scenario for ARod. He gets to look like the good guy for "crawling back" to the Yankees because no one else was accepting his pie in the sky offers, and he can blame Boras for looking bad. There's one problem with all that.

ARod is the one who makes the final decision on strategy and has to sign off on what happens. He knew that this was a possibility, and he's still ending up with more money than I'll ever see in my lifetime. ARod gets the money and stays with the team while possibly getting fans to warm up to him in a way that they haven't until now.

More power to him.

I just don't buy his shtick.

UPDATE:
Here's the Bonds indictment.

Branded

The ball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame, its owner said Wednesday.

Fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought the ball in an online auction, set up a Web site for fans to vote on the ball's fate, and the decision to brand it won out over the other options, sending it to the museum unblemished or launching it into space.

"We're going to be working with the folks at the Hall of Fame," Ecko said on NBC's "Today" show.

That's going to leave a mark.

756

Last night, Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants slugger, hit the 756th home run of his career, breaking the record by Hank Aaron set more than three decades ago.

That immediately sent every sports pundit to their keyboards to send off their commentary.

Bonds says that he knew when he hit it that it was gone. After fighting through the rugby scrum to catch the ball, it was a New York Mets fan who came up with it. Hah!

So what did Hammering Hank Aaron have to say about all this? Well, what he said stole the show:

"I would like to offer my congratulations to Barry Bonds on becoming baseball's career home run leader," Hank Aaron said in a video message played on the AT&T Park scoreboard after Bonds hit his 756th home run. "It is a great accomplishment which requires skill, longevity and determination. Throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball and I have been privileged to hold this record for 33 of those years. I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historical achievement.

"My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their own dreams."

Classy. Understated. Insightful.

All the things that we would not associate with Barry Bonds. It makes for a most interesting juxtaposition.

Records

Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 500 homers. He came off a homer-less streak of 22 at bats before connecting on the first pitch he saw yesterday. It took a few moments to realize that the ball would stay fair, and he marched around the bases knowing that his place in baseball lore was secure as the youngest to ever reach that mark.

Barry Bonds connected in San Diego off Clay Hensley to hit his 755th home run. That ties Hank Aaron for first place all time for career home runs.

No asterisk is necessary. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows that there is something about this era of baseball that doesn't quite smell right. There's something about Bonds that doesn't quite pass the smell test.

The asterisk was a mistake for Maris. It would be a mistake here.

Instead, let's do the honorable thing - honor Aaron for doing the incredible - without any assistance - and in the face of incredible racism and threats to his personal safety.

Sports Blotter Roundup

The wheels are officially coming off the cycles at the Tour de France, as not only have two teams been disqualified for members doping, but the tour leader was pulled by his team because he failed to provide an itinerary for the past several weeks. Oh, and a bomb went off along the Spanish portion of the ride earlier today. The terrorist group, ETA, claimed responsibility. As for the racing, Michael Rassmussen was tossed, even though he was leading the race. He violated his team rules.

The Tour is in complete disarray as leaders have been sacked, high profile cyclists have been tossed, and last year's winner, Floyd Landis, is still under a cloud of suspicion over his performance and a failed test.

Earlier this week, Cofidis pulled its team out of the Tour when rider Cristian Moreni of Italy failed a doping test and was led away by police at the end of the 16th stage. That comes on the heels of another team pulling out because Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a banned blood transfusion. He had won a stage earlier in the race.

It's a sad thing that the sport of cycling is best known for doping scandals, and not the difficulty of winning the most prestigious race, the Tour de France.

Then, there's the ongoing mess with Michael Vick. He's been told to stay away from training camp by the NFL. Some are wondering why the half measures. Well, good question. There's also a good answer. While everything appears stacked against him, he is still presumed innocent under the law. Animal lovers have every right to be pissed off at Vick, but don't get ahead of the legal process. These things also have a way of working out for themselves. It might not be as fast as one would like, but they will work out.

There are also signs that Vick might never take another snap with the Atlanta Falcons, the team that drafted him out of college.

Expect Vick to take a look at what's happened and I expect him to try and cut a deal to get out. Prosecutors will likely try to take this to court, and the evidence certainly seems quite complete.

Oh, and for those still paying attention, there's Barry Bonds and his quest to crack baseball's holy grail, the career baseball home run record. He's sitting at 753, and Hank Aaron stands at 755. The problem for Bonds is that everyone associates him with the steroid scandal, regardless of whether he actually took them or not. His name is indelibly linked with the BALCO mess, and his name keeps popping up, despite his protestations to the contrary. It's surely keeping MLB Commissioner Bud Selig up at night, and perhaps wishing that Bonds comes down with an injury that prevents him from reaching the milestone, but Selig has said he'd be there. Hank Aaron has said he wouldn't attend, which is a shame, since putting the spotlight on Bonds actually makes Aaron's accomplishments all the more impressive - he did them without any claims of performance enhancement.

Steroid Investigation Ready to Roil Baseball

If you thought that the Barry Bonds kerfuffle and BALCO were bad, things may be about to take a turn for the worse. The Mitchell Committee is calling as many as three dozen current and former players to talk about steroids and performance enhancing drugs in the sport.

The former Senator George J. Mitchell of Maine, who is overseeing a team of lawyers and investigators working on the case, declined to say how many players had been sent letters requesting their appearance.

But others familiar with elements of the investigation said they believed at least three dozen current and former players were being sought by the panel. The prospect of any number of elite players’ being linked to the steroid issue would throw Major League Baseball into considerable turmoil only a month into the season, as players turn to hiring lawyers rather than focusing on hitting and pitching.

Mr. Mitchell, responding by e-mail to a series of written questions from The New York Times, described his investigation as entering its final phases.

“We expect to meet soon with the players whose interviews we have requested,” Mr. Mitchell said. Mr. Mitchell has no subpoena power, and said that if players refused to talk to his panel, which reports to Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, “we will deal with the issue at that time.” Mr. Mitchell also said that Mr. Selig had agreed that the panel’s final report would be made public.

This would certainly cast a pall over the sport, but what would actually happen if it turns out that many of these players - including the high profile players - actually used steroids or other performance enhancing drugs? Would fans turn their back on the sport or would they shrug and carry on? I frankly don't know.

The situation is further complicated by the plea deal arranged by Kirk Radomski, a former New York Mets clubhouse assistant who "...admitted to distributing steroids, human growth hormone, amphetamines and other drugs to dozens of current and former players in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2005." Mitchell may be using names provided by Radomski, but Mitchell was being coy about that.

Either way, players who were taking steroids and other performance enhancing drugs need to be concerned about not only who may have been named, but what those other named players might say. Those players who didn't use those drugs must be secretly cheering for this as it helps level the playing field.

Barry Bonds Failed Drug Test During 2006 Season

And no, it's not steroids we're talking about, but amphetamines.

Barry Bonds failed a test for amphetamines last season and originally blamed it on a teammate, the Daily News reported Thursday.

When first informed of the positive test, Bonds attributed it to a substance he had taken from teammate Mark Sweeney’s locker, the New York City newspaper said, citing several unnamed sources.

“I have no comment on that,” Bonds’ agent Jeff Borris told the Daily News on Wednesday night.

“Mark was made aware of the fact that his name had been brought up,” Sweeney’s agent Barry Axelrod told the Daily News. “But he did not give Barry Bonds anything, and there was nothing he could have given Barry Bonds.”

Bonds, who always has maintained he never has tested positive for illegal drug use, already is under investigation for lying about steroid use.

Of course Bonds would try to deflect responsibility for his drug test results on to someone else. That's all Bonds has done ever since the rumors started about his involvement in BALCO and the use of steroids.

There is no penalty for the first positive test for amphetamines. A second positive test will result in a 25 game suspension. Bonds did not appeal the test results, which means he will be subject to six additional tests over the next six months.

Hot Stove Happenings

There's a bunch of big ticket items to cross the hot stove wires within the past couple of days:

Former NY Yankee, and current announcer, Bobby Murcer is recovering after undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor. Get well soon! Murcer complained of headaches and fatigue and tests revealed a tumor.

The Yankees are preparing to send Randy Johnson back to the sender. A deal is in the works to send Johnson to the Diamondbacks. Good riddance. I wasn't a fan of the deal that brought him to the Yankees, and his performance was never worth the price.

The Mets struck out on Barry Zito. Good luck on finding starting pitching to keep the rotation afloat until Pedro returns. The San Francisco Giants ponied up $127 million to get Zito, and Zito doesn't even have to move. He simply has to drive across the bridge to get to his new office at PacBell. That's the richest deal ever for a pitcher. Moving to the National League makes sense as it is easier than dealing with the DH in the American League.

So, when the owners start complaining that the economics of the sport are all out of whack, I wont be listening or sympathetic to their whining when they claim that some teams are on the brink of failing. After all, they're the ones handing out huge contracts like $42 million over four years the Brewers handed to Jeff Suppan. The salaries are insane, but so are the owners and general managers who are signing off on these deals.

Angels outfielder Juan Rivera broke his leg in winter ball. There's no timetable set for his return and the Angels signed Shea Hillenbrand to cover the loss of the All Star outfielder.

Meanwhile, eight of 10 players implicated in the BALCO scandal tested positive for steroids. Ouch. But apparently there's good news in that for Barry Bonds. His lawyer says he was one of the two players who didn't test positive:

The identity of all 10 players is not known, but Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield are known to be part of the group implicated in the BALCO investigation. If Bonds failed a drug test, it could help the U.S. Attorney's Office indict the Giants outfielder for perjury. It is not believed that any other players would face legal action.

Bonds' attorney, Michael Rains, said his client is not one of the players with a positive test.

"My response to that is that's all well and good, but that means two [of the 10] players didn't test positive and Barry is one of the two," Rains told The Post. "What a terrible break for the government that eight of the 10 players tested positive, but Barry didn't. I think it's another nail in their coffin in trying to go after Barry."

The 2-1 appeals court decision was a defeat for the Major League Baseball Players Association, which has been fighting the government's seizure of drug testing samples and data from two laboratories in 2004. The data includes the names of 104 players who failed tests for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, the first year MLB tested. If the list is leaked and contains superstars never before implicated, it would deal another blow to baseball's integrity.

Hot Stove Heater: The Latest Signings

On this bitterly cold day here in the Northeast, here's a couple of pieces of news that will keep you warm though a bit of sad news crossed the wire as Jose Uribe, a former shortstop for the Giants, was killed in a car crash.

The SF Giants signed Barry Bonds to a one-year deal. $16 million. $16 million! Bonds was trying to get other teams to bid on him at the Winter Meetings and didn't get a single bite. Yet, the Giants ended up bidding against themselves and gave him $16 million. I'm not paying that salary, so what do I care.

At least Bonds has proven that he's worth that kind of money given his prodigious production when healthy. That's unlike J.D. Drew whose agent Scott Boras managed to get Drew a 5-year deal worth $70 million with the Red Sox. An average of $14 million per year? Are you kidding me?

Boras has managed to sign players to some of the richest deals in the history of the sport. If I'm an owner I'd get my hands on Tony Soprano and find out where to dump Boras' body next to Jimmy Hoffa. If I'm a player, I'd go out of my way to sign up with Boras who always maximizes the player contracts and has singlehandedly managed to change the economics of the sport.

The Dodgers made a good signing for Jason Schmidt. Three years for $47.5 million. That's a bargain in comparison to some of the other deals out there, including Ted Lilly's 4-year, $40 million with the Cubs. He's replacing Greg Maddux who moved down the coast to the Padres in a 1-year, $10 million deal with a player option.

If these new contracts seem to be excessive, you're right. Teams are throwing crazy money around, and expect them to start complaining that the economics of the sport are out of whack as soon as midseason.

UPDATE:
Just breaking: Andy Pettitte is returning to the Bronx. One year, $16 million, with a player option for 2008. That's a big upgrade for the Yankee pitching staff, which has been sorely lacking in big game pitching. He was 14-13 with a 4.20 ERA last year for the Astros.

Implicated

A while back, I wrote about the Jason Grimsley situation, where he admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs and implicated six others in their usage.

As I noted at the time, baseball players all over the country are sweating this because Grimsley played for quite a few teams: Phillies, Yankees, Indians, Angels, Royals, and Orioles before heading to the Diamondbacks who released him earlier this year after this news came to light.

Well, the names have been named.

Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Miguel Tejada
Brian Roberts
Jay Gibbons

Clemens and Pettitte deny the allegations and their representatives are busy pushing back at Grimsley's assertions. Tejada has also denied the allegations.

It would also appear that this information was leaked to the reporters:

In a 20-page search warrant affidavit signed by IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky, the Times reported, he said Grimsley identified other players who had used drugs. Those names were blacked out when the document was released.

The Times said an anonymous source with access to the document — minus the crossouts — let the newspaper see it, but kept the copy. The Times said a second source who had identified the other players provided additional details about the document.

According to the affidavit, the Times said, Grimsley told investigators Clemens and Pettitte "used athletic performance-enhancing drugs."

The affidavit also alleged Grimsley told federal agents that Roberts, Gibbons and Tejada "took anabolic steroids."

Novitzky also was the lead investigator in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative probe. Two BALCO officials and Barry Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, served jail time after guilty pleas in that investigation.

Grimsley has complained to friends, the Times said, that federal agents attributed statements to him that he did not make.

"I'm told he has denied saying all of this," Randy Hendricks, who represents Clemens and Pettitte, told The Associated Press on Saturday night. "It's an agent's recollection about a conversation he had about conjecture."

"I've grown weary of having to defend (Clemens) from innuendo and conjecture about every six months for the last several years when he's complied with all of the rules and regulations," Hendricks said. "Andy is just surprised and stunned, and has no knowledge of any such activity."

Clemens and Pettitte pitch for Houston. The Astros won 5-4 at Atlanta on Saturday night.

Tejada, Gibbons and Roberts had left the clubhouse in Boston after Baltimore's 5-4 victory Saturday night when an AP reporter sought comment.

Once again, leaking this information may have violated federal law, and the person releasing those names may have committed a crime.

Nice.

There's No Drugs in Baseball? Right?

Major League Baseball has a serious problem on its hands, if the Arizona Republic's reporting is accurate on the acts of one-time New York Yankee player Jason Grimsley:

It is the first time an Arizona Diamondbacks player has been linked publicly to the scandal, which has implicated San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi and others.

Grimsley provided "extensive statements regarding his receipt and use of anabolic steroids, amphetamines and human growth hormone over the last several years," the affidavit said.

Grimsley also provided "details about his knowledge of other Major League Baseball players" using illegal performance-enhancing drugs, including several close acquaintances.

An hour before Tuesday night's game against Philadelphia, Grimsley told The Republic, "I have no comment about that and no idea about that."

Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick released a statement on the matter Tuesday night, saying: "We were first informed of this situation late this afternoon. This is a federal investigation, and as long as it is active and ongoing, we are prohibited from making any further comments."

Jeff Novitzky, the IRS special agent in charge of the BALCO case, filed the affidavit, which also said agents were anticipating the shipment of human growth hormones to Grimsley's home.

The affidavit on the investigation into Jason Grimsley is quite revealing. He names names - though the affidavit has redacted the names of those individuals. You can be assured that current and former baseball players throughout the league are sweating over this.

Grimsley played for: Phillies, Yankees, Indians, Angels, Royals, and Orioles before heading to the Diamondbacks.

Hat Tip: Anonymous emailer

Authenticate This

Anonymous emailer brings this article to my attention about how MLB will not authenticate baseballs hit by Bonds that could eventually be homer #715.

When Barry Bonds hits home run No. 715 and moves into second place on the all-time list behind Hank Aaron, the lucky fan who catches the ball might have a hard time proving it's the real thing.


That's because Major League Baseball won't authenticate any of the baseballs the Giants are using.

"He's not approaching the record," said league spokesman Pat Courtney by way of explanation, reiterating baseball's stance that the passing of Babe Ruth's milestone of 714 career home runs is not a valid cause for celebration. "We will revisit doing the ball authenticating when he approaches the record."

In 1998, as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa approached Roger Maris' single-season record of 61 home runs, league officials made sure the baseballs being used in Cardinals and Cubs games were numbered and included holograms to eliminate any doubt that the record-breaking ball could be identified. They did it again in the final week of that season so McGwire's final home run could be authenticated.

And the league marked and authenticated the balls being used in Giants games three years later as Bonds was passing McGwire's single-season record of 70 home runs.

Courtney said that the league isn't expecting as much of a fight for the ball in the stands this time around, at least compared with what took place during the McGwire, Bonds and Sosa single-season home run assaults. But others disagree.

Michael Barnes, the broker who assisted the families of those who caught the key Sosa, McGwire and Bonds home run balls, says Bonds' home run No. 715 baseball likely will be worth between $25,000 and $50,000.

This is strange, considering that Bonds would supplant Ruth as the all time homers leader for a lefty. Aaron is a righty and the all time leader. Unless MLB is going to strike all his homers, this doesn't make any sense since 715 would be a record breaker, though not the ultimate home run leader.

All of this relates back to the steroid mess, and since MLB has botched its handling of performance enhancing drugs for years, this is only an additional manifestation of MLB's poor performance in policing itself.

Something Lighter

Anonymous emailer - a friend and associate who remains nameless - suggested that I post on something lighter than my usual fare. He suggested baseball and that I should make a few predictions.

Mrs. Lawhawk thought this quite funny. I agreed. Actually, the only thing funnier will be the quality of my predictions. So, without further ado, here are my predictions and take them for what it's worth:

1) Chris Shelton will not win the home run title this year. Albert Pujols will.

2) The Mets will win just enough games to make it interesting, but not enough to make the playoffs.

3) Since I play fantasy baseball online, whenever I bench a player in favor of another guy on my team, the guy on the bench will go lights out with a couple of homers and a bunch of runs batted in. Tonite alone, I lost out on Jason Bay (2 for 2, a home run, 3 rbi and an OPS of 3.5) Two days ago, it was Xavier Nady (2 for 3, 2 runs, a homer, 3 rbi, and OPS of 2.167). I hear people pay good money for this kind of abuse.

4) Barry Bonds will not bat his weight this year, but will still manage to hit enough homers to give Bud Selig palpitations.
5) Pedro Martinez, who currently has his mojo back, will lose it and blame Jobu.
6) David Wright should win the National League MVP award.
7) Women prefer Yankees over Mets. So says the New York Post. No word on whether Page Six was involved.
8) Travis Hafner is the best slugger no one has heard of.
9) Alex Rodriguez is still better than Albert Pujols. For now. Let's see if either of them can win a World Series.
10) Ben Sheets will be the best pitcher in the NL - once I either trade him or drop him because he's on the DL just a wee bit too long.
11) The pitcher of the year will be Roy Oswalt. And his being on my team has everything to do with that selection.

So there you have it.

A Way Out

Is an elbow injury the way MLB can sidestep the entire issue of Barry Bonds breaking the home run records set by Ruth and Aaron? Based on the way baseball has hoped that Bonds would simply go away in light of all the problems with steroids, it wouldn't surprise me that everyone from Selig on down has been praying to jobu that Bonds would quit before breaking the all time home run record set by Henry Aaron.

In the MLB.com interview, Bonds said he has "10 to 12 bone chips floating" in his left elbow, which he revealed is swollen "almost twice the size" of his other elbow.

"If I have to have a procedure, then I'm done. Finished. That would be it."

Bonds told MLB.com he felt his elbow pop during a spring training batting-practice session at Scottsdale Stadium last month. He underwent an MRI and was examined at the Giants' and Angels' orthopedic specialists.

And Bonds Thinks This Is A Good Idea?

Barry Bonds, he of the bulging biceps, a balloon for a head, and of the cream and the clear, intends to sue the authors of the book Game of Shadows. Considering that he's really got nothing to lose here as most people have already made up their minds as to whether Bonds was taking steroids to enhance his ability to hit home runs, this book attempts to lay the foundation for why people have drawn that conclusion.

The lawyer for Bonds claims that the authors of the book, Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, used illegally obtained grand jury testimony.

Bonds’ attorneys sent a letter Thursday to an agent for the authors of “Game of Shadows,” alerting them of plans to sue the writers, publisher Gotham Books, the San Francisco Chronicle and Sports Illustrated, which published excerpts this month.

The letter, signed by Alison Berry Wilkinson, an associate of Bonds’ lead attorney, Michael Rains, was posted on the Chronicle’s Web Site. A hearing was tentatively scheduled for Friday in San Francisco Superior Court.

This is about the only way Bonds can go after the authors, SI and the SF Chronicle, because to use the legal theory of libel would put Bonds in a serious quandry. Not only would Bonds have to show that the book's allegations were untrue, but that the authors had to make the statements with malice aforethought as Bonds is a public figure. The problem is trying to prove that the allegations were false. That would likely require Bonds to take the stand in his own defense.

But Bonds' legal team isn't stopping there:

Bonds’ legal team will ask a judge Friday to issue a temporary restraining order forfeiting all profits from publication and distribution, according to the letter. The lawyers plan to file the suit under California’s unfair competition law.

The attorneys will ask a federal judge to initiate contempt proceedings “for the use of illegally obtained” grand jury transcripts the authors used in writing the book. Rains said profits should be forfeited because of that.

And lest you think that Bonds is alone in being accused in the book of using steroids, the book further claims that Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi were both taking steroids.

Baseball Musings has more.

Three Quarters Done

Way back when I was still writing for Suite101.com, I posted a series of predictions for 2005. I figured that now might be a good time to check and see how I was doing.

I don't want to pat myself on the back too much, but the Nostradamus thing is hard to do. Except if you manage to split hairs:

1) Red Sox fans - the Devil will be collecting his due Opening Day. First born children cannot be substituted for souls, though the reverse is acceptable.

Sox are out of the playoffs, followed quickly by the Yankees. This one is still open to interpretation.

2) Yasir Arafat is still in stable condition, after dying in a Paris hospital. Abu Mazen will likely be in similarily stable condition by years' end.

Part 1 is still correct and Part 2 may yet happen

3) Iraqi elections will go off as scheduled; as will the bombings. Jimmy Carter will complain that the elections were not full and fair, despite 70% of Iraqis voting for a consensual government for the first time in their history.

Only off by a few percentage points - the elections were successful, and the Left did grumble. Oh, and did I mention that the Iraqi people will be voting on a newly approved Constitution?

4) Saddam Hussein's war crimes trial will start, and Saddam will have wished that he was found dead in that spider hole, as hundreds of witnesses testify as to his barbarity. Tariq Aziz becomes star witness for the prosecution, so as to avoid the death penalty himself. Ramsey Clark, one of Saddam's lawyers, shows himself to be nothing more than a partisan hack and butchers any defense Saddam could have mounted by calling Saddam's victims nothing more than 'manufactured lies by the United States.'

The trial is supposed to start in the next few weeks, and Aziz may still be a star witness. Ramsey Clark was summarily removed from the defense team by Saddam's family. I guess his stylings were too over the top for Saddam himself.

5) Mullah Omar is found dead after committing suicide with three bullets to the back of the head.

One can hope.

6) There will be a natural disaster that will remind people once again that the UN is worthless in a time of need and that the US does stuff that no other nation can do in helping more people do more things without the UN.

Well, isn't that a kicker - we got 'em in spades. First were the tag team duo of Katrina and Rita that battered the Gulf Coast, and then came the South Asian quake that hit Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Guess who was first in with the real important stuff - helicopters - the US. The UN? They're still working out a resolution and some statements to coordinate stuff.

7) Kofi Annan will be forced to step down after tapes emerge from Congo showing that he was directly involved in the sexual harassment and rape of refugees under UN protection. Kofi will claim that the tapes are a GOP plot to make the UN irrelevant.

We've got time.

8) The UN remains irrelevant and the UNSCAM papers make their way into the mainstream media via the Wall Street Journal, whose Claudia Rossett will not get a Pulitzer despite her award winning work.

Right on the money. Oh, and the investigations in France and the US have brought about some plea deals too.

9) There will be an attempt at a mass casualty attack in the US but is thwarted when a cop walking the beat notices a truck out of place in downtown LA. His intuition stops a 5,000 pound bomb going off near a Lakers game. However, nothing could stop Kobe Bryant from laying another bomb in the playoffs - as the Lakers fail to make the finals without Shaq.

Hope this one doesn't happen - though the Lakers will still suck.

10) The Yankees will win the Pennant, only to lose to the Diamondbacks in 4 games. Randy Johnson loses two games in the World Series as his former teammates tee off on his newest pitch, the Eephus. Javier Vasquez, who couldn't pitch a lick in New York, wins Game 4 with a 3-hit shutout. New York GM Brian Cashman is found dead under mysterious circumstancs, with a GS cufflink found nearby.

Yanks won the East, lost to the Angels, and Cashman hasn't been seen in public. The watch goes on. Randy Johnson was awful, but the D-backs were even worse. I was close on former Yankee pitchers being in the playoffs though - Clemens, Pettite, Contreas, and el Duque are all big reasons that the Astros and White Sox are still in it. Don't think for one second that Steinbrenner will let Cashman forget that.

11) Israel will not withdraw from Gaza or the West Bank, as the Palestinians elect Hamas in 'national elections' that are rife with corruption and coersion. Dozens die as Hamas opens fire on Fatah members. However, all deaths occurring at the polls are attributed to Israelis poisoning the ballots with secret sauce.

Got this one wrong outright. Israel did withdraw from Gaza - and seems to have been better off for it, though there are ominous signs that al Qaeda and the terrorists are turning the place into an armed terror training camp. Hamas and Fatah are going after each other though, so this is a split decision.

12) Osama bin Laden is found in Newark, New Jersey driving a cab. He's found using the alias Michael Moore. On a related note, Michael Moore is found in Afghanistan after being drop kicked by Pfizer who got pissed off at Moore for 'exposing' the company, despite the fact that Pfizer's contributions in the tsunami relief will top out at $75 million, which is still more than France coughed up.

A joke - but France still hasn't done more than Pfizer (and I'd rather count on Pfizer to come up with a solution for the avian flu than wait for the French to figure out what to do).

13) Rumsfeld is the new Ashcroft. Gonzales is the new Rumsfeld. And Jeb Bush is the new Dubya. Dubya is the new Dubya. Same as the old one. Only with 5x the misunderestimations.

Right on target.

14) I will buy a house this year, only to watch the market bubble that has been ongoing for the last 5 years collapse 10 minutes after we close and take possession. Needless to say, that will not be a happy time and I will have to take out my frustration out on someone - which means you, my readers. BWWHAHAHA!

There's hope that this may still happen before the year ends, but I don't know if that's a good thing.

15) Jason Giambi shows up to training camp weighing 165 soaking wet, bats .212 and is sent down to the minors complaining of a lack of strength due to 'those things.' Barry Bonds shows up to spring training looking like the East German swim team and proceeds to smash Hank Aaron's record 75 games into the season, though no one is attending the game. Bonds' 'records' are kept on the books, but with a syringe next to them.

Giambi did start off slow, but ended up with 30+ homers. Bonds didn't play a game until September, and then nearly broke Ruth's record in a dozen games.

So, what's the verdict? 6/15 but I have hope of going better than 50%.

Moral of the story? Get more outrageous predictions. Mine weren't far enough out there to really count.