The Mitchell report has made a major impact on baseball and will definitely lead to some changes and even a revolution in the game. For those who do not know what the Mitchell report is, it is an investigative report of over 400 pages that was directed by former Senator George Mitchell into steroid and other performance enhancing drug use in baseball. The report names many names including major players, some still playing, and even managers which could mean anything from suspensions, fines, and asterisk in record books. There could even be ban from participating in MLB altogether as well.
We live in an era of steroids and performance enhancing drugs and these products are used in almost all sports. In a society where you make more money by running faster, throwing harder, and hitting harder, it is not surprising that there are players out there willing to risk their bodies for financial comfort and fame. Jason Giambi and Marion Jones are just two names in the list of many who have been caught in using some sort of growth enhancing drug.
The Mitchell report does not have full hard evidence on every name and case mentioned in it but does provides some great details explaining different players situation and usage. This has lawyers going crazy and screaming for hearsay as there are different ways of interpreting the details of the reports and implications on the players. Past players and present players are all involved in the report and this could create a clash over what is hard core fact and what is possibly just rumors.
Commissioner Bud Selig has commented a little on what his actions will be including a case by case examination of the players mentioned in the report and a handling out judgement per case. Selig also mentioned that the drug testing is working which is quite a joke as players keep passing by and not caught right off the bat. Drug testing is getting better but there needs to be strict standards and hopefully this report will get baseball to this standard. Now lets get to the names of players.
Information Learned During this Investigation Concerning BALCO and Major League Baseball (8 players/ 3 active in MLB in 2007)
Marvin Benard
Barry Bonds
Bobby Estalella
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Benito Santiago
Gary Sheffield
Randy Velarde
Information Regarding Purchases or Use of Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball (53 players/ 18 active in MLB in 2007)
Lenny Dykstra
David Segui
Larry Bigbie
Brian Roberts
Jack Cust
Tim Laker
Josias Manzanillo
Todd Hundley
Mark Carreon
Hal Morris
Matt Franco
Rondell White
Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
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
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
Exavier “Nook” Logan
Alleged Internet Purchases of Performance Enhancing Substances By Players in Major League Baseball (16 players, 8 active in MLB in 2007)
Rick Ankiel
Paul Byrd
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Jose Guillen
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Gary Matthews, Jr.
Scott Schoeneweis
David Bell
Jose Canseco
Jason Grimsley
Darren Holmes
John Rocker
Ismael Valdez
Matt Williams
Steve Woodard
There are many notable names on the list but the major ones include Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Eric Gagné, Kevin Brown, Miguel Tejada, David Justice, Gary Sheffield, and Chuck Knoblauch. The addition of Clemens here is big news as the report mentions his possible use of growth enhancing drugs during his Toronto days as well as his Yankee days. Miguel Tejada was outed by Rafael Palmero with no proof but the report does bring light to his situation. The list goes on with many details on transaction and use of growth enhancing drugs.
The Mitchell report had many recommendations for ways to help baseball and it’s steroid problem. One was the elimination of the 24 warning period before testing which makes sense as it surprises players and does not allow them to find loop holes. Other good recommendations are a hot line for reporting anonymous tip, top draft prospects should be tested prior to the Major League Draft, background investigations of prospective clubhouse personnel, adequate year-round, unannounced drug testing, independent testing, and the Commissioner’s office should require each major and minor league club to establish a system to log every package received for a player at its facilities. These are great recommendations that will definitely help make baseball a cleaner game but getting all the recommendations to pass the union and collective bargaining.
What baseball needs to do is make the punishment more severe. Baseball should be like Singapore where they cane you for spitting gum on the ground. Baseball needs to make suspensions hurt and fines hurt even more. Fine a player up to a million and see how much it hurts the players. Fine teams for having players who use the growth enhancing drugs.
View the full report on ESPN.com at http://assets.espn.go.com/media/pdf/071213/mitchell_report.pdf.