UPDATE 1: Panel: Baseball Union, Commissioner and Owners Share Blame
“Players who used [performance-enhancing] substances were wrong,” the report said. “They violated federal law and baseball policy, and they distorted the fairness of competition by trying to gain an unfair advantage.”
The panel headed by Mitchell, a former Senate majority leader and federal prosecutor, was commissioned by Major League Baseball in March 2006 to address the steroid issue. The report runs 311 pages, plus attachments, and cost, according to two baseball officials, more than $20 million.
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Now that Roger Clemens made the list, people want to change the steroid rules. I say that if they went after Barry Bonds, it only seems fitting that they go after this list of players as well:
The following players were connected to steroids, either use or possession
Lenny Dykstra David Segui Larry Bigbie Brian Roberts Jack Cust Tim Laker Josias Manzanillo Todd Hundley Mark Carreon Hal Morris Matt Franco Rondell White Andy Pettitte Roger Clemens 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 Cody McKay Kent Mercker Adam Piatt Miguel Tejada Jason Christiansen Mike Stanton Stephen Randolph Jerry Hairston Paul Lo Duca Adam Riggs Bart Miadich Fernando Vina Kevin Brown Eric Gagne Mike Bell Matt Herges Gary Bennett Jim Parque Brendan Donnelly Chad Allen Jeff Williams Exavier “Nook” Logan Howie Clark Paxton Crawford Ken Caminiti Rafael Palmeiro Luis Perez Derrick Turnbow Ricky Bones Ricky StoneThe following players were cited under “Alleged Internet Purchases of Performance Enhancing Substances By Players in Major League Baseball.”
Rick Ankiel David Bell Paul Byrd Jose Canseco Jay Gibbons Troy Glaus Jason Grimsley Jose Guillen Darren Holmes Gary Matthews Jr. John Rocker Scott Schoeneweis Ismael Valdez Matt Williams Steve Woodard
The following players were linked through BALCO:
Benito Santiago Gary Sheffield Randy Velarde Jason Giambi Jeremy Giambi Bobby Estalella Barry Bonds Marvin Benard
Is the list long? Yes it is, but this is not even a majority representation of the Major League Baseball teams, it represents 83 players, past and present, that were caught.
There are 30 Major League Baseball teams. Each has 25 players, so there are 750 players in the Major Leagues. From September 1 through the end of the regular season (usually the first Sunday in October) teams can expand their roster to 40 players, so during that period there can be 1,000 Major League Baseball players.
What are your thoughts on this?
While I do not condone the use of steroids, there is one small problem with going after the people on this list. The list has NO legal value other than as evidence in a libel suit against the authors. The entire investigation was conducted without any legal authority or accountability. In other words, all of the findings are strictly based on what in a court of law would be determined as hearsay and inadmissable. Just because a drug dealer claims to have sold someone drugs, doesn’t mean that he actually did. Unless there is hard evidence that PROVES (Bond’s testimony hung him. He needed an attorney to advise him of his 5th amendment rights and kept his mouth shut.) that the individual was on banned substances, any action taken would be grounds for a lawsuit. There are also legitimate reasons to be prescribed steroids. The question isn’t really rather the people were on steroids as it is WHY were they on steroids. Were they prescribed to help the person heal from an injury, or were they on them to enhance their performance?
Personally, if any of them were on steroids for simply performance enhancement, they should face the potential for expulsion from the league.
1, For ones like the Rocket, they will be denied election to Cooperstown. Get ready, Mitchell produced a political document and he’ll get sued for it.
Sorry if this seems a little off the topic, but I just have to ask:
With a war going on 2 front, and unsettled spending bills needed to fund the government (be it legitimate or ill-legitimate uses) WHY THE HECK IS THE US CONGRESS EVEN GETTING INTO THE ISSUE OF STEROIDS IN BASEBALL!
For crying out loud, even a Democrat candidate for President was on the campaign trail talking about it as being one of the most important Congress can get into! WTF?
Talk about “majoring” in the “minors.”
The owners have spoiled the game. The would like us to believe that they didn’t know about the use of steroiods.
One thing you have to take in consideration is, The ones who had taken the steroids to enhance their physical condition are guilty of their own acctions. Remember you have to have the abilities to do the the things the have accomplished.A ,220 hitter will stay a .220 hitter. Clemens, Bonds, would have been great even if they didn’t take the steroids. Although I never liked Pete Rose, he was a great player aand should be judged as such for the Hall of Fame. Selig has to go. He is part of the problem.
f22- good point…No it isn’tone ofthe most important issues, but it is an issue that needs to be dealt with after our spending bills are taken care of. The cost alone was a sad joke on us…
3,5, this is an impotent Congress. Like the Mel Brooks’ Governor in “Blazing Saddles”, they have to do something to save their Phoney Baloney jobs.
33 f22 I as thinking the same thing last night. Some klown on the radio was babbling about how “Congress must do something about this right away!” Like it is a critical national security issue or something.
Well maybe like the Imperial Roman Senate, they can take up this “important” Bread-and-Circus issue since they are useless, incompetent, corrupt, and incapable of doing anything useful.
I agree with J.Z., Selig has to go. He’s done nothing but tarnish baseball since he’s been there. The great ones like Bonds,Clemens,Rose,were great with or with out it.Either you got it or you don’t, you’re born with it.These players accomplished greatness in different aspects of the game and it has been a pleasure to watch them through the years. They deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.LET THEM PLAY BALL AND QUIT LOOKING FOR SHIT TO BITCH ABOUT SELIG.
Actually the drugs definitely would’ve increased the power with which Bonds was able to hit the ball. It might not have improved his hand eye coordination and hence raise his batting average, but it would certainly increase his ability to hit it further. There really isn’t any comparison between Ruth and Aaron and Bonds. Ruth hit a dead as hell ball with a 50+ ounce bat every bit as far as Aaron and Bonds hit live balls with 35 oz bats. Aaron did it without performance enhancing drugs, Bonds did it with performance enhancing drugs. They all may have held the record for most home runs, but the records should all be listed as what they are, truly monumental accomplishments even if less so for the heavily juiced Bonds. I know some people will claim that Ruth wasn’t facing 90+ MPH fastballs, but Aaron and Bonds weren’t using a 50+ oz bat, hitting a non reactive ball while incredibly hungover from spending the night before chasing women, getting drunk and eating junk food all with a substantial beer belly to boot. Now Ruth on the other hand was. I guess you can say that Ruth was decidedly NOT a metrosexual.