Okay, so by now you’ve probably heard and read the story relating to Senator George Mitchell’s investigation into Major League Baseball’s steroid and human growth hormone (HGH) scandal, which started some 18 months ago.
To reiterate, there was a league-wide conference call mid-day Friday, whereby League and team officials alike learned that the forthcoming Mitchell report (due out sometime between October 31 and the end of the year—and you thought waiting for the cable guy between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. was tedious) will include “many names; names which have so far not been disclosed publicly; and the names of well-known players.”
Perhaps somewhere a bead of sweat is falling down Scott Boras’ forehead. If that’s even possible.
One immediate question that came to my mind is what steps player agents—and more importantly the Player’s Association under the direction of Don Fehr, its executive director—are taking. What steps should they be taking? What steps are even practical at this juncture?
According to the above-linked ESPN story:
“There has been great concern among some agents, players and management officials about the implications of guilt that will be attached to any name contained within the report. They also have questions about the standards of proof the Mitchell investigators will apply before a player’s name is included in the report.
The consensus among them is that Mitchell and his investigators are in a position to broadly define those standards for themselves.
“If Senator Mitchell has a list of players who were on the mailing list of a pharmaceutical company,” said one agent, “I don’t know what can stop him from putting that in his report.”
Regardless of whether you feel Congress is overstepping its bounds here or not (it’s not like there’s anything else pressing going on in the nation and in the world, right?), the fact remains that for at least some MLB players, Judgment Day approacheth.
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8 replies on “The Mitchell Report”
How is Congress overstepping their bounds when they have nothing to do with this? It’s a freaking investigation that MLB is conducting! Be careful next time you want to slam a reporter for not doing their homework.
George Mitchell is a former U.S. Senator who has recently also been involved in international peace negotiations and the like. He was brought in by the powers-that-be at MLB to lead the leagues investigation as sort of an independent investigator/prosecutor. Congress is not involved in the investigation at this point – outside of the grandstanding hearings it conducted a few years back.
Huh? Where am I slamming a reporter for not doing their homework??
A lot of people feel (though I don’t personally share the belief) that there has been too much political action in regards to steroids (Bush’s State of the Union a few years back) and specifically the now infamous hearings alluded to above.
And I would disagree about Congress’ lack of involvement. The mere use of an independent investigator, as well as the sporadic threats and other musing by various senators (i.e., Senator John McCain’s 2004 ultimatum to Major League Baseball to devise a plan for steroid testing–or CONGRESS would pass legislation) are proof that indeed Congress has already staked out a position on the matter.
In fact, BUT FOR the threats of Congress, I highly doubt MLB would be as vigilant as they have been. You really think Selig would’ve done all of this were it not for Congressional meddling? Highly doubt it…
Congress passes the but for test for actual causation? :). Ahhh law school…kill me.
Palsgraf!
Here’s a nice blog entry on sportslawblog that addresses some of my open-ended questions:
http://sports-law.blogspot.com/2007/10/can-commissioner-discipline-players-for.html
Interestingly, MLB is supposedly insuring Mitchell against defamation-based liability that could result from his upcoming publication.
Moreover, the entry delves into whether or not the Commissioner may use the results of the report to suspend or otherwise punish players, under the League’s CBA.
Alas, I ask again: Where are the quotes from Donald Fehr? A lot of his players are about to get hammered, perhaps unfairly.
What has happened to one of the nation’s historically most feared and strongest unions???
More today from McCain:
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said Monday it was possible Congress will hold another hearing on steroids in baseball.
“Congress quite often goes in for a little headline grabbing, and then we move on because our attention span is rather short,” McCain said on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “I don’t think that hearings are especially necessary until Sen. Mitchell issues his report.”
I hope the league management and player’s union realize the damage this report could deal baseball’s popularity and future net worth. Sure, the numbers/record purists want this report for their sake of the game they hold sacred. But what they don’t understand, nor realize, is that this game has been cheated on since the beginning. I suggest the current baseball enthusiast, and potential MLB addict, only cares for the entertainment value the game brings today. They don’t care if players use steroids as this is a personal decision which only affects the health of the abusing athlete. Can anyone tell me that baseball wasn’t saved by the home run record duel of the late 90’s?
After the ’94 strike, it looked like baseball would never again be a “major American sport.” The homerun race between McGwire and Sosa changed that. It got fans interested in the game again. MLB turned its back on any “steroids theory” at the time, because the league needed as much morpheine pumped back into its body as possible.
Now that is biting the league in the ass. Steroid implications have made many people give up on the game again. If the MLB does not do something to clear everything up, the league may face more serious problems than if it actually digs information out of the Mitchell Report.
Baseball WAS saved by the home run record duel of the late 90’s. But that dual may be contributing to its eventual downfall.