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More Mitchell Report

by Geoff Young on December 13th, 2007

I’m working my way through the Summary and Recommendations. It will take me weeks to read this entire document, by the end of which I’ll probably hate everyone and everything associated with MLB. A few initial notes:

• MLB was slow to respond to steroid issue. Although baseball is moving in the right direction, it needs to do more.
• The report claims to be a “deliberate and unbiased examination of the facts.” In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that George Mitchell is part of the Red Sox ownership group (he is listed as “Director” in the Front Office directory on the team’s web site).
• Several players were approached for interviews, including five who had “spoken publicly about the issue”; of that latter group, only Toronto’s Frank Thomas agreed.
• Describes the union as being “largely uncooperative,” which I think surprises no-one.

A quick excerpt on that last point:

We sought to interview as many current and former players as possible. We attempted to reach almost 500 former players. Many of them declined to be interviewed, but 68 did agree to interviews. In addition, interviews of 3 former players were arranged through the assistance of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents.

Mitchell’s general recommendations:

1. Major League Baseball must significantly increase its ability to investigate allegations of use outside of the testing program and improve its procedures for keeping performance enhancing substances out of the clubhouse;
2. there must be a more comprehensive and effective program of education for players and others about the serious health risks incurred by users of performance enhancing substances;
3. when the club owners and the Players Association next engage in collective bargaining on the joint drug program, I urge them to incorporate into the program the principles that characterize a state-of-the-art program, as described in this report.

David Pinto is covering the press conference. Me? I’m slowly losing my will to live. Have a nice day.

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POSTED IN: Roid Rage