At 2pm today, former Senator George Mitchell is set to release his report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball, and it’s expected to be a bombshell:
NEW YORK (CNN) — A former senator is expected Thursday to muddle the careers and legacies of dozens of current and former pro baseball players with a long-awaited report on steroid use in America’s pastime.
Twenty months in the making, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell’s investigation will hone in on allegations that have been raised since sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa thrilled fans with a record-shattering home run race in 1998.
Mitchell’s findings are expected to include names of baseball players who Mitchell believes have used steroids. Various media reports speculate that Mitchell will call out between 50 and 80 baseball players.
Mitchell embarked on his multimillion-dollar task at the behest of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who felt a probe was necessary after reading “Game of Shadows.”
The book was written by two San Francisco newspaper reporters who chronicled the alleged drug use of home-run king Barry Bonds. “Game of Shadows” is credited by some with prompting congressional hearings in which lawmakers chastised pro baseball for its weak drug-testing policy.
Bonds, who faces federal perjury and obstruction charges for allegedly lying in 2003 about his steroid use, swatted 73 home runs in 2001 to top McGwire’s 1998 record. Before the McGwire-Sosa race — which McGwire won with 70 homers to Sosa’s 66 — Roger Maris’ record of 61 home runs in a season had stood for 37 years.
Mitchell’s investigation was a difficult one because he had no subpoena power, meaning he had no way to force players or witness to cooperate with his investigation.
The report is under lock and key in Mitchell’s office, but rumors are already starting to circulate about who might be on the list of players:
A former New York Yankees strength trainer says information he provided to the George Mitchell investigation regarding supplying Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte with steroids is included in the Mitchell report scheduled to be released later today, a source close to the trainer told ESPN The Magazine’s Shaun Assael.
Brian McNamee, who worked for the Yankees and as a personal trainer for Clemens and Pettitte, also told investigators that on at least one occasion, Clemens was in possession of steroids from another supplier, the source said.
The source said McNamee told investigators he supplied Clemens with steroids while Clemens was with the Yankees, and prior to Clemens joining the team.
If the rumors are even halfway true, then this is going to be a huge story for baseball, and lord knows where it’s going to stop. I’ve created a sub-category specifically for this report because I think we’ll be talking about it for quite some time.
