Mitchell Report Names Names
MLB's Report on Performance-Enhancing Drugs Cites Stars, Scrubs
Major League Baseball's 21-month-long investigation on the use of performance-enhancing drugs by MLB players refers to 88 different players allegedly involved with PHDs.
All-star teams several times over could be constructed from the list of players allegedly involved with performance-enhancing drug released Thursday by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. As flawed as the so-called Mitchell Report may be, no one can deny that the list is woefully incomplete.
Since Mitchell was acting on behalf of Major League Baseball, he didn’t have subpoena power and couldn’t force players to speak with him or his investigators. Muddying the waters further Mitchell serves on the board of directors of the Boston Red Sox. That single fact alone is mute indication that MLB commissioner Bud Selig wasn’t thinking very clearly when he appointed Mitchell to the task that was at hand in March 2006.
But that aside, there’s no question that the use of performance-enhancing drugs was rampant throughout MLB for more than a decade – and both Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association must shoulder major league shares of the blame. Until it looked as though the United States Congress would step in and take action against the plague, MLB essentially maintained its “ostrich’s head-in-the-sand” stance about the epidemic.
By the numbers, the report claimed 20 (past and present) New York Yankees were involved, including two who remain on the franchise’s active roster: lefty hurler Andy Pettitte and first baseman/designated hitter Jason Giambi. Both have admitted using PHDs, with Pettitte copping to “two days use” of Human Growth Hormone in the wake of the Report’s release last week.
New York’s arch-rival, the Boston Red Sox, had 12 former players named, including two – pitchers Eric Gagne and Brendan Donnelly – who played for the world championship club last year. Gagne signed a one-year, $10 million deal with Milwaukee last week, while Donnelly, interestingly enough, was released by Boston hours before the Report was released. The Red Sox claimed it was a coincidence.
Aside from free agent and career homerun leader Barry Bonds, the biggest name cited in the Report was Roger Clemens, reportedly ready to finally retire. Clemens had a singularly unsuccessful partial season with the Yankees last year, but allegedly injected steroids during parts of two seasons. In the wake of the Report's release, he denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs through his attorney.
Thirty-three of those named played in the Major Leagues during the 2007 season. All told, there were 31 All-Stars named in the tome, with a total of 109 All-Star appearances. Two Cy Young Award winners were named, Clemens (seven Cy Young Awards) and Gagne (a single Cy Young Award). Four former rookies of the year were cited – David Justice, Jose Canseco, Chuck Knoblauch and Benito Santiago. Only Canseco admits he used PHDs.
The following 88 players were named in the Mitchell Report regarding their alleged involvement with performance-enhancing drugs:
Manny Alexander, Lenny Dykstra, David Segui, Larry Bigbie, Jack Cust, Tim Laker, Josias Manzanillo, Todd Hundley, Chris Donnels, Mark Carreon, Hal Morris, Matt Franco, Rondell White, Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, Jason Grimsley, Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch, Gregg Zaunn, David Justice, F.P. Santangelo, Glenallen Hill, Mo Vaughn, Denny Neagle, Ron Villone, Ryan Franklin, Ken Caminiti, Todd Williams, Phil Hiatt, Todd Pratt, Kevin Young, Mike Lansing, Cody McKay, Kent Mercker, Adam Piatt, Miguel Tejada, Jason Christiansen, Mike Stanton, Paxton Crawford, Stephen Randolph, Jerry Hairston Jr., Paul LoDuca, Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich, Fernando Vina, Kevin Brown, Eric Gagne, Mike Bell, Matt Herges, Gary Bennett Jr., Jim Parque, Brendan Donnelly, Chad Allen, Jeff Williams, Howie Clark, Exavier “Nook” Logan, Luis Perez, Derrick Turnbow, Ricky Bones, Mike Judd, Ricky Stone, Daniel Naulty, Jay Gibbons, Rick Ankiel, Paul Byrd, Troy Glaus, Gary Matthews Jr., Jose Guillen, Darren Holmes, John Rocker, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams, Steve Woodard, David Bell, Scott Schoeneweis, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmiero, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Armando Rios, Benito Santiago, Randy Velarde, Marvin Benard, Bobby Estalella and Brian Roberts.
For the complete, 409-page Mitchell Report, please click here.
