Former Senator George Mitchell released the results of his committee’s 20-month investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. In his press conference, Mitchell reported that, “Each of the 30 clubs had a player or players involved in taking illegal substances.”
Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada,Brian Roberts and former/present Yankees’ Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Mike Stanton, Jason Grimsley and Chuck Knoblauch were cited in the report by an ESPN reporter, but the rest of the names have not been released yet. Here were some of the highlights from Mitchell’s press conference:
– He spoke at length about how the current system for testing players is broke and how it’s necessary to look at past mistakes in order to fix the problem heading forward.
– He also talked about how kids growing up these days are looking at major league players and thinking that it’s okay to take steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in order to be better athletes. These players have a responsibility to not only look after their own health, but also the health of those who look up to them.
– He spoke about how the media should not only focus on the names in the report, but also his conclusion, where he highlights ways that baseball can improve its testing policy moving forward. To sum up his point, he knows that people are going to focus on the names, but what’s more important is to move forward and fix the problem by taking to heart what he revealed in the report.
– He recommended to Bud Selig that there should be no discipline for what is in the report.
– In the questioning portion of the press conference, Mitchell noted that the “players union was highly incorporative” while gathering his report.
More to follow, including the names in his report…
