All indications point to a Thursday press conference as George Mitchell, former US Senator, former director of Disney, Fedex, and Xerox, and current member of the Red Sox management group, releases the report on PED use in Major League Baseball.
The San Francisco Chronicle details what may be included in the Mitchell Report. In large part the investigation launched following the publishing of "Game of Shadows', the Chronicle's reportage of the BALCO steroids scandals.
The players implicated in steroid use represent a fraction of the actual number of steroid users in the game, according to confessed steroid users. In 2002, when 1996 National League Most Valuable Player Ken Caminiti revealed his steroid use to Sports Illustrated, he estimated that half the players on the 30 major-league teams also were using. In his 2005 confessional autobiography, Jose Canseco, the 1988 American League MVP, estimated 80 percent of players used steroids.
Who might be making Mitchell's naughty list, which may be up to 80 players, according to the Sporting News? It's lottery time.
Code:
- Bal=BALCO;
- Pos=Testing Positive;
- Con=Congress testimony;
- Grim=Grimsley; (questionable)
- Jui=Canseco's book Juiced;
- Int=Internet Pharmacy;
- Adm=Admission
Heavyweights
Superstar names in the Mitchell Report could include Barry Bonds (Indicted and Bal), Gary Sheffield (Bal), Raffy Palmeiro (Pos, Con, Jui), Mark McGwire (Con, Jui), Sammy Sosa (Con), Jose Canseco (Jui) Roger Clemens (Grim), and Andy Pettitte (Grim).
Several star players in the next tier of talent include:
Jason Giambi (Bal. Jui), Ivan Rodriquez (Jui), Juan Gonzalez (Jui), Miguel Tajeda (Palmeiro linked, Jui), Matt Williams (Int), and 58 HR year Diamondback Luis Gonzalez (Arizona managing partner hints).
Fat Contracts
Quite a few MLB players apparently benefited from PEDs to inflate their numbers, then upgrade contract money. A recent example is Jose Guillen (Int) who parlayed anabolic steroids and HGH into a 36 million dollar contract with the hapless Kansas City Royals.
Gary Mathews Jr (Int), Troy Glaus (Int), Jay Gibbons (Int), David Segui (In, Adm), Brett Boone (Jui)
The Others
The lists, whether from the Chronicle or from Baseball's Steroid Era contain many nonstar players. Players like Matt Lawton, Randy Velarde, and Bobby Estalalla. These players risked detection and health to apparently finish high in the lucrative sweepstakes of the MLB.
Who else might be in the Mitchell Report? Names from the Radomski operation?
(Chronicle names after the jump)
Caminiti's confession (1). The
former Padres third baseman, who died in 2004, told Sports Illustrated
in 2002 that he used steroids from Mexican pharmacies to build his MVP
career. If modern players want to compete, they must take steroids,
said Caminiti. He named no names, except his own, but estimated half of
baseball used the drugs. BALCO customers (9). The 2003 federal raid on the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative in Burlingame produced evidence that players with ties to Bonds were obtaining designer steroids from Greg Anderson, Bonds' trainer. Giambi and Gary Sheffield, then a
free agent outfielder en-route to the Yankees and today the Detroit
Tigers' designated hitter, told a grand jury in 2003 that they got "the
cream" and the "clear" - designer steroids associated with BALCO - from
Anderson. Four players told the grand jury they had used banned drugs obtained from Anderson: outfielder Armando Rios and catchers Benito Santiago and Bobby Estalella, all former Giants, and outfielder Jeremy Giambi, a former Oakland Athletic and Jason's brother. BALCO founder Victor Conte told investigators that two other players used banned drugs from the lab: former Giants outfielder Marvin Benard and former A's infielder Randy Velarde. Conte later denied making the statement. At the grand jury, Bonds was confronted with documents indicating he
used BALCO drugs, but he denied it. Bonds was indicted in November on
charges of perjury and obstruction of justice and is awaiting trial. Named by Canseco (9). In his 2005 book, "Juiced,"
Canseco said he used steroids throughout his big-league career, and
alleged that nine other big leaguers also had used them. On the A's,
Canseco said he had injected steroids with teammate Mark McGwire.
Questioned at a 2005 Congressional hearing, McGwire declined to
comment. On the Texas Rangers, Canseco said he had used steroids with
first baseman Rafael Palmeiro, catcher Ivan Rodriguez and outfielder Juan Gonzalez. Canseco also implicated three Tampa Bay teammates - Wilson Alvarez and Tony Saunders, pitchers, and Dave Martinez, outfielder - as well as Brett Boone, Seattle infielder. They denied the allegations. Finally, Canseco said he used steroids with his twin brother, A's teammate Ozzie Canseco. Grimsley case (1). In 2006, federal agents raided the Arizona home of Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley
and seized a package of human growth hormone. Grimsley told
investigators he had used banned drugs throughout his career, court
records show. He was suspended by baseball, released by the team and
retired. Positive drug tests (16). In three years, baseball has suspended 15 players on major-league rosters after positive drug tests: Cleveland pitcher Rafael Betancourt; Colorado pitcher Dan Serafini and outfielder Jorge Piedra; New York Mets pitchers Guillermo Mota, Yusaku Iriki and Felix Heredia; New York Yankees outfielder Matt Lawton; Seattle pitcher Ryan Franklin, shortstop Michael Morse and outfielder Jamal Strong; Tampa Bay pitcher Juan Salas and outfielder Alex Sanchez; Minnesota pitcher Juan Rincon; and Texas pitchers Augustin Montero and Carlos Almanzar.
Also suspended was Palmeiro, who failed a steroid test a few months
after first being named by Canseco. First-time offenders are banned for
50 games. Online pharmacy customers (13). In 2007, the
district attorney in Albany, N.Y., began investigating illegal Internet
sales of steroids and human growth hormone. According to press reports,
customers included: Cleveland pitcher Paul Byrd; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr.; St. Louis outfielder Rick Ankiel; Toronto third baseman Troy Glaus; Boston pitcher Steve Woodard; Mets pitcher Scott Schoeneweis; Baltimore designated hitter Jay Gibbons and infielder Jerry Hairston; Kansas City outfielder Jose Guillen, formerly of the Mariners and A's; retired third baseman Matt Williams, former Giant and Diamondback; retired pitcher Ismael Valdez, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and nine other teams; former Giants infielder David Bell; former Colorado pitcher Darren Holmes. Retired players' confessions (4). In 2005, retired Atlanta reliever Tom House told The Chronicle he used steroids and growth hormone in the 1970s. Former Baltimore infielder David Segui told ESPN that during his career he had used growth hormone for a medical condition, while Paxton Crawford, former Boston pitcher, told the network he had used steroids from 1999 to 2001. Retired Yankees infielder Jim Leyritz told the New York Post he used growth hormone in 2000. Other legal proceedings (2). Chuck Finley, former Angels pitcher, was accused of steroid use by his wife during their divorce. Former Philadelphia outfielder Lenny Dykstra was accused of using steroids in a lawsuit filed by a former partner in a car wash business. Names withheld (more than 30). After his home was
raided, Grimsley told BALCO investigators that six players had used
banned drugs, court records show. Their names were redacted from court
records. When Radomski, the former Mets employee, pleaded guilty to
steroid dealing, he said his customers had included dozens of
big-league players, according to court records. Once again BALCO
prosecutors withheld the names but required Radomski to give the names
to Mitchell. Subjects of speculation (7). In 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that in his interview with federal agents, Grimsley had named former Yankee pitchers Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte and Baltimore infielders Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts as
steroid users. The players denied wrongdoing, and Kevin Ryan, U.S.
Attorney in San Francisco, said the story contained "significant
inaccuracies." Also in 2006, Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick said there had been "whispers" that Arizona slugger Luis Gonzalez used banned drugs. Gonzalez denied it. In May, the New York Times reported that Mitchell was seeking medical records for Texas slugger Sammy Sosa and former Baltimore utility man Fernando Tatis, along with records of other players who had previously been linked to steroid use.
Non of these people are shockers is there anybody on i besides roger like Jeter now that would be surpriseing
Posted by: Kouba | 12/13/2007 at 14:23
So cute! I already like you on FB and also get your posts on Google Reader. :)
Posted by: manolo blahnik shoes | 09/27/2011 at 21:03
Love those! I enjoy following your posts on facebook and rss!
Posted by: supra vaider | 09/30/2011 at 07:44
I like the writing structure of your blog and it does a pretty decent job of presenting the material.
Posted by: supra tk society | 10/16/2011 at 10:31
I really enjoyed this post,I am looking for something else, but cool site.I feel fervently about this and I like learning about this subject.
Posted by: cheap christian louboutin | 05/14/2012 at 09:37