Mitchell Report fingers those playing juiced in baseball, 10 Mariners included |
The sports radio dials are juiced. Even non-sports radio is hopping with talk about steroids in baseball.
While waiting for the 6,000 mile checkup on our car today, I learned of Senator Mitchell’s report to Major League Baseball detailing the list of athletes linked positively to steroids and human growth hormones (HGH). I’ve been fascinated and disturbed in an accident scene way since reading Jose Canseco’s book Juiced. I wasted no time downloading the PDF from ESPN and searched through for our local Seattle Mariners and on other names.
The biggest surprise to me was the rocket, Roger Clemens (Update 3:20pm PST: Roger has hired attorney Rusty Hardin and vehemently denies the information in the report), but there were a few other names that raised my eyebrows, particularly other pitchers like Andy Petitte. When Ryan Franklin in Seattle was suspended for steroids, I realized it wasn’t only for homerun hitters, but why would solid pitchers like Clemens need the juice? Really, it was that important for him to stay in the game longer? It couldn’t be about the money with him … or could it?
10 Seattle Mariners juicing
A search for ‘mariners’ revealed 15 results including the following former or current (Update 4:17pm PST: a check of the Mariners active roster doesn’t show any current Mariners players in the 10 below so struck the “or current” part) Seattle Mariners players:
1. David Segui
2. Josias Manzanillo
3. Glenallen Hill
4. Ron Villone (pitcher)
5. Ryan Franklin (pitcher)
6. Todd Williams (pitcher)
7. Fernando Vina
8. David Bell
9. Jose Guillen
10. Ismael Valdez (pitcher)
Wow, 40% pitchers?
Selig responds
On my way back to the office MLB Commissioner Bud Selig was giving a press conference and detailing the three things he announced MLB would be doing right away in response to the Mitchell Report:
1. eliminate the 24 hour notice given to clubs prior to testing/screening.
2. mete out appropriate punishment for each of the players named in the report on a case by case basis
3. work with the player’s union to try and come to agreements on many of the other 20 recommendations made in the Mitchell report.
How will this impact future Hall of Famers?
If they are going to continue to keep Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame (HOF) for gambling, then I don’t think any of these players named should be in the HOF either. It will be interesting to see if that happens.
I continue to be disgusted by this whole issue. A sport I love is being ruined by performance enhancing drugs. This shouldn’t be an issue that is in dispute by the player’s union. They should want the game kept clean. If they do anything differently, I may have to become an MLS fan instead.
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I recognize a few former Mariners in that list, but who among them is still on the roster?
If Clemens juiced (a noticeable “if”), I’m sure it as for his ego rather than the money.
Comment by Sterling Camden — December 13, 2007 @ 4:11 pm PST
Sterling - all 10 mentioned in that list are former Mariners, see the report. Clemens has acquired an attorney. He vehemently denies any involvement.
Comment by TDavid — December 13, 2007 @ 4:12 pm PST
Doesn’t look like any currently active roster Mariners are listed, but didn’t search every name in the file:
http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/team/roster_active.jsp?c_id=sea
I guess title of post should have the word “former” added so as not to be as ambiguous. You download the PDF? It’s a fascinating read, really. Better than Canseco’s book!
Former Mariners pitcher hopeful Jim Parque says he didn’t buy human growth hormone, despite the Mitchell Report saying he did:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2004069470_webparque13.html
This could become a massive game of finger pointing and knot up the courts for awhile.
Comment by TDavid — December 13, 2007 @ 4:16 pm PST
Wow, that’s a big read, but I did look over part of the intro. He makes it sound like he’s got the goods on them, but we’ll see how it holds up under scrutiny. My feeling is that most of his allegations are true, and the only way any targeted player will get out of it is if there isn’t sufficient evidence in their case.
It’s sad in a way, because I think that many of the players felt that using these drugs was a requirement to succeed, and people in authority on the matter (trainers especially) reinforced that belief. The idea that “everyone does it” may have led them to think it was OK. I doubt any of these players understood the medical and legal implications — but ignorance isn’t an excuse.
Comment by Sterling Camden — December 13, 2007 @ 5:41 pm PST
So we are all left with the bitter realization that not only our generation’s best batter, but its best pitcher, were both nothing but cowards.
I can understand someone in AAA trying to feed their kids and get into a major league lineup, but these a-list stars had nothing but their ego to feed.
Comment by Kevin — December 13, 2007 @ 9:32 pm PST
watching Sports Center every night makes it seem like everyone is on the juice.
Comment by Austin — December 14, 2007 @ 9:59 am PST