By: E&P Staff After several hours of speculation (most of which panned out), the names of players fingered for some sort of drug abuse in former Sen. George Mitchell's report today were released just before his press conference at 2 p.m.
Among the biggest names: Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Miguel Tejada, Eric Gagne, Paul LoDuca, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Kevin Brown, Fernando Vina, Brian Roberts, Mo Vaughn, Matt Herges, Chuck Knoblauch, and many others.
Others included Kent Mercker, Ron Villone, Todd Hundley, Greg Zahn, Len Dykstra, Jack Cust, Rondell White, and more to be added below in a few minutes.
Mitchell calls for baseball to not penalize players for past use unless for a very significant reason.
Mitchell said 11 players admitted they had purchased drugs via a former New York Mets employee. His report shows copies of some cancelled checks. His report includes a lengthy section on Clemens detailing longtime steroid use.
He said steroid use has declined but use of human growth hormone has increased. He said they have named "some" of the players who likely used the substances. Every team was touched. He said that between 5% and 7% of players who were tested for steroid use in 2003 tested positive in 2003 and he added that the real number was certainly higher. He also said there is no such test of HGH now.
The 300-page report has now been posted at mlb.com.
The report reveals, "Through his personal lawyer, I asked [Mark] McGwire to meet with me for an interview about these issues, but he declined to do so. I then sent his lawyer a list of specific questions about whether McGwire had ever used steroids or other performance enhancing substances without a prescription during his major league career, in the hope that McGwire would be willing to provide a response outside of the context of an interview. Neither McGwire nor his lawyer
responded to that letter. (I sent similar letters with specific questions to lawyers for Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, and Gary Sheffield, none of whom provided answers to my questions either.)"
Another interesting passage of dozens of others:
"Peter Magowan told me in an interview that he was in San Diego in February 2004 when he received a telephone call from Bonds to discuss ways to improve the team for the coming season. Magowan said that at the conclusion of the phone call he said to Bonds 'I?ve really got to know, did you take steroids?' According to Magowan, Bonds responded that when he took the substances he did not know they were steroids but he later learned they were.
"Bonds said that he took these substances for a period of time to help with his arthritis, as well as sleeping problems he attributed to concern about his father?s failing health. To emphasize that he was not hiding anything Bonds added that he used these substances in the clubhouse in the plain view of others. Bonds told Magowan he used these substances for only a short period of time and that they 'didn?t work.' Magowan recalled asking Bonds whether this was what he had told the grand jury. Bonds replied yes. Magowan also asked Bonds if he was telling the truth, and Bonds said he was.
"Two days after Magowan?s interview, lawyers for Magowan and the Giants called a member of my investigative staff. Magowan?s lawyer explained that his client misspoke when he said that Bonds had said, during their February 2004 telephone call, that he later learned the substances he had taken were steroids. According to his lawyer, Magowan could only recall with certainty that (1) Bonds had said he did not knowingly take steroids, and (2) what Bonds said to Magowan during the call was consistent with what Magowan later read in the San Francisco Chronicle about Bonds?s reported grand jury testimony."
Sports Illustrated adds this today:
"While it's not hard to see why all concerned parties would like to view the Mitchell Report as both a coda and as a 'vehicle for moving forward,' as one MLB executive put it, the reality is far less tidy. Two ongoing criminal investigations -- BALCO and the Albany DA's prosecution of a wide-ranging Internet pharmacy pipeline -- are likely to reveal the names of additional players and distribution channels. In fact, sources close to the Albany investigation tell SI.com they believe the litany of names released on Thursday was "not at all a full and final" compilation.
"Furthermore, there are also other large-scale, ongoing probes Sen. George Mitchell was clearly unable to access. For instance, there's an international DEA operation, code named 'Raw Deal,' that traces the movement of raw steroid and HGH powder from manufacturing labs in China to the basements and garages of American dealers. Raids have unearthed lengthy client lists and hard drive evidence that sources tell SI.com may well lead directly to the clubhouses and locker rooms of pro sports teams."
The New York Times put together a complete list of names from the report:
Chad Allen
Manny Alexander
Rick Ankiel
Mike Bell
David Bell
Gary Bennett Jr.
Marvin Bernard
Larry Bigbie
Barry Bonds
Kevin Brown
Paul Byrd
Ken Caminiti
Jose Canseco
Mark Carreon
Jason Christiansen
Howie Clark
Roger Clemens
Jack Cust
Brendan Donnelly
Lenny Dykstra
Bobby Estalella
Matt Franco
Ryan Franklin
Eric Gagne
Jason Giambi
Jeremi Giambi
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Jason Grimsley
Jason Grimsley
Jose Guillen
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Matt Herges
Phil Hiatt
Glenallen Hill
Darren Holmes
Todd Hundley
David Justice
Chuck Knoblauch
Tim Laker
Mike Lansing
Paul Lo Duca
Nook Logan
Josias Manzanillo
Gary Matthews Jr.
Cody McKay
Kent Mercker
Bart Miadich
Hal Morris
David Naulty
Denny Neagle
Jim Parque
Andy Pettitte
Adam Piatt
Todd Pratt
Stephen Randolph
Adam Riggs
Brian Roberts
John Rocker
F.P. Santangelo
Benito Santiago
Gary Scheffield
Scott Schoeneweis
David Segui
Mike Stanton
Miguel Tejada
Ismael Valdez
Mo Vaugn
Randy Velarde
Ron Villone
Fernando Vina
Rondell White
Todd Williams
Jeff Williams
Matt Williams
Steve Woodard
Kevin Young
Gregg Zaun
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