The Mitchell Report is the result of George J. Mitchell’s 21-month investigation into the use of steroids and performance enhance drugs in Major League Baseball (MLB). The 409-page report was released on December 13, 2007. More than 70 former and current players are implicated in the report.
View the complete Mitchell Report [PDF]
View the Mitchell Report Executive Summary [PDF]
Background
George Mitchell, a former United States senator and prosecutor, was appointed by baseball commissioner Bud Selig on March 30, 2006 to investigate the use of performance-enhancing drugs in MLB. Mitchell was appointed during a time of controversy over the book Game of Shadows, which chronicles alleged extensive use of performance-enhancing drugs, including several different types of steroids and growth hormone by Barry Bonds. Bud Selig decided to initiate the process of investigating the illegal use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs after reading Game of Shadows. The appointment was made after several influential members of the US Congress made negative comments about the effectiveness and honesty of anti-performance enhacing drugs policies and efforts by both Commissioner Selig and the director of the Player’s Union, Donald Fehr.
Release of the report
The 409-page report was released on December 13, 2007. More than 70 former and current players are named in the report.
Mitchell reported that during the random testing in 2003, 5 to 7 percent of players tested postive for steroid use. According to the report, after mandatory random testing began in 2004, Human Growth Hormone (HGH) became the substance of choice among players, as it is not detectable in tests. Also, it was noted that at least one player from each of the thirty Major League Baseball teams was involved in the alleged violations. Among the many players implicated in the report were Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada, and Eric Gagné.
Investigation
Mitchell reports that the Players Association was “largely uncooperative”. According to Mitchell, the Players Association actively discouraged players from cooperating with the investigation. Over 700 people were interviewed during the investigation. Of 500 former players contacted, 68 agreed to be interviewed, and three others had interviews arranged by law enforcement. Interviews with current or former club officials, managers, coaches, team physicians, athletic trainers, or resident security agents accounted for another 550 interviews. The teams and the Commissioner’s Office supplied Mitchell with more than 115,000 pages of documents and 2,000 electronic documents.
Kirk Radomski
Main article: Kirk Radomski
One of the witnesses, Kirk Radomski, “provided substantial information about the distribution of performance enhancing substances.” Many of the players named in the report were indicated to be clients of Radomski.
Identified as clients of Kirk Radomski:
Chad Allen
Mike Bell
Gary Bennett
Larry Bigbie
Kevin Brown
Mark Carreon
Jason Christiansen
Howie Clark
Roger Clemens
Jack Cust
Brendan Donnelly
Chris Donnels
Lenny Dykstra
Matt Franco
Ryan Franklin
Éric Gagné
Jason Grimsley
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Matt Herges
Phil Hiatt
Glenallen Hill
Todd Hundley
David Justice
Chuck Knoblauch
Tim Laker
Mike Lansing
Paul Lo Duca
Nook Logan
Josias Manzanillo
Cody McKay
Kent Mercker
Bart Miadich
Hal Morris
Denny Neagle
Jim Parque
Andy Pettitte
Adam Piatt
Todd Pratt
Stephen Randolph
Adam Riggs
Brian Roberts
F.P. Santangelo
David Segui
Mike Stanton
Miguel Tejada
Mo Vaughn
Ron Villone
Fernando Viña
Rondell White
Jeff Williams
Todd Williams
Kevin Young
Gregg Zaun
Players named in the report
The following is a list of the Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report. Inclusion on the list does not necessarily mean the player was involved in illegal activity. In some instances, insufficient evidence was provided to draw a conclusion, and some players were mentioned in other contexts.
The Mitchell Report also stated that five MLB players who had spoken out publicly on the steroid issue were interviewed. Of these players, the only one who was willing to be identified by name was Frank Thomas. The Mitchell Report categorically stated that there was no evidence that any of these five had used performance-enhancing drugs.
Implicated in the BALCO Scandal
Main article: BALCO Scandal
Names in this list are followed by descriptions or direct quotes of the Mitchell Report to illustrate the context in which their names were mentioned.
Barry Bonds - Peter Magowan said in an interview that during a phone conversation he once asked Barry Bonds if he took steroids. Bonds replied that he used a substance for sleeping problems and arthritis, and later found out the substance was steroids, claiming to not know it at the time. Magowan says Bonds was adamant that he was not trying to hide his use of the substance from the rest of his team at the time.
Jason Giambi - In 2002, Jason Giambi’s personal trainer, Greg Anderson, arranged a blood test for Giambi in which he tested positive for Deca-Durabolin. Anderson warned Giambi to stop using that substance because it remains detectable long after use. He suggested an alternative regimen of performance-enhancing drugs that, if followed, would never be detected by the MLB’s tests, which were to begin in 2003.[16]
Jeremy Giambi - Jeremy Giambi told the Kansas City Star that he used steroids while in the MLB, and apologized.
Armando Ríos - “(Victor) Conte told the agents that he had sold “the cream” and “the clear,” and advised on their use, to dozens of elite athletes, including several players in Major League Baseball whom he named in the interview: Barry Bonds; Jason Giambi; Jeremy Giambi; Armando Rios; and Gary Sheffield.”[18]
Benito Santiago - In 2003 a Giants clubhouse attendant says he found syringes in Santiago’s locker and showed them to Victor Conte, who said he “would take care of it”. The attendant says assistant athletic trainer Dave Groeschner was also present.
Gary Sheffield - “In September 2003, when federal agents executed a search warrant on Greg Anderson’s condominium, they cited a February 2003 FedEx receipt from Gary Sheffield to BALCO as evidence of probable cause to conduct the search.”
Randy Velarde - Velarde admitted through his lawyer that he obtained performance enhancing substances from Greg Anderson in 2003.
Mentioned in connection to Signature Pharmacy
Rick Ankiel
Paul Byrd
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Jose Guillen
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Gary Matthews, Jr.
Scott Schoeneweis
David Bell
José Canseco
Jason Grimsley
Darren Holmes
John Rocker
Ismael Valdéz
Matt Williams
Steve Woodard
Identified through direct interview
The investigators also contacted and attempted to interview former players. The following player was identified in the report.
Daniel Naulty
Reactions
On December 12, 2007, the day before the report was to be released, Bud Selig said regarding his decision to commission the report, “I haven’t seen the report yet, but I’m proud I did it.”
After the report was released, Selig held his own press conference at 4:30 pm EST at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan. In the press conference, Selig said regarding Mitchell’s report, “His report is a call to action. And I will act.” Selig indicated that it is possible that some of the players named in the report may face disciplinary actions. “Discipline of players and others identified in this report will be determined on a case-by-case basis. If warranted, those decisions will be made swiftly,” said Selig.
Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Baseball Player’s Association, held his news conference at 6:00 pm EST December 13, 2007.
