Most baseball fans know by now that the former Senator's investigation into steroids, known as the Mitchell Report, will officially be disclosed tomorrow at 2PM. I'm curious to hear what are some opinions on it, what effect people think it will have on the game, or any other opinions about this or steroids in baseball in general.

 

Pretty soon they will have to penalize the players who don't take them. Just to shorten the line in the courtrooms.

 

you really think there will be that many? I mean I'd say probably somewhere around 1/4 of the players in baseball but obviously I could be wrong

 

No I was exaggerating for humerous effect

 

I'm glad it's finally going to happen. My curiosity has been bubbling over.

But, i am not getting too excited. Mitchell's investigation had very few teeth to tear into the problem of 'roids in MLB. Other that Kirk Radomski and some results of some federal drug-raids, Mitchell had little to help him investigate. I think most of the players named will be already retired or would have already been named in other investigations about 'roids.

From what i heard, no players cooperated with him. He had no subpeona power. He had the world's toughest Union against him.

Some players' names will be in the report, but only circumstantial evidence will exist... like a check or credit card receipt, for example.

I hope that this report embarrasses the players and its all-powerful union and convinces congress to step-in. I would love to see the union nearly-broken by the actions that will eventually stem from this report. The Union is the heart of the problem of baseball, and needs to have it's death-grip loosened. Hopefully we will see a real salary-cap in baseball soon... it would raise baseball as a sport.

 

My impression is that baseball management was also complicit in this for many years. So perhaps the Commissioner should also come in for some harsh criticism/blame.

 

I think all parties deserve at least partial blame. I agree that the Mitchell Report won't be the document that outs all the players, but like Blade, I'm hoping that this disclosure leads to more authority against the union, because the whole "sweep it under the rug" position the MLB has held before now is ridiculous and a disgrace to sports.

 

yeah, your point is correct, BUT...

The Union has stood between the players shielding them from anyone's attempt to solve the problem. The Union won't allow proper testing.

Yeah, management, while probably not encouraging players to do drugs, certainly looked the other way at times, in the past. But when the general public became aware of the scope of the steriod problem, we saw they (mgmt) were powerless against the union to do Anything about it.

 

I am certain most of us in St Louis will be by our radios at work tomorrow. Our sports-radio hosts (guys-n-gals) will be having a hayday with the report. most sports-radio personalties in this town love to stick-it to the cardinals! Then they spend the winter making excuses for the Rams and the whole time ignoring the Missouri Tigers.
so i am hoping no cardinals are named... and hoping ryan howard isn't named...

 

I agree, the union leaders really need to be brought back down to Earth, because they have wayyyy too much power

And the thing that pisses me off about steroids the most, is your last statement. Anytime anybody hits a bunch of home runs, people claim steroids, and that is not fair to any hard working players. I'm not saying Howard didn't definitely use HGH or anything, I was just bringing up a point. I mean people hit big numbers wayyy before Bonds and the other cheaters, and they will long after all of this is gone.

And it's the same thing here Blade, currently people are praising the Sixers and Flyers, and being pissed at Eagles and Phillies management for being stubborn. CSN is having a big special for the Mitchell report when it drops tomorrow

 

I frankly don't see how management can be "powerless" against any union. Management has to sign those agreements too, and they're free to hire replacement players if the union players walk out. Sure, they'll lose money, but then they'll be merely filthy rich, not stinking rich.

 

i look forward to hearing the mitchell report and seeing whose names come up on the list...but one of the things i have been thinking about is, what is baseball going to end up doing....they really need to crack down or it soon is going to be to late, i think steroids and other performance ehnancing drugs are way more prevelant than people realize and i will enjoy seeing what baseball does going forward

 

and i agree again. i have no (single) answer to how the union has come to dominate baseball so overwhelmingly.

Ownership used to hold all the cards. Then one day a young man named Curt Flood changed all that when he said, "i won't be playing for you anymore..." and courts backed him up and gave birth to free agency in ALL sports. Since then, ownership of almost any team has changed several times, commissioners have come and gone, while the union has played them like a russian chest-master.

The Players Union in the Major Leagues should not be compared to those of the NFL, NBA, or NHL... they are much, much stronger.

 

The fact that these "athletes" get paid a King's ransom to play sports is really the only reason I see an issue here. Baseball players hardly dominate the use in sports. Why baseball is receiving so much more limelight on the drug is beyond me. Seems a bit hypocritical.

I'm waiting for the Golfers to catch on. Par 2 for everyone!!

 

I agree with reesespieces, the MOST IMPORTANT thing is what baseball does going forward. They really have to deal with this and fund research enough to make a reliable HGH test, and stay at least one step ahread of the cheaters. Players and their unions should never hold all the cards, it's kind of ridiculous how powerful they are.

And Stir, I'd have to say it has to do with the way baseball's handled steroids. Even the NFL has started suspending players for performance enhancing drugs in recent years.

 

Baseball is being roasted over it's LACK of any real testing for steroids, unlike the NFL pr NBA. Your point about the money they earn is a key to the problem. Players compete against one another for the big buck$, and steroids may give them an edge.

Many sports struggle to keep their steriod-tests up to date. Baseball simply needs to do the same, and enforce it.

 

Should players NOT be able to withhold their labor, or bargain with other teams? I thought you were all about capitalism, bladeway...

 

I just see at as how far someone is willing to go to get the job done. Many people hurt themselves or the quality of their lives to be competitive in their jobs.

 

For those who wish to read the report for themselves, mlb.com will have it posted in a PDF file which can be read on your comp or downloaded. Just go to www.mlb.com/mitchellreport
the report should be up sometime after the announcement.

 

bumm bumm bummmmmmmmm it's time!