Baseball’s Steroid Panel Asks Active Players to Appear
|
|
The chairman of the special commission set up to examine the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball said for the first time yesterday that he had asked a number of active players to appear before the commission, a move that represents a major turning point in the yearlong investigation. The former Senator George J. Mitchell of Maine, who is overseeing a team of lawyers and investigators working on the case, declined to say how many players had been sent letters requesting their appearance. But others familiar with elements of the investigation said they believed at least three dozen current and former players were being sought by the panel. The prospect of any number of elite players’ being linked to the steroid issue would throw Major League Baseball into considerable turmoil only a month into the season, as players turn to hiring lawyers rather than focusing on hitting and pitching. Mr. Mitchell, responding by e-mail to a series of written questions from The New York Times, described his investigation as entering its final phases. “We expect to meet soon with the players whose interviews we have requested,” Mr. Mitchell said. Mr. Mitchell has no subpoena power, and said that if players refused to talk to his panel, which reports to Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, “we will deal with the issue at that time.” Mr. Mitchell also said that Mr. Selig had agreed that the panel’s final report would be made public. More : nytimes.com |