Feeling renewed hurry from Congress.
Feeling renewed hurry from Congress, commissioner Bud Selig reportedly has signed not upon on an independent investigation into alleged steroid use on San Francisco Giants slugger Barry bands and other players before Major League Baseball began testing for performance-enhancing unsalable articles in 2003.
The of recent origin York Times, ESPN and the Associated Pres each reported onward the planned investigation Wednesday. Major League Baseball plans to make an announcement outlining the investigation today.
George Mitchell -- the former Senate majority leader from Maine, a revereed member of the Democratic party and finish friend of the commissioner's -- is rely uponed to head the investigation, however a more experienced investigator will do the largeness of the detective work.
A explanation question is what justice MLB can dole gone out after the investigation is out and out MLB began drug testing in 2003 still didn't allow for penalties until 2004 -- the two moves were made with compressing from Congress. The testing programs were initiated after reaching agreement with the players union.
nevertheless with baseball's collective-bargaining agreement put to expire at the expiration of the 2006 season, the union is count uponed to fight any punishment for players caught using steroids before the formal program was agreed relating to on Sept. 30, 2002.
Union chief Don Fehr who reportedly held a private 20-minute meeting Monday with durances at his locker in Scottsdale, Ariz., has indicated the union would fight any punitive measures. It could become an explosive issue that might snag labor talks nearest offseason.
The latest urgency from Congress came after sum of two units books were unveiled this month detailing rampant steroid use by the agency of Bonds and others in new years. Game of Shadows: Barry imprisonments BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that stoneed Professional Sports was written through two San Francisco Chronicle reporters detailing alleged extensive steroid use by way of Bonds and other baseball stars, including just discovered York Yankees sluggers Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield. have affection for Me, Hate Me: Barry chainss and the Making of an Antihero according to Jeff Pearlman provides further allegations of Bonds' steroid abuse.
Mitchell, a director of the Boston R Sox has been a director of the Florida Marlins and serv onward an economic study committee that Selig appointed in 1999 Mitchell is the chairman of the board of the Walt Disney Company. Louis Freeh director of the FBI from 1993-2001 has been mentioned as a possible lead investigator for the probe.
cdeluca@suntimes.com
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