The Ugly

MITCHELL REPORT IMPLICATES GAME'S ELITE

From Cy Young winners to MVP recipients, past and present, Major League Baseball was rocked by the publication of the Mitchell Report.

The report concluded a 20-month investigation by former Senator George Mitchell, and identified 85 players who took performance enhancing substances to differing degrees during MLB’s Steroid Era.

The players who allegedly used steroids included Cy Young winners Roger Clemens and Eric Gagne, Clemens’ workout partner Andy Pettitte, MVP winners Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada and Mo Vaughn. Not to mention the plethora of All-Stars including Brian Roberts, Paul Lo Duca and Kevin Brown to name a few. Clemens is vehemently denying the allegations.

While the report is not comprehensive, commissioner Bud Selig, who promised to take action, must take action. After all Selig’s entire legacy is just as tarnished and warped as the players.

However, I doubt Selig and his baseball cronies will do anything substantial.

What MLB should do first is adopt a zero tolerance policy toward future substance abuse. The new steroid policy should mirror its Minor League counterpart. Being a believer in second chances, upon the first positive steroid test the player should earn an 82-game suspension without pay. Upon a second positive test, the player should receive a lifetime ban.

The record books must also be addressed. I believe it would be impossible to re-write the records; therefore records by named players should not be erased. Baseball should include a permanent footnote, saying between the mid-1980s and 2007 steroid usage was rampant in baseball and some individual numbers are inflated. This must be included for future generations.

Finally, to denounce the past use of steroids, MLB should strip known users of their MVP and Cy Young awards. Take Roger Clemens for instance. Former strength and conditioning coach Brian McNamee said he gave steroids to Clemens in 2002, therefore Clemens 2004 Cy Young should be forfeited.

Fallout from the Mitchell Report is pending, but I hope 2008 will bring drastic changes to baseball.

For other commentary and analysis on the Mitchell Report check out these columns...

ESPN.com
Jerry Crasnick: Clemens' Hall of Fame chances?
Jayson Stark: Indelible impact on the game
Gene Wojciechowski: Thaw needed in cold war
Howard Bryant: Mitchell report flat without feds
Mark Fainaru-Wada: Report sheds light on Bonds

Yahoo Sports
Josh Peter: Mitchell's findings
Jeff Passan: Gossip, not solutions
Dan Wetzel: Clemens like Bonds
Tim Brown: 3 men and a bombshell
Jonathan Littman: It's a whitewash

Fox Sports
Mark Kriegel: What Selig didn't say
Ken Rosenthal: Report misses mark