Union Staying Neutral on Steroid Probe

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The players' association will offer advice but said it is the choice of each individual whether to cooperate with former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's investigation into steroids use.

"We haven't made any comment about the Mitchell investigation specifically," union head Donald Fehr said yesterday.

"What you should expect, however, is that any time any player has an issue with that or something arises, then we will give them whatever our best advice is under the circumstances, and then players make their individual decisions."

Mitchell, hired by commissioner Bud Selig just before the start of the 2006 season, warned baseball owners in January that a lack of cooperation with his investigation into steroid use will "significantly increase" the chances of government involvement.

Fehr, starting his annual spring training tour by meeting with the Arizona Diamondbacks, said Mitchell's comments were unnecessary and that important individual rights are involved.

"I don't think there's anything productive for us to engage in a war," Fehr said. "We spend a lot of time in this country lately with lawyers trying to get a public relations advantage on things. I'm not sure that when you're dealing with rights which may be in some sense fairly technical and legal that you ought to be doing that."